Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out now and players everywhere are enjoying their peaceful island getaway with Tom Nook and friends. However, there is a big topic among players that has caused a bit of a divide among the fanbase, an argument that erupts with every new Animal Crossing game: is it okay to Time Travel? Time Traveling allows players to skip days to unlock new buildings, items, and more, so here's what's causing the division.
What is Time Traveling?
What makes Animal Crossing so unique to most games is that it is played in real time. The current date and time are reflected in the games, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is no different. Each day holds something new for players to discover, which is a great incentive for players to continue to log in day after day. Upgrades, changes to the island, and more usually take a day or two to finish, so players see the fruits of their labor unfold over the span of weeks as opposed to the instant gratification of most games these days. Many attribute this as one of the main reasons that Animal Crossing is so beloved to many, since it is one of the only games that really values time and rewards players for investing their time into it. Animal Crossing's long-form gameplay allows players to relax and take things slow, perhaps something many people need in these crazy times.
How to Time Travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Time Traveling in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is not really any different than it has been in previous games. Since the in-game date and time is based on the console's date and time, players simply need to fool the game into thinking it's a different date. To do this, players need to dive into their Switch's system settings. Once in Settings, head down to System, and then to Date and Time. For prospective Time Travelers, they will want to turn off the "Synchronize Clock via Internet" Option, which will then allow players to manual set the date and time. Once set to the desired date, then players simply need to boot up New Horizons and get to work. Players will want to make sure they save before and after doing this so as to not lose progress. This can be especially helpful when trying to recruit Blathers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons as it usually takes a day or two to get the Museum up and running.
Why Fans are Upset About Time Traveling
There are two distinct camps of Animal Crossing players: those who Time Travel all the time, and those who adamantly refuse to Time Travel under any circumstances. But why is it such a big deal? As mentioned previously, some view it to be against the game's design and purpose. Many believe that Animal Crossing is meant to be enjoyed at a slow pace, allowing players to relax as their build their island to perfection. Many believe that it makes the achievements all the more rewarding as it really lets players feel like they've invested their time wisely in making such a beautiful and thriving island over the course of days and weeks. Moreso, they believe that Time Traveling is an exploit that allows players to cheat in-game mechanics, like the Sow Joan's Stalk Market which is meant to be a risk-reward mini-game that can net players lots of bells. After all, the first weeks on the island are supposed to be about turning the deserted island into a home, why would that be skipped over?
In Defense of Time Traveling
While some love the slow burn of Animal Crossing, others want to get the most out of their time investments so they resort to Time Traveling to unlock buildings and upgrades, like increased inventory space. With so many great games out now, and with more big hits on the way, many fans don't want to invest hours and hours every day into creating the perfect island. For example, to unlock the Museum players would need to wait a total of two days, not counting the requirements for donations, before Blathers unveils the full museum. Players resort to Time Traveling to get those tedious wait times out of the way so they can focus all of their efforts into decorating, crafting, and exploring all that New Horizons has to offer.
With the introduction of many great gameplay features that are locked behind specific requirements, some fans do not want to waste any time waiting to build the perfect island. From the Museum and Shops to the Island Terrain Editor, New Horizons is filled with great features and amenities that are not available right away. Moreso, if players want to unlock them quickly they have to be efficient with their daily tasks to make sure everything gets done before the next day begins so that construction does not get delayed.
Time Traveling eliminates that worry, as players can simply save and jump to the next day without having to worry about waiting and potentially missing out on things. There is a very clear difference between the islands of players who Time Travel versus players who do not. If players started playing on launch day without Time Travel, they would have just now unlocked the full museum and started learning about the Stalk Market - whereas those who Time Travel may already have a fully operational Resident Services center and much more.
Regardless of which side of the argument players fall on, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has proven to be a big hit among critics and fans alike. Since there doesn't seem to be any drawback to Time Traveling, players don't have to worry about repercussions - though in-game events are not active yet as they are now being added via updates when the event draws near. Whether fans choose to Time Travel or just play the game as it was designed, they are sure to have a relaxing and beautiful experience on their deserted island (as long as they avoid the Tarantulas and Wasps). Hopefully this feud between members of the Animal Crossing community will die down so players can enjoy this long-awaited game.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.