I really like this game, the writing is the best in the Mario series, I laughed a lot while playing, and generally felt engrossed by everything that was happening onscreen. I found the gameplay pretty fun for the most part as well, the overworld bits are my favorite, letting you explore gorgeous areas in a very natural fashion. The issues only start to arise when we look at the combat, it feels like Nintendo thought they had the next evolution in RPG gameplay and tried to shove it in your face as much as possible. Now, I actually liked these fights for the majority of the game, but around 75% of the way through I grew a bit weary, with the limited attack options and the near identical tactics of the enemies I stopped finding them engaging. I find the boss fights to be great variations upon the combat formula though, and they kept me invested in the gameplay style. I think the experience here is the important aspect for me, it may not be an incredible game, but I absolutely adore it as an experience, maybe just avoid the combat as much as you can. Also, that OST is magnificent.

Oatchi is the best thing to happen to gaming since Pong. The game has wild amounts of charm, simply drowning in it. I feel that you lose a bit of the isolation feeling with all the castaways you save, only really adding fluff, and messing with the overall theming of the series in my opinion. But that is a rather small complaint, they're harmless enough, and the actual act of collecting them is enjoyable and the rewards are well... rewarding. The gameplay is incredibly streamlined and sharpened up, I always felt like there was a bit of looseness in the other games (especially Pikmin 1) but I felt a higher level of control here. The worlds are huge and immersive, with so many fun different creatures. I think the progression system for how many Pikmin you can carry feels a bit awkward, but I believe it serves to help new players ease into the management this series requires. The night levels are honestly some of my favorite parts of the game, but I can't say it feels like they integrate flawlessly with the rest of the game. I think the sheer variety of Pikmin is a bit overwhelming at this point, with so many different types I feel a bit spread thin, but that is an issue of proliferation, I think the game handles it well, it's more a personal issue. The gameplay is tight, the level designs near perfect and the presentation incredible, highly recommend.