Review: PIKMIN 4 is Full of Chill, Strategic Fun

Towards the end of July, Nintendo released Pikmin 4 on the Nintendo Switch. The game follows in the tradition of its predecessors where you control an explorer as they explore a new world. Along the way you’ll find the delightful creatures known as Pikmin to help you complete your missions. Nintendo was kind enough to provide me with a digital review copy but the thoughts below are my own. If you want to play the game for yourself you can purchase a copy through the Nintendo eShop or your favorite retailers including GameStop (affiliate link).

I’ve been having a blast with Pikmin 4. This is my first time playing in the series and I think I might have to go back and grab the previous three (thankfully, they’re all available on the Nintendo Switch). In Pikmin 4 you get to create and name your own explorer after Olimar gets stranded on a new planet. You get to team up with the Rescue Pup Oatchi and of course you’ll gather tons of Pikmin along the way. Each type of Pikmin has their own use and you’re limited to only three types at a time, meaning you need to carefully plan your squad. As you rescue various castaways you’ll also unlock new abilities, gear, and missions to enjoy.

I’ve heard that Pikmin games tend to be about puzzles, but in my experience with Pikmin 4, the puzzles are different from what I expected. Instead of more traditional puzzles in games (there are some sprinkled here and there) I have found that the main puzzles in Pikmin 4 are moreso a matter of strategy or dandori as they call it. The puzzles are more about efficiency than figuring out riddles, where to move a block, etc. There are plenty of opportunities for you to test your dandori skills throughout the game and considering that each in-game day or night is timed, it’s good to make sure you’re keeping them sharp. If you’re looking for a traditional puzzle game, I wouldn’t recommend Pikmin 4, but if you’re wanting more of a strategy game, this would be a fantastic pick up.

Even if you are not the most strategic, the game will usually not punish you other than making it take longer for you to accomplish your missions. There are specific mini-game moments like the Dandori Battles where you will be punished, but those are not overly abundant in my experience so far.

In addition to gameplay that I have found to be very engaging and satisfying, I think Pikmin 4 looks great! Nintendo has done a great job in my opinion of making the world of Pikmin 4 look fantastic despite the aged hardware of the Nintendo Switch. The colors look brilliant, the environments are phenomenal, and the characters are fun. The sound design for the game is also on point in every aspect.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Pikmin 4, I do have some minor gripes. First, the multiplayer aspects are very limited. You can compete with another person locally in Dandori Battles or enter Co-Op mode in the Story Mode. Sadly, this second mode is not great in my opinion. Instead of the second player joining you as their own explorer to help you, they instead get a pebble launcher to shoot rocks at things or throw you items. It’s a co-op mode that reminds me a bit of Super Mario Galaxy and I’m personally not a fan of it. As I understand it, Pikmin 3 allowed for split-screen adventures in Story Mode and I wish Pikmin 4 had continued that.

Another flaw that I see in Pikmin 4 is that you can only save it when you enter a new area of the game. This means you have to enter/exit a cave or begin/end a day/night. I wish that I could save at any point even if it was like a traditional Zelda game and started me at the start of a location instead of the exact location I was in. That being said, thankfully the days/nights aren’t terribly long.

Finally, I wish that when you went to start exploring a location you could select which base to go to. As it stands, you currently start from the last location you set as a base. I really wish you could select any of the bases you’ve unlocked from a list. There are also some areas with the map UI that I think could be addressed, but this sums up my biggest complaints about the game. As you can see, they’re fairly minute.

Overall, Pikmin 4 is a really fun game. I’ve really enjoyed my time with Oatchi and the PIkmin and cannot wait to complete our adventures. It is fairly chill and not too difficult, but that adds to its charm. If you want to test your efficiency, this game will help you do just that.