Ubisoft seems to be gearing up to capture the magic of Animal Crossing with a new social simulation game currently known by its codename, Alterra. Remember how Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm back in the day? It was eight years apart from its predecessor, New Leaf, but considering its massive impact, fans might not have to wait eons to dive into a similar gaming experience again.
The Animal Crossing series has always had a dedicated fan base, but New Horizons catapulted it into a new stratosphere of popularity. It became the second best-selling game on the Switch, surpassing even giants like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Since then, however, Nintendo has kept a low profile on the franchise, aside from its mobile counterpart, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. But if recent whispers turn out to be true, Ubisoft might just fill that cozy game void.
A source close to the scene passed along some intriguing tidbits to Insider Gaming, suggesting that Alterra will offer a gameplay experience much like Animal Crossing. However, there’s a twist—it’ll incorporate building features reminiscent of Minecraft. The development team has supposedly been hard at work on this project for about a year and a half. This effort comes after Ubisoft pulled the plug on a similar project that had been in the works for four years. What makes it’s intriguing is seeing a major player like Ubisoft step into a genre often dominated by indie developers.
Alterra is shaping up to be an intriguing blend—a bit of Animal Crossing mixed with a splash of Minecraft, as per an insider scoop. Players will find themselves on an island inhabited by NPCs called Matterlings, paralleling the social interactions in New Horizons. Adding to the fun, players can hop from one island to another, meeting new Matterlings and gathering unique resources. Yet, Alterra will introduce a new dimension by allowing players to use these resources to construct structures, tapping into that Minecraft-inspired creativity.
What’s fascinating about Alterra is its diverse cast of Matterlings. They won’t just be animals you’d find in the real world. Expect to encounter everything from dragons to mythical creatures. The art style leans towards a voxel-based approach, akin to Minecraft, but with Matterlings having a quirky resemblance to Funko Pops. So far, it’s still up in the air as these details are yet to be confirmed. Suppose Alterra does become a reality, and it could take a few years before it’s ready for prime time. Meanwhile, there’s speculation that a new Animal Crossing game might hit the scene by 2026, potentially beating Alterra to the punch. However, this is still just rumor mill chatter for now.
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