Highlights
- Pikmin 4 offers a refreshing and simpler take on the RTS genre, making it a great introduction for new players.
- Despite not being the most advanced RTS, Pikmin 4 delights audiences with its fun gameplay, charming story, and charismatic characters.
- With its accessible and family-friendly tone, Pikmin 4 has the potential to attract both RTS fans and players new to the genre, serving as a satisfying and engaging gameplay experience.
It feels like the RTS genre is often overlooked by AAA studios, but then a game like Pikmin 4 comes out of nowhere to refresh the genre. While it may not be the most advanced RTS on the market, Pikmin 4 has delighted audiences and offers a decent enough challenge for those willing to take it on. Its gameplay is fun, its story is filled with charm, and its cast of characters is more charismatic than ever. It feels like one of the best entries in the franchise to date and may be exactly what new RTS players need.
The RTS genre is often known for complex games that require players to micromanage all sorts of things if they want any chance at winning. Pikmin 4 removes much of that for a far simpler experience that is still as engaging as genre kingpins like StarCraft and Age of Empires. It's a refreshing change of pace for RTS games in general and serves as a fantastic way to get players interested in everything the genre has to offer.
Pikmin 4 is a Great Introduction to the RTS Genre
There was a time when the RTS genre was seemingly everywhere, with franchises like Command and Conquer and StarCraft dominating the industry. However, the popularity of the genre seems to have died off as AAA studios have moved onto other experiences. While there are still numerous RTS franchises active, their releases are often fewer and far between. The AAA industry has less interest in the concept today outside the occasional Age of Empires release, but Pikmin 4 may change that.
Pikmin 4 is not the most advanced RTS out there, but it is a joy to play. Players must solve all sorts of puzzles using a wide variety of colorful Pikmin and prepare themselves to overcome every challenge that lay before them. They will strategize, fail, and retry constantly as they attempt to escape the planet alive. It's ultimately not so hard, but even veteran players may be stumped occasionally.
Pikmin 4 has almost everything that RTS fans would expect but in a more approachable and streamlined experience. Nintendo has stripped out most of the micromanagement features that the genre is known for and put the focus more on fast-paced gameplay. Players will be cruising around on Oatchi, tossing Pikmin at everything they can, and facing off against the game's enemies. Due to the constant day-night cycle, there is seldom time to take a pause, but that only makes the game stronger.
Since Nintendo tends to go for a more family-friendly tone, Pikmin 4 is accessible to almost any audience. RTS fans will find something to enjoy here and so will players that may have never touched the genre before. It is super easy to pick up and learn but may be hard to master. It is a satisfying gameplay loop that many players may quickly fall in love with, and luckily there is a vast catalog of similar games for new players to check out.
The way Pikmin 4 is structured makes it feel like the perfect starter RTS for anyone who wants to try the genre. It is far simpler than other titles, but its fun factor is not lessened because of that. It may be one of the most engaging RTS titles in a while, and players everywhere may find something to enjoy here. They may come for the unique colorful world that Nintendo has crafted, but the RTS gameplay that the series has mastered has a chance to make them fans of the entire genre.
Pikmin 4 is available now on Switch.
