Highlights
- Pikmin 4 has finally arrived after a decade, with changes that make it more accessible for beginners and a hit among critics.
- The game features character customization options and introduces a new dog creature called Otachi, which players can ride, swim with, and upgrade.
- The inclusion of night missions adds a thrilling element to the game, with more powerful enemies and greater risks, while new Pikmin types bring unique abilities to the table.
It seems like only yesterday that the last game in this series was delivered to fans. It’s been a decade, though, as Pikmin 3 was a 2013 Wii U exclusive. The game eventually got a Switch port in 2020 with new content, but that was hardly a new game.
Now, at long last, Pikmin 4 has arrived and to critical acclaim as well. As is the case with most sequels, Nintendo changed things up a bit. A lot of the changes were for the better, making the game a more streamlined package for beginners to get into. For those sensitive to gameplay spoilers, there are some ahead. The narrative will not be spoiled though.
7 Character Customization
Following the trend of many games, this game features some minor character customization options. Players can choose their face template along with their eye shape, hair color, and so on. This new cadet is not shown much except in cutscenes, so the inclusion may seem unnecessary.
However, there is a good reason for that involving a unique multiplayer mode. The mode will be detailed later, but character customization will allow players to showcase themselves during a match. It will also be easier to see what is going on if players have distinct characteristics.
6 Otachi
Otachi is a new dog creature for Pikmin 4. This companion will stay by the player's side no matter what unless they get temporarily incapacitated. As the game progresses, new features will unlock. Players can ride it, swim with it, command it to attack, and so on.
There are also upgrades players can buy for Otachi to strengthen its core skills. For example, every Pikmin in the game counts as one Pikmin. However, the strength for Otachi can be increased so that he can stand in for five, ten, or even more Pikmin.
5 A HUB World
Otachi can be upgraded back at base camp. This is where the ship is located, along with core NPCs that players rescue. Most NPCs have a specific function back at camp too. Shepherd will handle Otachi’s upgrades, Collin handles the missions, and Russ can build new gear for players in Pikmin 4. Russ can especially be useful as his gadgets are out of this world.
His gear can provide armor against certain elements like fire or allow players the ability to call back Pikmin after a delivery. The various upgrade options are useful, but it's also just nice to have a place to chill after retreating from a mission with some NPCs. They may have a helpful tip to give players or a funny story to fully engross them in the world.
4 Night Exploration
Every game in the series handles time differently. The one thing in common was that nightfall was a no-no for exploration. That changes in this game once players rescue a certain NPC. It will probably take six to eight hours to do so, but once rescued, nighttime missions will become available in Pikmin 4.
The rewards are great but so are the risks. It turns the game into a mini Soulslike adventure because the enemies are both numerous and more powerful. Who would have thought horror vibes were the thing to make the series more interesting?
3 New Pikmin
There are a lot of Pikmin to collect in Pikmin 4. Two of the newest versions include the Ice Pikmin and the Glow Pikmin. The Ice Pikmin look like mini ice cubes and have a plethora of benefits. They can freeze enemies, for example, making even some of the scariest battles less challenging.
If enough of them gather in the water then they can freeze streams or lakes too. Glow Pikmin will get introduced during nighttime missions and can help light the way through dangerous terrain and they look like little green aliens. Are there more new Pikmin in the game? Players will have to jump in to check for themselves.
2 Dandori Battle
Dandori Battle is the aforementioned new multiplayer mode in the game. Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 had multiplayer modes too along with co-op features. Pikmin 4 has campaign co-op but the big surprise is Dandori Battles. These will appear in the campaign and players can strike up a match against other players online outside of the campaign.
There are different types of matches but they mostly revolve around players acquiring new Pikmin. They must then gather materials to outdo the opponent’s score. Sometimes there can be solo challenges as well. It's best to get used to head-to-head matches and challeneges vs the AI before taking on an online opponent. That's a free tip.
1 Less Restrictive
The best thing about this game is that it gives players some breathing room. There is a time limit on exploration and if time runs out while players are outside of their camp, those Pikmin will die. The time limit is not displayed naturally in numbers, but there must be a good fifteen minutes on the timer at least.
It never feels like a burden despite this countdown clock, though. Players can end their day whenever they want to. The ability to go back and forth between biomes is great, adding to the exploration of nature that began all those years ago on the GameCube.
Pikmin 4 was released on July 21, 2023, and is available on Switch.
