A number of Pikmin 4 previews have been released ahead of the game’s release on Friday, July 21st. We’ve rounded up a selection of previews, and overall impressions seem to be great, which bodes well for the full release. Reviews seem to be heaping praise on the ultra cute and versatile dog, Oatchi, along with the larger open levels, which are naturally ripe for exploration. Media outlets seem to have been playing an hour-long demo (presumably the one that will be released on the Nintendo eShop on Wednesday), so without further ado, here are some impressions:
“Pikmin 4 is teeming with other humanoid characters that can serve to explain its various systems and lend a hand. Instead of an isolated mission surrounded by silent plant creatures, you are part of a crew. And given that Pikmin can be quite dense with management systems, it’s a welcome change. They are still mostly teaching and system centers, but they have some character.”
“The contrast between the light-hearted, relaxed campaign puzzles and the frantic Dandori battles can be jarring, but they don’t feel disconnected from each other. Versus mode is just much faster, like playing a regular fast-forward game and juggling multiple tasks at once. In this way, the inviting, relaxed pace of the campaign seems especially vital. Pikmin 4 is generally a welcoming experience for newcomers, while Dandori Battles shows the upper skill ceiling you can achieve if you keep working on perfecting your Pikmin skills.
“Crucially, Pikmin 4 removes the series’ usual overall time constraints, so there’s now no need to worry about running out of life support or replenishing food supplies. The triumphant return of Pikmin’s dungeon-like caves works to focus gameplay, and also allows for longer stretches of adventure without a surface day/night clock to worry about. And there’s also the ability to rewind time if the day is going badly and you’d rather start over.”
“Pikmin 4 currently feels like a step forward for the series, and it’s also not afraid to look back at the best of the franchise’s past. The return of Pikmin 2’s caves is an extremely welcome move, and they remain a challenging highlight despite many other new features designed to make it easier for players. I’m still too early to meet Pikmin 4’s other new variant – Glow Pikmin – which looks like it’s coming as part of the new Night Expeditions game. There’s also a whole other Challenge mode that sits on the game’s main menu, and I haven’t been able to try it out yet either. “
In the short time I spent exploring the world of Pikmin 4, I could see Oatchi’s potential expanding. Like any good dog, he can learn new tricks – and you decide what he focuses on. After quickly learning that using Oatchi’s charge to knock out enemies quickly was my preferred playstyle, I decided to go for an upgrade that reduced the charge time of that ability, but there were also options to make him faster or his attack ability stronger.
Which seems great about Oatchi’s inclusion in the Pikmin 4 is that despite not actually being Pikmin, its mechanical purpose is built on the same foundations as the titular creatures. By learning about his strengths and weaknesses (which are semi-customizable through upgrades), Oatchi becomes another tool for the player to explore the beautifully designed world of Pikmin 4.
