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[Draugoth]

A number of Pikmin 4 previews have gone live ahead of the game’s release on Friday 21st July. We have rounded up a selection of previews and general impressions appear to be glowing, which bodes well for the full release. The previews seem to heap praise on the ultra-cute and versatile dog, Oatchi, along with the larger open levels, which are naturally ripe for exploration. It appears that media outfits played a one hour demo (presumably the one which will go live on the Nintendo eShop on Wednesday) so without further ado, here’s some impressions:

“Pikmin 4 is bursting with other humanoid characters who can serve to explain its various systems and lend a hand. Instead of an isolated mission surrounded by silent plant-creatures, you’re part of a crew. And given that Pikmin can be fairly dense with systems to manage, that’s a welcome change. They are still largely tutorial givers and systems hubs, but they have some character.”
“The contrast between the lighthearted, relaxed campaign puzzles and the frantic Dandori Battles can be jarring, but they don’t feel disconnected from one another. The versus mode is just much more fast-paced, like playing the regular game in fast-forward and juggling more tasks simultaneously. In that way, the inviting, relaxed pace of the campaign feels especially vital. Pikmin 4 is a welcoming experience for newcomers on the whole, while the Dandori Battles show the upper skill ceiling you can achieve if you keep working to perfect your Pikmin skills.

Gamespot

“Crucially, Pikmin 4 removes the series’ usual overall time limit, so there’s now no need to worry about depleting life support or replenishing food reserves. The triumphant return of Pikmin 2’s dungeon-like caverns acts to focus gameplay, and also allows for longer sections of adventure without the surface’s day/night clock to worry about. And there’s now the ability to rewind time if a day is going terribly and you’d prefer to start over.”
“Pikmin 4 currently feels like a leap forward for the series, and one that’s also not afraid to look back at the best of the franchise from the past. The return of Pikmin 2’s caverns is an extremely welcome move, and they remain a challenging highlight despite the many other new features designed to ease players in. I’m still too early to have encountered Pikmin 4’s other new variety – Glow Pikmin – which look like they’ll come as part of the game’s new Night Expeditions. There’s also a whole other Challenge mode lying on the game’s main menu I’ve not been able to try yet either. “

Eurogamer

In the short time I spent exploring the world of Pikmin 4, I was able to see Oatchi’s potential expand. Like any good dog, he can learn new tricks — and you get to determine what he focuses on. Having learned quickly that using Oatchi’s charge to knock out enemies quickly was my preferred style of play I decided to choose the upgrade that decreased that ability’s recharge time, but there were also options to make him faster or his attack ability stronger.
What seems so great about Oatchi’s inclusion in Pikmin 4 is that despite not actually being a Pikmin, his mechanical purpose is built on the same foundations as the titular creatures. By learning his strengths and weaknesses (which are semi-customizable through upgrades) Oatchi becomes another tool for the player to explore the gorgeously designed world of Pikmin 4.

Inverse

 

[R6Rider]

piki

 

[Draugoth]

piki

 

[Hudo]

Weird title but thanks for the heads up!

 

[Robb]

I like the new dog. I’ve always had a hard time getting into this series though so this is not for me.

 

[Woopah]

One of the releases I'm most looking forward to thus year. Very excited about the changes made.

 

[Hudo]

One of the releases I'm most looking forward to thus year. Very excited about the changes made.

+1 Miyamoto Coin™ for you!

But for real, I am excited as well.

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

Great to see the return of Bingo Battle. Many happy times loosing to my wife deliberately on purpose.

 

[LastBattle]

Can't believe there is no story co-op like 3 Deluxe. Super disappointing . If there are no challenge modes (Dandori mode or whatever doesn't cut it), I'm out.