Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest installment of Nintendo’s life simulator franchise. Following its release in 2020, the simple but captivating title took the world by storm with its unique concept. A large part of this is due to Nintendo’s regular festive updates, which players can enjoy as part of New Horizons’ online gameplay. However, in case you are unable to connect your Switch to the internet, there is also an offline mode to have fun on.

What does the offline version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons entail?

While the online mode is far more interactive and engaging, Animal Crossing caters to all kinds of players. Furthermore, accessing online features will require you to have a Nintendo online subscription.

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On the offline version of the game, you can go about interacting with villagers, watching birds, catching bugs, landscaping and perform various activities that you would if you were playing online. Nevertheless, there are some major downsides to playing New Horizons offline rather than online.

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Reasons why you should play the online version of the game

Firstly, you will not be able to visit other players’ islands. A huge part of the game is based on players’ creativity with their island designs. It is eliminated when you cannot access the online version of the game. In addition to this, trading, which is a convenient feature, cannot be accessed unless you are connected to the internet.

New Horizons gives you complete customization over furniture and other decorative items. The recently added Design Portal+ even allows you to download and use other players’ designs if you are connected to the internet. Thus, your creativity might be stifled if you have never experienced the online version of the game.

One of the biggest reasons Animal Crossing is so successful on the Switch is due to the plethora of updates Nintendo releases every year. This includes seasonal in-game celebrations like the ‘Festival’, ‘May Day’, among others. Additionally, Nintendo releases themed items for occasions like ‘Nature Day’, Valentine’s Day, etc. Players who do not have access to the online mode will miss out on these major events and the content that comes with them.

Lastly and most importantly, unless you are connected to the internet, you cannot backup your island and save your progress permanently. This can become a problem if you misplace or damage your device.

Overall, Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be enjoyed offline, but it has its limitations. The online mode continues to provide the best experience and make the game the success that it is today. Which version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons do you play? Let us know in the comments down below.

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