Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch: 4 things we know from the Direct ahead of launch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons had a special Nintendo Direct this week, brimming with new information about the wholesome desert island simulator launching on Nintendo Switch on March 20.

New Horizons will be sending players to an extremely charming deserted island, where they'll set up a brand new life for themselves.

The franchise is famous for its focus on wholesome gameplay and an almost cathartic cycle of gathering and crafting.

During the nearly-30 minute broadcast, Nintendo finally shed some light on brand new features coming to the game from free post-launch updates to a proper introduction to your new island life.

When you first start the game you'll be basically alone on the island, so you'll have to start entirely from scratch, including choosing the island you want to settle on from a range of options.

Here are the most important details released in the Direct:

There's going to be a lot of free updates post-launch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will continue to be supported after it launches. These updates will include seasonal events and special characters being added to the game.

According to the information given during the Direct, the first free update will be on launch day, March 20.

By installing this update you can celebrate Bunny Day with a special event in April. Bunny Day no doubt is in reference to Easter.

As is tradition in Animal Crossing games, each season of the year will bring with it a new themed event.

You'll be able to talk to your friends through voice chat using a smartphone app

The Nintendo Switch already has an app for smartphones and tablets and there will be a new feature which will allow gamers to chat with one another through voice chat.

Called Nook Link, it's set to go live around the time the game releases to ensure that those playing with friends online will be able to communicate with ease using a voice chat or by typing messages in the app.

If you've played earlier Animal Crossing games, such as New Leaf on the Nintendo 3DS for example, you'll be able to download any custom designs you've made by scanning a QR code and add that design to New Horizons.

Nintendo has been adamant that customisation will play a huge part in New Horizons; you'll be able to change landscapes and create your own custom furniture and unique designs.

By using Nook Link, you'll essentially have to option to pack up your old home from previous games New Leaf or Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer, to ship it over to your new residence on the island.

Anyone who visits your home won't be able to destroy or change your creations

You won't need to worry about any guests, invited or otherwise, coming to your home and ruining everything you've spent so long to create.

Seeing as how you can customise the entire island you inhabit, either by removing some unseemly land or painting pathways, Nintendo wanted to make sure that no one can harm your precious creations.

While you can cross rivers on your island by pole-vaulting, for example, you can also change the landscape by adding bridges and slopes.

Once your island is fully decked out, you’ll receive a permit to freely pave your own paths and your options will only increase from there.

So in order to protect the environment of your island, certain tools including axes and shovels are forbidden in visits from friends.

But if you have a friend you trust not to destroy everything, you can upgrade them in-game to a 'Best Friend', allowing them full use of their tools when they visit.

New Horizons won't support cloud saves at launch

This has been a point of contention for a lot of players because it means that if tragedy should befall your beloved Switch, you'll lose all of your progress.

With that in mind, there is something of a safety net in the form of a save game back-up system.

If you lose or break your Nintendo Switch you'll be able to back up save data from a server to restore your lost data. However, this feature will not be available at launch.

Cloud saving is a feature you can access if you pay for a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. It allows you to upload and download saved game data to the cloud so you never lose your progress. It's useful if you're looking to change your Switch console or wanting to back up saves for extra peace of mind.

You can watch the full Direct broadcast here.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases exclusively on Nintendo Switch Friday March 20, 2020

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