Despite feeling like it's received very little marketing, there isn't much time left before Pikmin 4 comes out. With rumors indicating that Nintendo may not have its usual June Direct, the game is in need of public attention. Fortunately, it appears that the advertising cycle is beginning to rev up after giving The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom some breathing room. A new Pikmin 4 trailer just came out, detailing the main story of the game and revealing that the playable Captain is actually a custom avatar.
While much is still a mystery, including how Pikmin 4's night levels work and what its ratio of surface-to-underground gameplay is, that should change in the weeks leading up to launch. Until then, fans can still enjoy theory crafting with the available trailers and other materials. The only thing putting a damper on Pikmin 4's hype, aside from a lack of footage, is the state of its story. Pikmin 4 is drawing many plot elements from past Pikmin games, and a rehash isn't what fans have been waiting ten years for.
Pikmin 4 Is Leaning On Past Games Too Much
From the outset, Pikmin 4 places players in the shoes of a rescue corps member who has crashed onto the mysterious Pikmin planet commonly referred to as PNF-404. It's become tradition for Pikmin games to begin with crash landings, and this one justifies why such a large crew has to stay on the hostile planet. However, the rescue team arrived specifically to find Pikmin series protagonist Captain Olimar, mirroring the final goal of Pikmin 3's Koppaite squad. Unlike said team, Pikmin 4's protagonists are once again Hocotatians like Olimar and Louie, leaving the planet of Koppai behind.
This all comes together to create a constrained image for Pikmin 4. Fans know that multiple civilized planets are aware of PNF-404, but Pikmin 4 is just going back to the Hocotate focus that the first two games used. Furthermore, with how familiar Olimar should be with the Pikmin planet at this point, it's a wonder why he is indisposed again. All of this stands out in contrast to the plentiful new gameplay elements Pikmin 4 is introducing, and the possibly distinct planet from Hey! Pikmin demonstrates the flexibility of Pikmin’s universe.
How Pikmin 4 Can Shake Up Its Setting
Fun, strategic gameplay should be able to support Pikmin 4 like it usually does, but the game could do more with its story. One way that Pikmin 4 could differentiate itself from past entries while building on their setting is by examining the strange state of PNF-404. While Pikmin's planet resembles the real-life Earth, it seems abandoned by larger creatures, even though everything on it is in good condition. Fans have been theorizing about this forever, and Pikmin 4 starting in what looks like a backyard or park opens the door for answers.
In addition, the early establishment that astronauts have once again crashed on PNF-404 could prompt an explanation for why that is. Pikmin 3 references the high frequency of crashes in its 100% completion ending, and hints that there may be more to it. This feeds back into a popular Pikmin fan theory called the umibozu theory. It posits that the various Wraith antagonists are like the mythical Yokai umibozu, dragging ship captains to their doom mid-voyage. Olimar might have been captured by another of their number, and this sort of overarching setting development is something the Pikmin series desperately needs after twenty years. Hopefully, Pikmin 4 is hiding some impressive twists behind its recycled exterior.
Pikmin 4 will be released on July 21 for the Nintendo Switch.