Like many modern video games, Pikmin 4 is full of collectibles and side tasks to help keep players engaged outside of the main story. Although Pikmin 4 can technically be completed in around ten hours if players focus solely on the main story, those hoping to find all of the Treasure and rescue every Castaway can expect to spend around twice as long as that; if not more. However, one of the game's key features may leave some people wondering whether the game actually punishes players for straying too far from the beaten path.
This is because Pikmin 4 is broken up into different days, with players given a report stating as much at the end of each and every expedition. Anybody who played the first Pikmin game - either back in the day, or more recently when Nintendo remastered both it and its sequel - will know that it needed to be completed within a set amount of time. As such, they may now find themselves wondering how many days there are in Pikmin 4 and whether or not there is a time limit within which the main story will need to be completed.
Is There a Time Limit in Pikmin 4?
Given how much there is to see and do in the game, players will no doubt be relieved to learn that there is no time limit in Pikmin 4. Unlike in the first Pikmin game, which ended after 30 days if players had failed to collect enough of Olimar's ship parts, Pikmin 4 players can continue exploring for as long as they like. This means that although the counter will continue to rise ominously, there is no set number of days nor any kind of limit on the number of expeditions that players can carry out in Pikmin 4. That said, they will still have to worry about returning to their base at the end of each in-game day.
How Long Does a Day Last in Pikmin 4?
Although there's no set time limit when it comes to story progression, each day in Pikmin 4 does last a set amount of time. Generally, one full day in Pikmin 4 lasts around 20 real-world minutes, excluding loading screens and cutscenes. It's worth noting, however, that time passes a lot more slowly while players are down in Sublevels, meaning that if they decide to head underground, players can expect their day to last considerably longer. They'll be able to keep an eye on how much of the day is left by using the meter in the top left-hand corner of the screen, though this only appears while players are above ground.
Pikmin 4 is available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
