Pikmin 4 will feature four captains collaborating together, but players should have the chance to find further ways to exercise teamwork than combining the captains' efforts. While the game will surely have plenty of the same Pikmin gameplay that drew fans to the series in the first place, there are a few ways that the dynamic could be shaken up. The trailers have shown that the game will be featuring some new ideas, including a brand new type of Pikmin as well as a canine companion. There could be more new elements hiding within Pikmin 4 still.
So far, it has been revealed that Pikmin 4 has four main characters, one more than the previous game. Either playing solo or with a friend, players will need to coordinate between the characters in order to survive their mission. Splitting their attention between the various characters will likely play a role in several of the game's puzzles, and the level layouts will need to play into the mechanic in order to make it work effectively. If it's too easy, then players could solo the maps with a single character. However, making teamwork too difficult will evoke nothing but frustration.
Pikmin 4's Puzzles Would Benefit From Requiring Multiple Pikmin Types
While the protagonists will be working together, Pikmin 4 can also encourage the player to incorporate teamwork between their Pikmin as well. Both Pikmin 4's returning Pikmin types as well as new ones have their own strengths for various purposes. For example, the classic Blue Pikmin can swim, Red Pikmin resist fire, and Yellow Pikmin resist explosives. This was expanded as games went on, with new additions such as the heavy and powerful Purple Pikmin, and Pikmin 4's own Ice Pikmin that can freeze water. In addition to the Pikmin themselves, Pikmin 4's trailer showed off a dog who acts as a powerful, ridable ally.
The puzzles in Pikmin games typically involve using the right Pikmin for the right task, and Pikmin 4 can combine those traits to make more elaborate challenges, with Pikmin 4's new Ice Pikmin alone offering many possibilities.For example, the player may need to collect a torch from across a lake, but it will go out if it touches the water. In order to retrieve it, they would need to use Ice Pikmin to freeze a path across the water, then have Red Pikmin retrieve the torch. These puzzles would require players to be smarter about the Pikmin they bring for missions.
There are a lot of ways that Pikmin 4 can mix and match mechanics both new and old. For example, players could allow a swarm of Pikmin to temporarily hitch a ride on Pikmin 4's dog companion Oatchi, temporarily granting it their powers alongside its strength. Likewise, since players will probably have to swap between captains, it would be good to incorporate big tasks that involve swapping both Pikmin and captains at once. Big moments in the game would be served well with complex-multi-step solutions that test the player's full knowledge of Pikmin's dynamics. Such puzzles would prove Pikmin 4 as the series' most impressive title.
If Pikmin 4 is going to promote teamwork among the main characters, it should do the same with the Pikmin themselves. Making sure that players know each Pikmin's strength and the perfect time to deploy them is vital in making the long wait for Pikmin 4 worth it, and adding more tasks that force players to work with multiple Pikmin types is a great way to test that knowledge. Nintendo games thrive when they're willing to evolve, and the Pikmin series is no different. More elaborate Pikmin puzzles are one of the biggest ways to make Pikmin 4 worth the long wait.
Pikmin 4 will be released on July 21, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.
