So, Ive been playing Pikmin 3 for the past couple of weeks as well and my review just appeared online on the Dutch gamesite Gamer.nl. I gave it a 9 out of 10. You can read it here if you know how to read Dutch:
My Gamer.nl review
However, Ive decided to write up some general impressions for NeoGAF as well. The review will appear on Metacritic and thus will be a part of the overal impression that will last, so I thought, couldn't hurt to tell some stuff on GAF.
My Pikmin 3 impressions
Pikmin 3 is without a shadow of a doubt the best one in the series so far. Its beautiful, its cute, the gameplay is solid, but (imo) most importantly of all: its big and challenging. The game starts out slow to learn the basics to everyone, even those that havent played the first two games. You start with just one captain, start getting used to the Red, basic Pikmin (they wont die in fire) and then in a day or so (a day is like 15 minutes in real life) you will get the second captain. Before you know it, youll also have the rock Pikmin, that can break glass. They also kill enemies faster if you throw them at their weak spots.
The balance of stress and time has been perfected in this game. Instead of having 30 days or having unlimited time, you have to collect fruit that transforms in drinks for your crew. Each day requires one drink (one drink is enough for all three captains). Some fruit just give half a glass, some fruits two or more glasses. Its up to you to find out. So in theory, you have a lot of days, but you still have to search for the fruit so that you can make new days. And because on some days you are too busy with doing other stuff instead of collecting fruit, you still feel the time pressure. Also, fruit wont grow back, so you dont have unlimited days. It worked perfectly for me, although as an experienced player, after some hours of gametime I started to get quite the collection of drinks. I think I ended the game with over 20 drinks.
I was pretty shocked when after a few hours of play I was already in the third area. But this isnt the first game after youve done the basics in the third area, you are advised to visit previous areas and then the game finally opens up, and it opens up in a big way. You realise you have explored just a small part of the map, and theres still a lot to find since you have acquired new sorts of Pikmin and abilities. Maps open up, almost Metroid-style, and the feeling of getting to previously unaccessible areas is almost euforic. The maps are very big and there are lots of layers to them.
Compared to the previous games, this one feels much more like a story-based game. Not that the story is that impressive, but youre always working to something instead of trying to complete each area throughout the game. Each day feels like a new mission where you have something to do, although later in the game a mission can certainly take more than one day. A mission could be: find the third captain, or find something for the spaceship. This way the game makes sure you are constantly engaged and youll never get bored.
As far as the controls go, you can use the GamePad, Wiimote+Nuchuck, or Pro Controller, but I used the GamePad. The Wii U is pretty much a new console and damnit, I wanted to use the new controller! For the most part, it works fine, although the Wiimote has the advantage of making you able to aim exactly at where you want Pikmin. This is an advantage because it really matters this time where you throw your Pikmin on an enemy. They all have different weak spots. The GamePad is less precise, but the automatic cursor you get when using the Pad is smart enough and mostly does a good job in judging where you want Pikmin. I havent tried the pro controller at all, but I imagine its somewhat the same as the GamePad. Also, the Pad has the map and that is one handy extra, especially later in the game. By looking at the map you pause the game, so you can take the time to plan your trip, and you can also let a group of Pikmin with a captain walk automatically to a spot youve already been, so you can focus on exploring a new area with another captain and some Pikmin. I have to admit, it takes some getting used to, working with three captains at the same time, but 3 or 4 hours in I was working with them like Id done it all my life.
Most importantly, I feel the difficulty is just right. In the beginning I was scared this was going to be way too easy, but after a while there were some basic puzzles that made sure you used all three captain in different ways, and the enemies became a lot stronger as well. The graphics are good enough for me. Especially the way nature and the water and fruit is portraid is reaaally pretty. Its the one thing that makes this a relaxed experience, even though youll be stressing out often enough. The length of the game was also just right in my opinion, but Ill let you discover that for yourself.
So yeah, Pikmin 3 is best Pikmin as far as Im concerned. Ive enjoyed myself immensely and I have to say for me its the best game available on Wii U at the moment. Fans will like it and newcomers as well, thanks to a slow beginning that takes it time explaining everything. In a perfect world this would be a huge system seller, as this is a high quality game and it really is for everyone. But Id imagine all sorts of gamers will think its not for them just by looking at it for a minute. Its a shame, because its one of the most fun and satisfying experienced Ive had this year.
