Pikmin 4 is the latest from Nintendo and Eighting and the fourth mainline installment in the beloved real-time strategy series. Pikmin 4 introduces a new story with a tight, focused narrative and manageable scope, and a customizable player character, a first for the series. There are also new Pikmin for players to discover, new side missions to complete, and a whole new alien world to explore.

The story of Pikmin 4 follows soon after the events of Pikmin 3, as Captain Olimar attempted to return to PNF-404 in the S.S. Dolphin. As a result of a mysterious accident, he crash-lands at the start of Pikmin 4. After attempting to put his ship back together, Captain Olimar sends out a distress signal. The illustrious Rescue Corps, an intergalactic rescue agency, receive the transmission along with his Voyage Logs, and set out to extract him from the planet. Unfortunately, the Rescue Corps and their ship, the S.S. Shepherd, also crash-lands as they attempt their rescue mission. It's up to the player character, their trusty rescue pup, and an army of hundreds of little Pikmin to solve puzzles and rescue the other members of the Rescue Corps, recover other castaways, and find and save Captain Olimar from this strange, vibrant planet.

Related: "A Timeless Gameplay Experience" - Pikmin 1+2 Review

High-Stakes Plot with a Low-Stakes Feel

In Pikmin 4, players' top priorities are saving the other members of the team, fixing the destroyed ship, and recovering other castaways on their way to rescue Captain Olimar. Players are joined by the helpful Pikmin, friendly creatures documented by Captain Olimar for their willingness to help overcome obstacles and carry strange items to base for analysis. Players also immediately receive aid from a dog-like creature called Oatchi, a Rescue Pup who functions as both a mount and companion, often helping with tasks usually reserved for multiple Pikmin.

The full game of Pikmin 4 is structured as a rescue mission, chiefly to save Captain Olimar but also to rescue the scattered members of the crew and castaways who find themselves marooned on the strange, Earth-like planet. There is an argument to be made that this is a very similar narrative to Pikmin 3, with the focus on multiple crash-landings and saving both Captain Olimar and other NPCs. Still, filtering the story of Pikmin 4 through the lens of a rescue mission gives it the typical science-fiction sense of weight and urgency, a ticking clock for players to keep in mind, and a tangible goal to work toward. However, the actual gameplay feels fairly relaxing - almost cozy - and more forgiving than might be expected of a game with such an urgent premise. Because of this, Pikmin 4 maintains a manageable scope that allows gameplay to be both impactful and fun.

Timeless Gameplay with A Few New Twists

Pikmin 4 includes the same gameplay loop as previous entries in the series. Players can collect Pikmin of various colors and strengths, then throw them at areas and objects to compel them to build structures like bridges and valves, collect and transport treasures containing Sparklium, solve puzzles, destroy obstacles, and fight enemy creatures. Players can't just throw any Pikmin they choose at every problem or treasure they come across, however; each Pikmin has unique strengths and weaknesses, and players must be strategic about which ones to send forth to tackle each challenge.

In addition to exploring the beautiful overworlds in Pikmin 4, players will also travel deep underground with the return of cave exploration. These sublevels introduce new challenges and sometimes even new Pikmin. Time works differently while underground, allowing players more time to explore than they would have in the overworld during the day.

Just like in Pikmin 3, players will be guided by Captain Olimar in Pikmin 4. They will be able to consult the Voyage Log, similar to the data files in Pikmin 3, to learn more about the world as discovered by Olimar, and receive helpful tips about the various kinds of Pikmin and their strengths and weaknesses. Players are also still able to rewind time if they make a mistake to try a new strategy and avoid losing their Pikmin to a particularly difficult challenge.

There are also some changes and additions to gameplay that allow Pikmin 4 to feel new. The Rescue Corps, to which the player character belongs, needs to extract Sparklium from treasures, defeated creatures, and items throughout the world to fix and power the S.S. Shepherd. They will also need to gather raw materials that can be used to purchase new equipment and upgrades that can make exploration easier and more efficien and take on side missions that offer special rewards and collectibles.

The Art of Dandori

Pikmin 4 places a particular emphasis on the art of Dandori, a practice that prioritizes strategic planning and managing to maximize efficiency during multitasking. With only a set amount of time in a day to explore the overworlds and caves, players will want to send out their Pikmin strategically to maximize their exploration potential. These principles and skills are put to the test in the new Dandori Battles, which occur both in Story mode and as an option for split-screen co-op play.

Players can either band together against an AI or test their Dandori skills against one another in an arena battle, commanding a handful of Pikmin and an Oatchi-like creature to gather loot and defeat creatures within the allotted time limit. This mode is deceptive, fairly simple at first but actually posing quite significant challenges without proper strategy. It's also chaotic, allowing opposing Pikmin to fight over treasures and creatures, with the strongest prevailing in pulling the loot to their side and causing a mad dash to collect everything players can manage.

Though gameplay in Pikmin 4 remains standard and faithful to that of the rest of the series, it's a formula that still works and doesn't feel dated. The new additions keep Pikmin 4 feeling fresh but don't change so much as to render the game unrecognizable from the rest of the series. There is still plenty of thought that must go into sending out Pikmin to complete tasks to avoid losing any. The side missions, while not particularly unique, offer new ways to engage with the story and world depending on a player's priorities, while the emphasis on the art of Dandori offers new challenges.

A Beautiful, Immersive World

In Pikmin 4, players explore the Earth-like terrain of the alien home world from a much lower vantage point than they do in other entries in the series thanks to the lower and free-moving camera perspective. If a more bird's-eye view is needed to map out a route for the day's exploration, players can purchase a special drone as an upgrade that will allow them to scout ahead and see the map and paths from a new perspective.

Players will explore multiple overworlds modeled after places players might see on Earth, like a park, children's playground, beach, or house, but from the perspective of a tiny creature. They will also have the chance to dive deep into a variety of caves, which often contain creative contraptions, strange creatures, and interesting mechanics. Some of these caves contain castaways for players to rescue, or new Pikmin to add to the squad.

The design of the world of Pikmin 4 is breathtaking, with bright colors, bouncy, responsive physics, and excellent sound design that draws players in and keeps them fully immersed. The world never quite feels like Earth, thanks in part to its vibrant creatures and bug-size perspective, but it also never feels too foreign, labyrinthine, or difficult to navigate, managing to strike a pleasant and welcoming balance.

Familiar Friends and Fresh Faces

There are several familiar faces in Pikmin 4, including the return of some classic enemy creatures from past games in the series. Many Pikmin from previous games make their return, including Red, Blue, Yellow, White, Rock, Pink, and Purple. New to Pikmin 4 is the Rescue Corps squad, consisting of Captain Shepherd, Collin, Russ, Dingo, Yonny, and Bernard, plus the Rescue Pup Oatchi.

Some members of the squad, like Russ and Captain Shepherd, will help the player with equipment and ability upgrades, including familiar staples like the Scorch Guard to protect from fire attacks and new options like a headlamp for greater visibility or a Thermal Guard to protect from freezing. Captain Shepherd specifically offers upgrades for Oatchi via training that can help him carry heavier objects that would require multiple Pikmin, help him heal quickly, or help him attack more strongly.

Players will also encounter two new kinds of Pikmin in Pikmin 4: Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin. Ice Pikmin, as the name implies, are invulnerable to ice and can freeze enemies for a short time for easier attacking. Glow Pikmin are ghostly green and bioluminescent. They help light the player's way for new Night Time missions, which take place after dark in certain overworld areas. Glow Pikmin are the only Pikmin that can be used for these special new missions. These new Pikmin add variety to Pikmin 4, offering new ways for players to tackle challenges and introducing a dynamic way to play at night.

Personalization Creates Immersion

For the first time the player character is a customizable avatar rather than an established Captain. Players can choose both the avatar's appearance and name. As a rookie member of the Rescue Corps thrust into their first mission, this player avatar learns alongside the player in a way that feels seamless and immersive and that will be especially helpful for newcomers to the series.

The character customization options aren't especially deep, with only a handful of shapes, styles, and colors to choose from, but the stylized options still offer much in the way of player choice. It's a small addition to the series, but the ability to personalize the main character, coupled with the lower camera angles, makes the world of Pikmin 4 that much more immersive.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

Despite some of the similarities to previous entries in the series, Pikmin 4 includes enough new content and fresh ideas to feel like an evolution of a classic formula and a solid entry to the series. While the story itself doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the narrative of Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4 leans in to all the things that make the Pikmin series great. The added mechanics like the ability to customize a character, embark on night missions, and participate in Dandori Battles help set it apart as an enjoyable new chapter for the franchise. Newcomers to the series will find it fairly simple and fun, while veteran Pikmin fans will also find a lot to love.

In a year with dozens of game releases of massive scale and scope, it's easy for a relatively calming game like Pikmin 4 to be overlooked. But Pikmin 4 is a fantastic reminder that sometimes, games that are simply charming, cozy, and small can still have a massive impact.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube

Pikmin 4 is available now on the Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided a digital Switch code for the purpose of this review.