It's just a few days until the most anticipated game of the year so far hits shelves! With many other games and gaming events this year postponed, it's sure to be a huge hit! We've been waiting patiently to try out some of the brand new Animal Crossing: New Horizons features. Here's what you can expect from gameplay.

You can sculpt and shape your island

After choosing the basic layout of your island, you can add cliffs, waterfalls and more to the terrain, creating your own unique little slice of paradise for yourself and the islanders.

You can welcome "castaways"

Occasionally in your game, visitors will quite literally wash up on the shore of your island. Look after them and make them feel at home - they might just stick around and return the favour!

You can collect Nook Miles

Exploring and adventuring in the game and completing specific tasks will allow you to collect 'Nook Miles'. You can redeem these against items as though they were currency, or later in your game you will also be able to redeem 'Nook Miles Tickets'. Hand one of these over at the airport and you'll be whizzed off to an exciting getaway.

There are so many customisations

More customisation options than you can shake a butterfly net at have been included in Animal Crossing: New Horizons - your character can look just like you, or totally different. No customisation is restricted by gender, either, so there's lots of flexibility there.

DIY stations are a thing

Don't want to wait for something to come into stock at the store? No problem! You can craft your own items using collected materials. The possibilities are endless.

Local co-op means you can play with up to 4 friends

You and up to 4 guests can team up on one console to adventure around the island completing tasks and challenges! Of course, you'll need additional controllers - or alternatively, you'll be able to visit another friend's island online.

You can pole vault everywhere

Ladders and poles have been introduced as fun and fast ways to get around on the island. Of course, you can still use bridges, steps and pathways to explore in a more generic way... if you really want to!

Furniture can be placed outdoors

While the ability to place furniture in the great outdoors is a staple of Pocket Camp, we've not yet seen this feature in a console game. This means that in addition to your home, you can add some amazing outdoor decor, or simply camp outside full stop!

You can stack your inventory

Of all the Animal Crossing: New Horizons features we were hoping for, this comes out on top. No longer will having multiples of one item fill up your pockets! Even if you have 50 of the same item, it will only be counted once. That means you can forage for longer and carry more.We can't wait to get our hands on the game. Don't forget to invest in some good accessories for your Switch or Switch Lite console too. We're biased of course, but we think ours do a great job!