Missing the day-night character shifts in Animal Crossing

Survival & Immersive Horror
1

Hey guys, I’ve been thinking about something in New Horizons that kinda bugs me. Remember how in older Animal Crossing games we had characters working different shifts? Like Phyllis and Pelly at the post office? That was so cool and made the game feel more real.

Now in New Horizons, it’s like everyone’s always there. Tom Nook and Isabelle never leave Resident Services. It’s weird, right? They’re just there 24/7. Makes them feel less like real characters and more like robots or something.

I get that some characters still have schedules, like the Able Sisters closing up shop. And Blathers sleeping during the day makes sense 'cause he’s an owl. But I miss having more characters with different schedules.

Maybe they could add some new faces to work night shifts? Like Tom Nook’s cousin or Isabelle’s sister? I think it would make the island feel more alive, you know?

What do you guys think? Am I the only one who misses this little detail from the older games? Don’t get me wrong, I still love New Horizons. Just wondering if anyone else noticed this too.

2

Totally get what you mean. The day-night shifts added some nice depth. Having everyone around 24/7 does feel a bit unnatural. Maybe they’ll bring back more varied schedules in future updates or games.

3

Man, I never thought about that, but you’re right. The old shift system did make the world feel more alive. Now it’s like everyone’s stuck in a time loop or something.

I guess they streamlined it for convenience, but it does take away some of the charm. Maybe they could add different dialog for day and night to make it feel less static.

4

Yeah, the 24/7 characters do feel a bit off. I kinda miss the old system too. It was cool seeing different NPCs at night, made the town feel more alive. New Horizons is still great, but that detail would’ve been nice to keep.