10 Video Game Mechanics EVERYONE Should Copy
6. In-Game Time Passes The Same As Our Own - Animal Crossing Series
Day and night cycles in games are sort of strange, aren't they? On average 24 in-game hours are typically equivalent to around 22-30 real-life minutes. That's incredibly short, particularly when you're trying to get caught up in the game world.
Animal Crossing, however, plays in real-time. Whatever time the day is for you in the real world means that it's exactly the same in the game because it's moving in real-time.
This keeps the player on track, having to turn on the game at certain times in order to accomplish specific goals, and most objectives can only be achieved between certain hours, or certain animals are available not only at specific times but also during the different seasons in our calendar year.
This system of real-world timing would be a major game-changer for open-world titles. Imagine if Watch Dogs: Legion had incorporated this mechanic. The big selling point of Legion is that every character is playable, and they all live their own individual lives in-game. Keeping track of those you would like to recruit would be a lot more tactical and satisfying if you only had precise timed windows all day to connect with them.
It might not be for everybody, but it'd certainly be a great step in a totally different direction.