Since the first Animal Crossing release in 2001, villagers within the game used to be much harder and meaner to players, but in a good way. In the newer titles, such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Conversations with the island inhabitants have been toned down making them more friendly and in a way basic or typical.
Animal Crossing is a widely popular series primarily known for its town/island-building mechanics, but another factor that comes into play is villager interaction. Fans of the series are able to bond and connect with their favorite residents which can feel almost like a second virtual family. This is considered to be one of the main reasons why players are still playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 2022, with the game having initially exploded during lockdowns implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the older titles, primarily Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World, conversations with villagers come at a variety as sometimes they wouldn’t always be friendly. Most of the dialogue options were filled with dark humor and savage moments. Arguably, this may have sparked some debate on whether or not the series was suitable for children to play.
Animal Crossing Villagers Were More Real In Older Titles
A lot of the time when certain situations would occur in older Animal Crossing games, villagers would address the player with dialogue that can be considered rude, depending on how they would take it. For example, when a villager steps into a pitfall, there’s a chance for them to call everyone in the town “dirty rats” and feel that someone is out to get them. In older Animal Crossing titles, villagers would judge players’ fashion sense calling their clothes “ugly”, “weird”, or even a “mental case.”
Animal Crossing fans who have played the game since day one may have even noticed the shift in tone themselves as the series went on. The villagers, especially in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, have lost some of the charm that made them unique from each other. In the latest game, villagers mainly talk about different items that have been placed around the island, asking about what hobbies the player is into, and complimenting the ’s clothing as well as items at the retail stores.
The most repetitive dialogue option that is constantly brought up by every single villager is the ones always talking about themselves based on their personality trait. This is a problem with Animal Crossing villagers and can instantly cause players to not feel attached to them, which is one of the goals that the series sets out to accomplish. Unlike before, every villager feels the same as they repeat each other, which can make some players appreciate the harsh dialogue in the older titles as they brought a bit of zest to the characters.
Older Animal Crossing Characters Lost Their Personalities
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has taken a nicer approach in regards to the dialogue, and it has caused some characters to lose their touch. Villagers such as Baabara, Carmen, and Eloise would tear into players giving savage remarks if they had a poor taste in fashion. However, now they are more ive-aggressive with their statements and it doesn’t have the same feeling as before.
Nintendo wasted Animal Crossing: New Horizons' potential as it takes a few steps forward, but a couple of steps back with its use of villagers throughout the game. Depending on what type of personality trait a character is, that dictates what they say to other people, unfortunately, it lacks variety. Most of the time the conversations are stereotypical such as jocks only talking about lifting weights, lazy villagers talking about being lazy, and peppy islanders being overly friendly.
Bringing back the harshness and jerky nature would significantly improve Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but due to Nintendo’s games being suitable for people of all ages, the company may be reluctant to introduce any overly hostile villagers. Even though the first game in the series was rated E back in 2001, in 21 years the ESRB has significantly changed resulting in it being more strict. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was safe for kids, but that perception may change if Nintendo was to introduce more hostile characters in future installments.
Nintendo Should Bring Back The Old Animal Crossing Dialogue
As a result of the dialogue that players would have with villagers being so boring in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo released an update in 2021 giving them more options and set lines to say. Unfortunately, due to the longevity of the title itself, players quickly ran through the new additions and were right back to square one. With all this in mind, most villagers aren’t being treated like island residents, but as collectibles.
Nintendo doesn't need to make villagers insult, bully, or even demean players, but to give them have their own dialogue and recreate the breadth of interactions that were present in the older titles. That’s where the original Animal Crossing games beat New Horizons. It was more enjoyable and gave fans an incentive to talk to villagers every day, unlike in the latest game in which players do it to only earn Nook Miles.
Besides the harsh dialogue, villagers used to also give meaningful and thoughtful advice that would be useful in real-life scenarios. From having players understand their value and knowing their worth to having them be comfortable with themselves and who they are, conversations actually had meaning behind them. It tugs at the heartstrings and is what made Animal Crossing the perfect casual game for people to enjoy.
The Older Animal Crossing Titles Gave The Series Its Charm
With the reputation that the entire series has built since 2001, it only makes sense that in 2021, ACNH was highly talked about. Sadly, that same level of comfort and realism isn’t found in the newest edition. Improving villager interaction and communication would help bring players back to their islands, though.
Nintendo needs to expand on the personality types each Animal Crossing character has and give players different combinations to give variety to their characters. This would help the game’s dialogue greatly while also increasing the representation of different kinds of villagers players can come across in their adventures. There’s no risk in doing so and it would lead to more entertaining interactions.
The Animal Crossing series has gone through several changes for better and for worse. That doesn’t mean Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn't good, as it’s considered to be the most innovative title in the series. If there is to be a new installment in the future, however, it might be wise for Nintendo to make villagers retain the same charm that they had in the original games.
