Yeah, I can't say I liked this one.
There are parts of the gameplay that I like (whites/purples, actual bosses, two captains at once for improved multitasking), but it feels like a missed opportunity in that they didn't focus on more of the things 1 did well too (richer exploration and puzzle-solving).
Caves are cool in concept but get completely torpedoed by the procedural generation. Some floors have fixed layouts, but most of them don't, and the algorithm is far from advanced enough to create level designs on par with hand-made areas. And since the current floor design is randomized every time the game is closed/reopened, a simple soft reset can move the hole to the next sublevel from one of the far ends of the map to right near the entrance, which makes all of the effort put into navigating the floor feel disposable. They're blatant padding and I really hope that Nintendo plans on hand-crafting actual level designs for the caves in 4. The prospect of exploring massive underground labyrinths as a super tiny creature is really fascinating, which is why I was also let down by the aesthetics, which were (barring a few standouts like the subterranean complex) either super boring or completely out of place in the game's world.
I do appreciate my pikmin not committing suicide in droves every time I try to cross a small bridge though
3>1>>>2
There are parts of the gameplay that I like (whites/purples, actual bosses, two captains at once for improved multitasking), but it feels like a missed opportunity in that they didn't focus on more of the things 1 did well too (richer exploration and puzzle-solving).
Caves are cool in concept but get completely torpedoed by the procedural generation. Some floors have fixed layouts, but most of them don't, and the algorithm is far from advanced enough to create level designs on par with hand-made areas. And since the current floor design is randomized every time the game is closed/reopened, a simple soft reset can move the hole to the next sublevel from one of the far ends of the map to right near the entrance, which makes all of the effort put into navigating the floor feel disposable. They're blatant padding and I really hope that Nintendo plans on hand-crafting actual level designs for the caves in 4. The prospect of exploring massive underground labyrinths as a super tiny creature is really fascinating, which is why I was also let down by the aesthetics, which were (barring a few standouts like the subterranean complex) either super boring or completely out of place in the game's world.
I do appreciate my pikmin not committing suicide in droves every time I try to cross a small bridge though
3>1>>>2
NOWITSREYNTIME17
10 months ago