So I literally just woke up from a dream. It was about Pikmin 3 and it was awesome. The view wasn't the same at all. I was behind Olimar with the camera looking upwards towards the tree-like stalks of grass and giant mushrooms and bugs.
GAMEPLAY
My goal was the same, but it played differently. For one, though you had a camp site, you could move it using the pikmin. Also, it could randomly be subject to attack. You could invest in your camps protection by using what was called hours. Hours let you build certain things such as huge bridges, walls, and other things of interest. You would gain hours by killing things or finding treasure (basically, progressing through the game).
Anyway, the world was completely different. Instead of stages, it was just one vast ever expanding map. The map was consistently about avoiding traps, exploring, and finding or killing things. I also had to utilize creatures in order to progress or to quickly go back from one place to another. To use these creatures, I had to utilize a new style of pikmin -- the ghost pikmin. These pikmin had the supernatural ability to control other animals. They can't die by conventional means, but if you possess a creature for too long, they disappear. In relation to the creature, the ghost pikmin could possess them for a short or longer periods of time. This was especially cool because not only could I control humongous creatures and make them do my bidding (using a butterfly to fly across a puddle), but it made for some really unique situations. For instance, to get past a colony of bulborbs, I decided to possess one of the mamas that was stranded, then hop in its mouth and use it too sneak by the rest of them.
Other new pikmin include: strong pikmin -- best for light missions where you don't have the means to take a whole bunch of pikmin, they can also throw other pikmin; slippery pikmin -- this pikmin can change shape including molding themselves to little tiny trampolines (though you need other pikmin to stretch them) and parachutes; fat pikmin -- though slow, these pikmin are a great way to hurt an enemy (especially if thrown by a strong pikmin), they can also roll down hills and be bowled to break barriers; scout pikmin -- pikmin with the ability to camouflage, great way to explore ahead; and finally, smart pikmin -- these are the best addition by far, one because their awesome, and two because they are hilarious.
You can teach smart pikmin one strategy to employ with however many pikmin their level of intelligence can handle. For instance, I can teach one to guard the base from enemies. Their intelligence also allows for the strategy to grow in complexity (from throw a pikmin to throw a pikmin on a tree to throw a pikmin on the back of bulborb). I can also teach them incredibly pointless things, like how to throw a pikmin to its death (the funny thing about this is, is that they feel so happy and proud of themselves when they do it; it's just so ironic that I found it hilarious). The more they perform their task, the higher a level they become (so throwing a pikmin to its death, though wrong, might be great way to smarten up your pikmin).
You also have to discipline them or reinforce them when they are doing something right by either slapping them (hilarious) or tickling them (equally hilarious).
But be careful, smart pikmin and ghost pikmin are extremely rare and invaluable, so you must take great care to never lose them. The other pikmin can be grown or, in a new feature, traded out (though they still have to be grown).
Anyway, I could use my pikmin in more unique ways such as making them build a tower so I could climb it and view the terrain. I could also make pikmin art (where you build them into shapes or using the different colors, images). This was useful if I wanted to scare something away; I could just make a giant angry face. It's also useful because it allows you to make custom formations.
VISUALS & SOUND
The visuals were gorgeous and clean. Everything was alive with animation. The grass swayed with the wind, bugs flew overhead, clouds casted a shadow on the ground, and it all seemed so perfectly random. The pikmin looked as cute as ever with their own caricatures of what they represented. The now how even more personality. They giggle when their happy, proud when they are picked, determined when we face down an enemy, and so tragically sad when they die. Though I will say, they now have hilarious screams when they are thrown to their death. The noises in the world are much better as well. For one, most the animals communicate amongst themselves more. There were better sound effects, such as trickling water or the thud of the pikmin hitting the ground.
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In the end my dream was bittersweet....On the one hand, I am so ridiculously hyped for Pikmin 3. I'd go buy another wii just to play it. On the other hand, I know it'll never play like this and that makes me a sad panda.
Topic: Pikmin 3 (Read 23585 times)
