Summary
- Pikmin 4's release on the successful Nintendo console has attracted new gamers to the franchise, raising hopes for more unique entries in the future.
- Pikmin 5 should break away from the series' current template and offer players a massive open-world sandbox game, similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
- A Pikmin game with a large world like Breath of the Wild would allow for new exploration opportunities, expanded storytelling, and deeper stories.
While its success remains to be seen, Pikmin 4 has the chance to make the Pikmin franchise a household name. This is the first time that the series has released a brand-new mainline entry on an extremely successful Nintendo console, and its early sales numbers reflect that. Gamers everywhere are dipping their toes in the Pikmin franchise for the first time, and hopefully that means Nintendo has plans for even more unique entries after Pikmin 4 runs its course.
Pikmin 5 will likely follow Pikmin 4 eventually, but that game should not follow the current series' template. The franchise could thrive if Nintendo lifted the barriers and gave players a massive world to explore alongside their Pikmin. Just like how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild reinvented what it means to be a Zelda game, a massive open-world sandbox Pikmin game could breathe new life into the franchise. There is a ton of potential for a project like this, and the Switch's successor may be the best place for it.
Pikmin Should Be Inspired by Breath of the Wild
The Pikmin series has given players fun worlds to explore, but these worlds have been extremely limited. The locales feel like video game levels rather than an actual world, and the puzzles are set up in a way that makes these levels feel ridiculously small. While that does not hurt the series at all, Nintendo could do so much more with the concept.
Every Pikmin game tends to start by showing players how they crash-landed on a mysterious planet. They must then explore this planet, learn what Pikmin are, and spend the rest of the game trying to figure out how to repair their ship. This forces players to solve puzzles, unpack the mystery of the world, and do everything they can to survive. The Pikmin series has been using this template since its inception, but it also sounds eerily similar to modern Legend of Zelda games.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom see Link wake up after some calamity in a world that he barely recognizes. So much changes with each entry, and it is up to the player to discover what has happened in Hyrule. They must explore the world, solve all sorts of puzzles, and fight for their lives. This massive scope has really helped Zelda become one of the biggest franchises around, and it may be time for Nintendo to replicate the formula with one of its most overlooked franchises.
It feels like the Pikmin series would thrive with a massive world like Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Players could crash-land on this new planet, be forced to traverse an expansive sandbox, and do everything they can to get off alive. Massive structures could dot the land, Pikmin villages could serve as quest hubs, and the world could be filled with countless treasures waiting to be discovered. It would not only let Pikmin fans experience the series in a whole new way, but also let Nintendo build out this unique franchise with dozens of new stories.
While it would take some work, a Pikmin game following Zelda: Breath of the Wild's lead could be fantastic. It would be unlike anything the series has seen before and may be the perfect way to fully realize its potential. The game could still have all the hallmarks of the RTS series, but with a brand-new spin that could redefine what it means to be a Pikmin game. It may be too late for a game like this to release on the Switch, but newer hardware could finally give fans the Pikmin game they never knew they needed.
Pikmin 4 is available now on Switch.