Within minutes, you can tell that this is the technical leap forward for Pikmin that graduates the franchise from cult oddity to potential juggernaut. The quality of life improvements in this one are a masterclass.
And yet....
As hard as it is to go back to the first Pikmin's engine, there's something that neither of its sequels have recaptured. How much of this is my own nostalgia, I won't quantify right now. But there's something to be said for the "set quantity of treasures, set quantity of time" mechanic. I really enjoyed how Pikmin 3 integrated its plot, but the drawback was that it really made you feel how short the campaign is.
And yet....
As hard as it is to go back to the first Pikmin's engine, there's something that neither of its sequels have recaptured. How much of this is my own nostalgia, I won't quantify right now. But there's something to be said for the "set quantity of treasures, set quantity of time" mechanic. I really enjoyed how Pikmin 3 integrated its plot, but the drawback was that it really made you feel how short the campaign is.