As 2020 became a disastrous year, Animal Crossing: New Horizons served as a perpetual beacon of light. As COVID-19 began to lock countries down, Animal Crossing was there. Since then, it has persisted, carrying the Nintendo Switch through a tumultuous period. With unfathomable sales results and a comforting presence, New Horizons was always going to be a contender for Game of the Year.
Now that the Game Awards 2020 has announced its nominees and Animal Crossing has secured a nomination for the top category, the picture is coming into focus. However, when put up against titans like The Last of Us Part II, does Animal Crossing: New Horizons really deserve the win?
The Impact of the Pandemic
The answer to that question depends on whether its cultural significance dominates the conversation. New Horizons has become a phenomenon in a way that no prior games in the series could. Animal Crossing was always a popular franchise with a large fanbase, but it was never as ubiquitous as New Horizons. Of course, much of this is a matter of the game launching at just the right time. It was always going to do well, but it's hard to imagine a scenario where it sells more than 25 million units without the global pandemic.
COVID-19 gave Nintendo the perfect opportunity to illustrate why Animal Crossing is special. Its whimsy and social elements aligned with what people needed back in March: an endearing and magnetic experience that players can escape into for countless hours. That spark propelled the game, providing a comfort that has persisted all year. The series has always had this effect, helping players get though hard personal times. In 2020, though, the entire world found itself facing the same crisis, and an Animal Crossing game was there to help people cope.
Of course, this speaks to the ways that Animal Crossing's intrinsic charm has helped so many through the darkest moments of this year. It's reasonable to assume that any Animal Crossing title bursting with charm and connected to the internet could've filled New Horizons' role. Had the pandemic broken out in 2013, it's reasonable to assume that New Leaf could've gotten this nomination. The question is whether New Horizons also brings enough to the table by its own merits to warrant the highest honor at The Game Awards.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons does take steps to evolve its franchise. It's far more of a survival experience than the titles that came before. With its crafting elements and increased emphasis on player agency, the game is decidedly fresher than the iterative track the Animal Crossing series was on.
At the same time, New Horizons is far from flawless, featuring the same, stilted multiplayer that has held the series back. Even its fresh elements like crafting lack basic quality-of-life features, and its post-launch support has been far from great. The free DLC has been largely comprised of recycled New Leaf content, with fan-favorite characters and ideas still stranded in that past title.
Challenging PlayStation for the Trophy
With these factors in mind, stacking New Horizons against Sony's Game of the Year challengers is tough. The front runner there is obviously The Last of Us Part II. While it may be polarizing for players, it was adored by critics. Rightfully so, as the game is 25 gut wrenching hours of Naughty Dog at its most refined -- which is triple-A gaming at its best. With a narrative that recontextualizes the player's relationship to storytelling as they carry out morally reprehensible actions, the game has a lot to say. It's a blunt, beautiful and stinging experience.
It’s hard to look at The Last of Us Part II and not see the strong case for taking home the top prize. The award is meant to recognize "a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields," and TLOU2 hits those metrics easily. Animal Crossing: New Horizons might not be able to clear that same bar when going tit-for-tat.
Still, it's hard to look at the 2020 landscape and not see Animal Crossing: New Horizons as the year's defining experience. Games don't release in a vacuum, and it's that real-world context that an Animal Crossing win would acknowledge. We'd be worse off as a community if New Horizons hadn't been here to connect us. That counts for a lot, and it should count for enough to award Animal Crossing Game of the Year.