PS5: Atlas Fallen
After a bit of a wait (Nintendo was claiming it was nearly finished in 2015) Pikmin 4 is finally with us, offering the biggest leap forward in the series to date thanks to an overhaul of some core mechanics, a bit of streamlining and the introduction of Unreal Engine 4 to the development process. The blend of miniature turn-based play, resource management and unbearably cute characters is still at the heart of the game, of course. The basic premise has you organising the adorale pikmin, which have different abilities such as swimming, fire and ice projection (that's a new one) to accomplish various tasks in an array of sunny, oversized garden locations. One big fun change, though, is the introduction of your new (space) dog, Oatchi. He brings the abilities to smash obstacles, move heavy objects and carry pikmin to the game. The other big headline, though, is the switch to Unreal Engine 4. Without sacrificing the unique feel of previous Pikmin games, Nintendo has used the game engine to give the series a huge visual overhaul and really smarten things up. Longstanding Pikmin fans will be rewarded by the changes the development team has introduced, but newcomers will find Pikmin 4 to be a smooth on-ramp to this overlooked Nintendo gem.