Trigger Cut Game Reviews

I grew up playing the Pikmin games and I have many childhood memories of playing the games and being blown away at the creativity of it all.  Pikmin 4 is a solid entry in the franchise that may be a bit divisive for some fans.  This is the most accessible Pikimin and the least challenging entry by a mile.  While the focus on accessibility is welcome, some more hardcore fans may miss the difficulty and strategy of the earlier entries in the franchise.  The core gameplay remains the same however, the framing is different.  Instead of crash landing on a planet, befriending Pikmin to help you gather ship parts so you can escape, you are now searching for Olimar and the rest of the team.  The sense of loneliness and isolation of the early games are now replaced with finding lost crew members and expanding your team which leads to a surprising amount of dialogue. Another accessibility feature comes in the form of Oatachi, a space dog (?) that allows you to gather all of your Pikmin in one place.  This removes the friction the earlier games provided, where you have to constantly keep track of your Pikmin at all times.  While Oatachi provides convenience, it actively removes the challenge and strategy of the earlier games.  I know that this review sounds negative however, I did grow to love this game.  The core gameplay loop remains fun, the worlds are gorgeous, and there is a ton of content.  While the campaign doesn’t offer much in the way of challenge, the post game 20 level underground dungeon provides plenty.  I encourage any player to check this out, since it has some truly awesome bosses that will put your skills to the test.  There is also a new survival mode that takes place at night.  Enemies come in waves and it is your job to gather Pikmin to defend your base and survive the night. This is another mode that provides the challenge that is missing from the main campaign.  While I lament the decision to prioritize accessibility over challenge and mechanical depth, this is a cozy game that for a short time became a relaxing way for me to unwind after a long day.  While I personally wanted the game to have a bit more challenge, this entry is a great way to onboard new players to this wonderful oddity of a franchise.