In an Animal Crossing-focused Direct, Nintendo revealed a slew of upcoming content for New Horizons. Beginning November 5, players will be able to greet returning characters like Brewster and Kapp'n, buy new items and enjoy some much-needed quality-of-life updates.
One of the most exciting additions is the shopping plaza revamp of Harv's Island, a successor to the Main Street area from Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the Nintendo 3DS (which itself took inspiration from the City in Animal Crossing: City Life). The island, previously used as a photoshoot destination, will see a dramatic expansion that lets players access a lively selection of businesses. Under the direction of Harv and hairstylist poodle Harriet, beloved faces old and new will be arriving to set up shop in the newly-opened plaza area.
In New Leaf, rather than having most shops and important locations in town, places like the Nookling's Store, the Museum and the Able Sisters' shop were located in a separate area north of town. This was a successor to City Folk, which featured a separate location players could travel to full of different shops and points of interest. Similar to New Leaf, this new shopping area will be located on Harv's Island, behind Photopia.
As with other Animal Crossing public works projects, players will need to fork over hefty sums of Bells to Lloid to build each new shop. Once the required donations have been fulfilled, a number of storefronts not yet seen in New Horizons will be open for business. These include returning fan-favorites like Katrina the fortune teller, who will dish out eerily accurate predictions about players' luck levels and social prospects. The adorable alpaca couple Reese and Cyrus will also make their customization services available. They will be able to alter special items like lighthouses, which previously could only be obtained in different colors through trading with other players.
In addition to the old character returning from previous games, vendors who already appear in New Horizons can set up permanent stalls on Harv's Island. This is a convenient change, as characters like Kicks, Leif, Sahara and Redd normally only show up in the Resident Services plaza on random days.
This is a great approach to adding new shops to New Horizons, particularly since it won't force players to redesign the islands they've been perfecting for over a year now to experience the new content. Using Harv's Island for this also bring new life to a location that has mostly gone underused. Up until now, most players haven't sent much time visiting Photopia, instead preferring to work and play on their actual islands. Outside of setting up photoshoots, the only reason to visit was the yearly Wedding Season event featuring Reese and Cyrus.
With the Version 2.0 update, Harv's Island will finally become an essential location to visit as part of a player's daily routine. This expansion is set to make the world of New Horizons feels significantly bigger and more exciting. By dedicating a new area to shopping just like New Leaf and City Folk did, players have more reason to leave their islands and travel in New Horizons' vibrant, lively world.
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