Animal Crossing: New Horizons held a continued emphasis on bells as its in-game currency, making small tasks around the island crucial for building up players' wallets. With a life-sim approach that shares similarities to one half of Persona 5's gameplay, Animal Crossing: New Horizons' successor could work from Persona's feature of part-time jobs, serving as a way for players to earn bells, interact with their villagers, and afford more decorations for their spaces.
Part-time jobs have been utilized in past Animal Crossing titles to a lesser degree, serving more as early-game tutorials than established mechanics. In Animal Crossing, Wild World, and City Folk, players completed tasks for Tom Nook, including planting flowers, making deliveries to villagers, and advertising his shop on the shared bulletin board. In contrast, the more recent New Horizons' Happy Home Paradise DLC fell on the other end of the spectrum as it revolved around the player's job in crafting idyllic vacation homes for villager clients. The next mainline title in the series could serve to strike a balance between the two approaches, separating leisure and work in a way that emulates Persona 5.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Successor Could Add Persona-Like Jobs to Earn Bells
Persona 5 put emphasis on its life-sim approach through its depiction of the bustling streets of Tokyo, complete with dining, entertainment, and shopping galore. Just as in real life, these activities cost money, meaning that players would have to earn their keep if they wanted to experience all that the title had to offer. Though Joker begins P5 with a near empty wallet, funds could be earned by fighting enemies in Persona 5's Palaces or working part-time jobs, with the latter playing cleverly into the game's mechanics. As players take on employment at a convenience store, a beef-bowl shop, and others, they earn a bit of extra cash while building their Social Stats, making future Confidant levels more accessible.
Persona 5's part-time jobs worked to better establish the title's characters and setting, making Joker's effect and interactions throughout the city more realistic. In Persona 5 Royal, some elements were included to make these sequences more complex, like the player being quizzed on item barcode locations during work at the convenience store. The emphasis on heightening Joker's social repertoire through these tasks while earning currency worked to aid in both sides of the title's gameplay, making its life-sim aspect more nuanced and its combat more accessible through purchased gear.
A game after Animal Crossing: New Horizons could work from a similar model to make use of its adorable cast of characters that contribute to the title's economy. Beyond Tom Nook, special vendors like Redd and Kicks open up the game's inventory system. Through them, New Horizons' successor could implement a Persona 5 style mechanic that builds upon the player's relationship with vendors while contributing to part-time work, having them earn bells through tasks. For example, a player working for Kicks could be given a pair of shoes that they must advertise to their villagers, having them choose certain dialogue prompts that correspond with their sales pitch, a feat which could be effective based on the villager's personality.
Alternatively, more involved mini-games could be used to take up a longer amount of a player's time, having them weigh the benefits of earning bells against completing other, more leisurely activities. This could make use of mechanics like memorizing button prompts or tracing lines for a Sable-based sewing game, for example. Perhaps part-time work could even tie into event triggers, like a food festival where a player must put together different dishes based on each villager's preference, an activity which could adapt from New Horizons' cooking with timed button prompts. Such an event could be funded by Animal Crossing's Isabelle or Tom Nook, allowing players to earn bells while building upon their friendships with villagers.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
