Sprite
(He/Him/His)
I definitely understand the complaints about New Horizons and don't want to tell people how to feel. If they're disappointed and like New Leaf more, that's fine, and the reasons people cite make sense. I have big complaints about both games.
I personally still like New Horizons more. The games have different priorities. New Leaf has a lot more stuff (though 655 pieces were added in Welcome amiibo, four years after release), but what New Horizons does have is more detailed and vibrant. For instance, here's the train set as it appears in New Leaf and Pocket Camp:
And here's how the train set appears in New Horizons, in one of four seasonal variants:
A lot of the items in New Leaf seem like newly-textured versions of models they've been re-using for a decade or more, which works because it's a portable-only game on a lil' screen. But upgrading everything to HD just isn't practical. Hopefully they keep updating it and by the time New Horizons is four years old its library can stand up better to New Leaf's, but in my opinion the trade-off was worth it, especially considering the new features. My island looks exponentially more unique and interesting than any of my old villages did. I spend huge chunks of playtime just drinking in how gorgeous the game looks.
I do hate how much furniture ends up exclusive to Pocket Camp, though.
I personally still like New Horizons more. The games have different priorities. New Leaf has a lot more stuff (though 655 pieces were added in Welcome amiibo, four years after release), but what New Horizons does have is more detailed and vibrant. For instance, here's the train set as it appears in New Leaf and Pocket Camp:
And here's how the train set appears in New Horizons, in one of four seasonal variants:
A lot of the items in New Leaf seem like newly-textured versions of models they've been re-using for a decade or more, which works because it's a portable-only game on a lil' screen. But upgrading everything to HD just isn't practical. Hopefully they keep updating it and by the time New Horizons is four years old its library can stand up better to New Leaf's, but in my opinion the trade-off was worth it, especially considering the new features. My island looks exponentially more unique and interesting than any of my old villages did. I spend huge chunks of playtime just drinking in how gorgeous the game looks.
I do hate how much furniture ends up exclusive to Pocket Camp, though.