Previously announced, the only thing we knew for sure that would appear in the Nintendo Direct was Pikmin 4. What we didn’t know was what they were going to show us, but in addition to a generous amount of gameplay footage, they have revealed more specific details about its gameplay and some unique aspects and changes compared to previous games in the franchise.
In Pikmin 4, the story will undergo significant changes compared to previous installments. This time, we will be part of the Rescue Corps in search of Captain Olimar, the protagonist of previous games in the series, who has become stranded on an unknown planet… along with a group of veteran Rescue Corps members. As novices in the Corps, it will be our task to rescue them all, as well as repair the spaceship we used to reach the planet and which we crashed during our less-than-ideal landing. They have taken advantage of this to introduce a novelty to the franchise, such as a comprehensive character creator that allows us to personalize our protagonist.
Among the new features, this game will allow cooperative play for two people. Although we won’t be able to control a second character directly, we can support the main player by shooting with a targeting reticle, similar to games like It Takes Two or Bowser’s Fury, adding an interesting strategic component to the co-op options.
Another novelty is Ochin, the giant dog that allows us to traverse terrains that would otherwise be impossible to navigate on our own, among other things. And of course, if we have to rescue allies, that means new mechanics. In this case, Pikmin duels where we have to win the battle in order to rescue our companions, bring them back to our base, and unlock more aspects of it.
In addition to everything mentioned above, it is worth noting that Pikmin 4 is not developed using Nintendo’s in-house engine. While the Japanese company typically works with its own engines, for the fourth installment of Miyamoto’s flagship franchise, they have decided to work with the Unreal Engine. It remains unknown whether this will have any gameplay implications, but it does not seem to have had any influence on the game’s visual aesthetics, as it retains the same classic look as the previous Pikmin games, staying true to the franchise’s timeless art direction.
Pikmin 4 is set to be released on July 21. A completely free demo of the game will arrive on June 29 for Nintendo Switch. Additionally, the remastered editions of the first two Pikmin games will be available today on Nintendo Switch, but only in digital format, with physical versions scheduled for release in September of this year.
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