Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out in just a few days from now, and ahead of its imminent release, the reviews embargo for the game has lifted. Various outlets and publications have published their reviews for the charming life sim, and it’s been glowing praise for the game all around.
Currently, it has a score of 91 on Metacritic and 92 on Opencritic. Nintendo Life, awarding the game a 10/10, called it “a masterpiece that has been well worth waiting for,” saying “There’s more to do, more to see, more to change, more to mould, and more to love.”
Eurogamer gave the game an “Essential” tag, calling it “probably the best this series has ever had to offer and therefore one of Nintendo’s very best games to date.”
Game Informer awarded New Horizons a 9/10, saying it “has something new to experience every day, and, best of all, it’s built on a foundation of joy and earnestness that’s all too rare.”
IGN also awarded the game a score of 9/10, calling it “an expanded, polished, next-generation reboot of a classic Nintendo game that’s full of surprises.”
There’s also GamesBeat, who, in their 9.5/10 review of the game, called it “the best Animal Crossing game ever made,” also adding, “Nintendo has found new ways to make Animal Crossing rewarding. It’s also found fun new styles of play that still feel like they belong. The best thing I can say about New Horizons is that I think it’s going to win over some players who previously bounced off the franchise. And it will do so without losing any longtime fans in the process.”
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out exclusively for the Switch on March 20. Our own review will be live some time after launch, so stay tuned for that.