Pikmin 4

As I stated in my preview of Pikmin 4, for the longest time, I was not a fan of Pikmin. I held no ill will towards the franchise, but for whatever reason couldn't get into it. With the fourth game, finally, I have seen the light, and decided to give these weird little aliens the attention they deserve.

Pikmin 4 begins with us stranded on an alien planet. We make our own hero, and set out with our odd, two-legged pup Oatchi at our side. Of course, in time we're soon joined by the titular Pikmin, who are more than happy to aid us in our quest to find the castaways trapped on this planet and get our ship repaired to the point that we can leave it.

To escape, we must first explore the world around us, diving deep into the areas the game gives out and picking up treasures to fuel our ship, castaways that need rescuing, and onions to boost our Pikmin capacity. The areas of Pikmin 4 are each visually stunning and markedly different from one another, which kept me coming back time and time again even after I'd got the necessary resources from a given location. They're inviting places, even if they are filled with strange, bug-like monsters, and make you want to dig through every nook and cranny in the hopes of getting that 100% completion tag.

You can't just run around these areas forever, though, as before it gets dark each day you'll have to return to your ship. Even when you do unlock Night Expeditions, these don't allow you to explore and gather more treasure, so you've got to make the most of your days. I found the time you're allowed each day to be generous, but I would recommend making sure that you know what you're going to do when you set out to explore, as otherwise you can easily spend a day doing pretty much nothing. Planning and being efficient in your treasure gathering is something Pikmin 4 recommends, especially in the Dandori Battle and Dandori Race minigames. Here is where your efficiency is put to the test, and the skills you pick up from these minigames can then be used in the wider world. Apart from in these scenarios, you're never really tested on how well you pick up treasure or get your minions to build a bridge, but to make the most out of exploration it's worth taking these skills on board.

As you're probably aware, as well as your daytime raids into the strange beyond, you also get Night Expeditions in Pikmin 4. I find the name to be a little misleading, as really all these Night Expeditions boil down to a tower defence game, where you and the new Glow Pikmin have to stop creatures from attacking a Luminknoll. The resource the Luminknoll produces is important for the campaign, and the Night Expeditions do offer a fun change of pace from the main game, but I did find it somewhat irksome that you can either explore during the day or do a Night Expedition. It seems strange that I can't just roll straight into one of the night missions after going around an area during the day.

These are our essentials within Pikmin 4's gameplay, and despite some small criticisms I have with the way timing works, I have to say it's a game that is incredibly hard to put down. There's always one more thing you can grab, one extra tunnel to explore, and one more day to spend. It rarely feels like a slog and a big part of that is the story and particularly the characters within it. Pikmin 4 might not be drawing us to cinemas like two other releases for the 21st of July, but its core cast are thoroughly entertaining, from the mad scientist Russ to the ever-cautious Collin. While these guys don't adventure with you, in cutscenes after a long day of exploring you can enjoy a light-hearted conversation with them, and can nab side quests from your fellow Rescue Corps members and the castaways you pick up along the way. Of course, I would be remiss not to mention our puppy pal Oatchi, who makes for an incredible companion. He helps carry treasures to your ship, fights monsters, and carries all your Pikmin at once. What's not to love? He's a real stand-out hit, and feels naturally at home in Pikmin 4, but never outshines the titular plant creatures. The Pikmin are a great, varied lot of little helpers that had me grinning each time they popped out of the ground with a chirpy "hello." Some are more useful than others, but each have their own selling points and you're going to need to make use of every type if you want to fully beat the game.

It can feel like you breeze through Pikmin 4 rather easily, as even in the tunnels and the Night Expeditions, where creatures are more prominent and dangerous, there doesn't appear to be much of a real challenge. However, this is countered by the sheer amount of stuff to do in Pikmin 4. I can forgive a lack of difficulty in a game that isn't meant to be overly challenging, and it's even easier to do so when the rest of the experience is so charming and packed with sidequests and a lengthy main campaign too. Even after you think you've done it all, Pikmin 4 cracks you over the head with another hefty dose of content that is bound to keep you going. It is neither shallow nor thin, as everything there is to do comes with an impressive level of depth, which kept me invested for hours after the credits rolled.

Pikmin 4 is simply a delight to play. Its world is effortlessly charming and its core gameplay is more than enough to keep you invested for hours on end. Combine that with the extras such as the Night Expeditions, and Nintendo has crafted another big winner in what is already an incredible 2023 for the company. I cannot speak for the long-time fans of the franchise, but if you're thinking about dipping your toes in, I can only recommend this incredibly fun experience.