Pikmin 4 understands the overwhelming appeal of scale. We explore a tiny version of our world filled with household objects like Game Boys and alarm clocks which, at this size, could easily crush us to death. Microscopic insects and similarly insignificant wildlife we’d previously wipe underfoot are capable of swallowing us whole or throwing us across the environment like insignificant ragdolls. Virtual experiences like this are simultaneously enthralling and terrifying.
Nintendo’s charming extraterrestrial strategy game has always capitalised on this idea, and despite taking place on a multitude of alien planets, the series’ many environments are akin to suburban gardens and family living rooms, or beaches where the tide moves in and out with the changing times. You’re a small creature in a sprawling landmass with the power to command its inhabitants to do your bidding, but you’re always vulnerably conscious of the natural world that surrounds you. Pikmin 4 takes this philosophy further than ever, and in its ambition cuts away much of the chaff while delivering a game that made me hunger for the thrill of discovery. Even in the Switch’s own exclusive repertoire, there’s nothing like it.
Olimar has once again gone missing, and it’s up to the Rescue Corp to travel to an unknown planet in search of the pesky astronaut. You’re the rookie of this organisation. Create an avatar in the opening chapter and control it for the rest of the game as you explore new levels and slowly fill the hub world with rescued allies and NPCs dishing out new items, upgrades, or side quests to embark upon. Pikmin 4 cuts out much of the previous three games’ admin, including the overcomplicated strategy controls and time limits that once brought the game to a close after an arbitrary amount of days had passed. Now you can (presumably) stay here forever, and Olimar will sit around in solitude until you’re ready to find him. What a trooper. Here’s hoping he isn’t dead in a ditch.
Now you’re free to jump into stages at your own leisure, whether you’re only interested in getting through the campaign or scooping up every single treasure in search of that sweet completionist run. At the centre of it all is Oatchi, an alien rescue pup who acts as a mount capable of carrying you across the world and doubling as an easy transportation tool for any and all Pikmin.
He’s adorable. Within minutes, he becomes an indispensable part of Pikmin 4’s repertoire. I couldn’t imagine a game in this series without him now, even if his presence does wipe away almost all challenge in favour of approachability. Once you’ve earned a few upgrades, both yourself and Oatchi can soak up oodles of damage and be relatively untouchable when it comes to environmental hazards like fire, ice, and lightning. Your focus centres solely on collecting treasures and gaining a valuable fuel known as Sparklium, which can eventually be used to fuel your ship and unlock new areas. Combat takes a leisurely backseat as most encounters can be conquered through sheer attrition over strategy.
It’s a shame, because there are plenty of Pikmin types this time around that otherwise are indispensable when it comes to solving puzzles. Rock Pikmin can smash down barriers of glass, while Blue Pikmin can ascend underwater without drowning to kill fish or earn new collectibles. Red Pikmin are fireproof, Purple Pikmin (or Thiccmin, as I like to call them) are ten times the weight of their comrades. Then you have Glow Pikmin, who only ever appear in the night expeditions and are used to gather sap to heal comrades infected with some sort of virus that turns them into hostile furry creatures. These sections are more or less glorified tower defense minigames as you’re tasked with defending select points in a level from oncoming enemies until dawn finally breaks.
I would have preferred to explore nighttime variants of existing levels to soak in the foreboding atmosphere and how the environment becomes more hostile during the evening hours. Pikmin 4 could have introduced new strategies and enemy types, but instead gives them glowing red eyes and stops us from having a sense of true freedom. Certain Pikmin types are also introduced too late into the campaign and don’t see much use, a flaw that is further compounded by new options that handily automate the selection process of Pikmin, so it is best suited to whatever level you happen to be playing.
It’s far less tedious of course, but consequently loses the experimentation and charm of past entries. Pikmin 4 tries to gain these qualities back with the addition of subterranean tunnels which lead to multi-layered dungeons, most of which come with their own aesthetic and cool gameplay strategies that soon factor into the overworld. I quickly became obsessed with gathering every single piece of treasure and diving into each tunnel I walked upon. There’s also Dondori Battles that split the screen in two and have you duking it out with a fellow Pikmin Commander as you try to gather specific objects or earn as high a score as possible before the timer runs out. These encounters are cool but, much like overzealous Pikmin types, aren’t frequent enough in the story mode for you to become any good at them.
You will also find a new Rewind function that allows you to remedy any and all mistakes you make in order to save Pikmin from the clutches of death. I never used it, either due to the game being too easy or the morbid part of my personality deciding that my comrades knew what they signed up for, and were dispensable cannon fodder I could easily replace. There might be the occasional boss battle where the wrong tactic sees dozens of Pikmin killed within seconds where this might be applicable, but I will always see it as a coward’s way out. Pikmin lets you know the feature is there though. On-screen text will drive home the barbarism of your unforgivable failure nearly every single time more than a single soldier is lost.
There’s a discordant chaos to some of these new additions that doesn’t quite mesh with the distinct lack of challenge found on the surface, although I will admit there’s a surprising joy to beating your opponents with a twisted mixture of Pikmin armies and on-field power-ups that can absolutely ruin your foe’s day when dished out in the right order. There’s extra depth to be found in these features by abandoning the beaten path or doing some bonus exploration after the game’s first ending, which throws a full credit sequence your way before pulling the Rescue Corp back for one final mission. Its tumultuous execution still leaves something to be desired, with the endgame seldom doing anything to remedy that. But the joy that comes from demanding Pikmin carry a mixture of insect corpses, fruit, and electronics never gets old, no matter how much easier or more packed with content this sequel tends to be.
Pikmin 4 isn’t quite the best game in the series, but it’s certainly the most confident. With this new entry, Nintendo has decided to wipe away much of the past tedium in favour of ensuring moment-to-moment gameplay is more enjoyable than ever. But eradicating its past frustrations also removes much of the challenge and depth from the game’s battles and puzzles. Commanding its multicoloured armies and pilfering this planet of its treasures while gathering a motley crew of comrades kept me enraptured for hours, just don’t come into this expecting the harsh journey back home to be little more than a leisurely stroll.
