2023-07-20 23:15:00
The Pikmins are finally back. Dormant for a decade, these little multicolored creatures return to us invigorated and ready for the most entertaining and successful adventure of their young career. Assured crush !
Photo courtesy of Nintendo
We admit it from the outset, the fabulous world of the Pikmins was unfamiliar to us before grabbing the controls for this new lap. Certainly, we knew the game – but briefly – of these adorable little colorful creatures, its comic universe and its premise, having invested an hour or two in it, here and there, over the past two decades. But this new sequel, launched yesterday, was the very first time we were really busy exploring the mechanics and subtleties. And the crush was instantaneous.
Photo courtesy of Nintendo
First, what is a Pikmin? These little creatures grow inside an onion, from seeds collected from flowers. Helpful and docile, their main mission is to obey their master, performing various tasks of transporting materials, destroying barriers and neutralizing enemies. Each variety has its own color determining the abilities of each of them.
Photo courtesy of Nintendo
Blue Pikmins, for example, are adept in water, while yellow ones are able to tolerate – and ward off – electricity and pink ones are equipped with wings for flight. Reds resist infernos, blacks are indestructible, and purples are endowed with increased strength. In short, each task has its Pikmin. That, we quickly learn during our exploration.
rescue expedition
This time we are sent to a distant planet to rescue Captain Olimar – a character that those familiar with the saga will recognize – and his crew. To rescue all these survivors, the player will have to build his army of Pikmins and explore different sectors of this foreign land, populated by various puzzles, missions and enemies. The main goal ? Gather all these beautiful people, but also collect enough lumium, a resource that serves as fuel for the return home.
And he will not be alone in this quest; he will take each step flanked by his faithful companion Otchin, a bipedal dog capable of lugging a horde of Pikmins as well as biting, jumping, swimming or even rushing towards different enemies or surfaces to damage them. The player can also switch between Otchin and his explorer character to reach different areas and vary his strategic approaches.
If the images and the premise of Pikmin 4 may seem childish, think again. Their adventure is complex, offering a high and constant challenge. And while the learning curve can sometimes seem steep, it’s backed up with fun tutorials. In other words, don’t be fooled by the cuteness of these little creatures or by the slightly juvenile aesthetic.
The solicited neurons
Faced with these challenges, we had to rack our brains many times, try different strategies or simply move on and come back later. In short, the neurons are not left out during part of Pikmin 4these being almost as much used as our thumbs.
In all, it took us about forty hours to complete the main mission and most of the secondary quests. The experience was certainly redundant at times, but it was never boring. And that’s what matters most, right?
Pikmin 4 ★★★★☆
Now available on Nintendo Switch.
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