While Pikmin 4 will feature some co-op capabilities, the game will not have a full-blown co-op campaign like Pikmin 3 Deluxe did. The Pikmin franchise has long featured multiplayer and co-op modes, but Pikmin 3 Deluxe took things to the next level.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe, the enhanced Switch port of the former Wii U exclusive, gave fans the chance to play through the entire story campaign in co-op with a friend. Pikmin 3 Deluxe's co-op mode was one of its main selling points and earned the game a great deal of critical acclaim. Considering how popular the full-fledged co-op mode was in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, many fans assumed that Pikmin 4 would bring co-op back. The latest overview trailer for Pikmin 4 confirms that the new game does technically have co-op, but not to the extent that Pikmin 3 Deluxe did.
In the latest overview trailer for Pikmin 4, Nintendo touches on the game's co-op modes. Instead of the second player controlling their own captain and leading their own group of Pikmin, they instead are relegated to a cursor on the screen that can throw pebbles at objects and enemies. The co-op partner in Pikmin 4 can also throw items on the ground to help out player 1. Needless to say, this is a massive step back when compared to the kind of co-op offered by Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and it's no doubt going to disappoint some fans of the franchise.
Pikmin 4 has some multiplayer capabilities outside the main story mode for fans to check out as well, but it's unlikely to make-up for the lack of a proper co-op campaign. Pikmin 4 players can work together against the CPU in the Dondori Battle mode. They can also face each other for some versus multiplayer if they'd like. This is more in line with the multiplayer offered by pre-Pikmin 3 Deluxe games, so it's hard not to look at it as a step back for the franchise.
Luckily, anyone worried about Pikmin 4 can try the game out for themselves before launch. Nintendo has released a Pikmin 4 playable demo that's available to download on the Switch eShop right now. Unlike most other demos, progress made in the Pikmin 4 demo actually carries over to the full game, so that way anyone that tries it out won't have to start over from the beginning if they decide to buy the final product in July.
Pikmin 4 launches July 21, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
