Highlights
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons faced criticism for how difficult it can be to obtain golden tools, which went against the game's focus on casual gameplay.
- Golden tools have become more difficult to acquire in the 2020 game compared to previous installments, and they are also less durable. In particular, tools like the shovel take far too long to acquire, as players need to wait patiently for Gulliver to appear 30 times.
- Hopefully, the next Animal Crossing game will ease up on some of the requirements. While they should still take some effort to obtain, all the tasks should take an equal amount of time.
It's no secret that the Animal Crossing series is one of Nintendo's most successful franchises. According to sales from the Japanese company, the series is its fifth best-selling, trailing behind The Legend of Zelda. With five main games to its name, a multitude of spin-offs, DLCS, and exclusive mobile apps, it's safe to say that Animal Crossing has become a household name in the gaming community.
However, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons was one of the best-selling Switch games, it was not above criticism. One of the biggest concerns in the life simulation comes from how players obtain their tools. Specifically, some people think that acquiring golden tools is too difficult for a title that emphasizes relaxation and casual gameplay.
Animal Crossing's Golden Tools Are Too Grind-Centric
Golden tools are the highest level of tools that can be utilized in Animal Crossing games. Typically, they're crafted using golden nuggets but in past games, they could also be secured by trading or throwing tools into fountains to summon Serena the fountain goddess. At one point, silver tools were available in both Animal Crossing: City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf, though Animal Crossing: New Horizons decided not to feature them.
Golden tools have been a part of the Animal Crossing franchise for years, though people were quick to notice that they seem more difficult to come by in the 2020 game. They also aren't as durable as they were in previous games, since originally they weren't able to be broken. The community has reported that it seems it takes an average of 200 uses before the tools become completely unusable, though this varies from tool to tool. For example, a Golden rod will break after 90 attempts and a Golden shovel can be used 200 times.
For a game that's meant to be more casual, it's a bit surprising to some that the series wants players to grind for golden tools. From the start, in the original Animal Crossing, trying to get them often required some rather bizarre methods like burying shovels in a hole that Bells used to be in. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a different progression system, but it's not an easy task either.
Currently, the DIY crafting system is the only way to get golden tools in the latest game. Unfortunately for some, the recipes aren't immediately ready for use. Instead, they have to be unlocked by finishing assignments. It makes sense that golden tools are harder to get than the basic ones, but not all high-level tools can be acquired with the same amount of effort.
For instance, the Golden Shovel and Golden Slingshot in Animal Crossing have become quite notorious for the amount of effort needed to get them. This is made even more apparent when compared to the Golden Axe, which can be crafted in the early stages of the game after going through 100 normal or Flimsy Axes. The Golden Shovel recipe can only be obtained through a player's mailbox, but they have to help Gulliver find his communicator parts 30 times before it is mailed. Since Gulliver usually only appears on an island once or twice every two weeks, this means getting the shovel can take an incredibly long time.
If the next Animal Crossing title made some of these golden tools just a bit easier to get, it could appease the part of the community that wants to play the game more nonchalantly. Whether Nintendo has any plans to do so remains to be seen, but easing up on the system for golden tools is hopefully a concept that the developer is already considering.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch.
