Right now you are reading the thirteenth article of an idea that has been baptized as Very short footage in which, in a short text, I will talk about issues related to Nintendo and the world of video games in general with the intention of opening a debate about them.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons It is a video game with mechanics that are quite far from those of a conventional game. Since its first delivery in Game Cube, the passage of time at real speed may have been quite frustrating for some, but today, we are going to talk about another feature that has been introduced to the franchise with this installment: the limited durability of the tools.
In New Horizons, most utensils break after some time of use. When you start on your island, the ax barely takes ten or twelve hits, but as the days go by, you unlock new DIY projects that allow you to create upgraded versions with more wear resistance, but still break down. This mechanic was also introduced in the last new installment of the saga The Legend of Zelda
At the time of its launch, this design decision was widely criticized by part of the players, and praised by another (in which I include myself). Personally, I think that this mechanics favors the feeling of freedom, constant discovery and experimentation on which this work is based.
If the Master sword and Hyliano shield were unbreakable, the entire structure of the game would go from the creative vision that the developers had in mind for the enjoyment of the player, to that they try to get these weapons as soon as possible so that the rest of the adventure is made much easier and they do not have to be constantly changing. But what is achieved with this improvisation? To discover new things.
It's like when you were little and your parents forced you to eat or do activities that you hadn't done before. You already knew some things that you liked, but if you had not been forced to try others, you would be someone else incomplete. Well here, to a lesser extent, the same thing happens. I know that with a sword and a shield I handle myself perfectly, because I have already verified it in other games, but that they make me decide between taking a mace or an electric spear, it makes me discover new possibilities, until in the end, when you you feel more or less comfortable with everything and you have learned which weapon is better to defeat such an enemy, is when you realize something very important. The game is not only easier because you have ten, fifteen or twenty more hearts, but because you, Link
To finish, and in passing also talk about Animal Crossing: New HorizonsIt seems to me that the durability mechanics is also well implemented. The game is full of realistic mechanics: the passage of time, that insects come out at certain times of the day, that when it rains is the best time to fish, and now we are going to be angry because the tools break? I think it is a wise decision.
What do you think? Do you like this more realistic approach both Animal Crossing: New Horizons like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Don't you think unlocking more durable weapons is a good progression system? Leave us what you think in the comments!
