On November 5, 2021 Animal Crossing: New Horizons released their final major update for the game. Although this news is saddening, the new additions to the game didn’t disappoint. There were so many new things that one can now do in the game that will ensure hours upon hours of fun. 

Gyroids

The first newest installment is the gyroids. These were common in all the previous Animal Crossing Games and it’s exciting to see them again. For those who are unfamiliar with what gyroids are, they are small singing and dancing robot-like figures you can dig up from the ground, after it rains, and use to decorate your house. They come in all shapes and sizes and each of them have their own unique sound that they make. A fun thing about them is if you play music in the game they will sing and dance along with it. Something new this game added with them, however, is you can now find gyroid fragments. These are fragments of the gyroids you can either find along the beach or dig up. And if you water them then the next day it will have grown into a full gyroid. 

Brewster

Speaking of gyroids, there is a familiar face from the old games. This specific character, if you visit him enough, will give you a custom gyroid designed to look like him. He’s everyone’s favorite pigeon barista, Brewster. Again for those unfamiliar with the Animal Crossing franchise Brewster is a barista who will brew your village coffee for a small fee. Normally, he has his own small coffee shop somewhere in town but in this game his cafe is located in the museum. You can either sit down and get a drink or you can order take out for a slightly high price. The thing that’s absolutely amazing about Brewster and his coffee shop is that it has the small cafe vibes and it fits perfectly with the relaxing vibes of the game. His role hasn’t changed much from the original game he was in, dating back to 2005, Animal Crossing: Wild World.

Cap’n

Another familiar face is good ol’ Cap’n. Cap’n is a capybara who just so happens to drive a motorboat and carries the old sailor vibes. He was a fan favorite and so many were happy to see him make a comeback in this game. He was last seen in Animal Crossing: New Leaf where he would take you back and forth between your island and a small tropical island. His role in New Horizon isn’t much different. He still takes you to mysterious islands. They can have different weather, seasons, time of day, plants, or even be “mystical”. The mystical islands are always the most magical as they have a fairytale vibe to them. One time I was brought to a mystical island and instead of growing fruit all the trees were growing money, it was definitely a pleasant surprise. 

Other Familiar faces

Cap’n and Brewster aren’t the only familiar faces that were added to the game. At Harv’s island, where normally you could only design rooms or do special events, they added an area in the back with several set up shops. This area now has several new faces. First, there is Shampoodle who, for those who don’t know, did your hair in past games. However, in this game she gives you a few new hairstyles you can’t gain without her. Another character is Katrina. She is a cat who is able to predict your future or, in this game, tell you what level of friendship you’re at with certain villagers in your town. Finally, the fan favorite, Tortimer. He’s an old tortoise who has been in all the previous games. He provides extra storage in New Horizons but above that he’s a friendly face to see. 

Cooking

Moving on, another new and interesting addition to the game is cooking. This is something that has never been done before in the Animal Crossing games. Now you are able to gather ingredients, which are fish, vegetables, and fruits, and use certain kitchen appliances, you can buy from Timmy and Tommy, to cook. You can collect cooking recipes much like you can get building recipes. Cooking is super simple and you can even make what you cook which is incredible. It’s certainly something to make people feel more like they are playing a simulation game of sorts. 

DLC

Finally, probably the biggest edition to the game, there’s a DLC- extra downloadable content -called Happy Home Paradise. This DLC cost $25 but it is definitely worth the money. Basically, it starts where you go to a resort island and you get a job from an otter by the name of Lottie. From there you are able to read the thoughts of wandering villagers and then design houses for them based around certain pieces of furniture. You are able to design the inside and outside of their houses and make them basically however you want. The best part is that once you’ve made enough houses you get upgrades and then eventually are even able to design a restaurant, cafe, hospital, and so much more. You’re able to build an entire community and it is very enticing and fun to play. It will definitely have you playing for more hours than you would like but it’s a fun time. 

As mentioned this is the final major update that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be releasing. However, they have added enough things to keep fans busy for days, weeks, and even months. It’s very exciting and there are so many new things and experiences you can have. I highly encourage, if you haven’t already, play the game and get a chance to experience all of this new stuff for yourself. I promise you, it’s a fun time!