Why you’ll fall in love with the breakout star of Pikmin 4, plus hands-on with Disney Illusion Island, the DJI Osmo Action 4 and more.
Considering the mania of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4 is something of an interesting follow-up. But while the Pikmin series has always been one of Nintendo’s quietest achievers, Pikmin 4 should do well to shine a bit of extra spotlight.
That’s largely thanks to a number of quality of life improvements that help make the real-time-strategy-lite experience a lot more palatable for newcomers and fans of the series alike. Case in point: the constant deadlines that have plagued the series have been given the boot –no longer restricting the number of in-game days to complete objectives or collect a wild assortment of larger-than-life items.
It’s a fundamental change that creates a lot more breathing room in this fourth outing and helps transform Pikmin 4’s tale of rescue and adventure (after you crash land on an alien planet) into a much less stressful affair. Likewise, a handy rewind feature allows you to undo any accidental oopsies that see large hordes of your plant pals perish, meaning if you’re a total newcomer to the Pikmin universe, you shouldn’t be afraid to give new strategies a crack.
And all this is without even mentioning the game’s biggest asset: Oatchi. Yes, Pikmin 4 has a ridable space canine now and yes you will fall in love with him instantly. He’s a darn good boy in the field too though, more than capable of laying a few hits in himself.
All in all Pikmin 4 sees Nintendo playing to fine form. It’s charming, family friendly and will quickly put a smile on your face. Even if you’ve skipped the last three entries, I highly recommend giving this iteration a serious look.
Pikmin 4 is out now on Nintendo Switch. You can buy it from Amazon.
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Disney Illusion Island (Switch)
It’ll take you less than an hour to realise how apt Disney Illusion Island’s title truly is.
Indeed, from the initial outset this Switch exclusive gives the appearance of a childish platforming jaunt, but there’s actually a hell of a lot more meat to the bone. Inspired by the tried-and-tested metroidvania formula, for example, Disney Illusion Island is packed to the rafters with collectibles – utilising a map that becomes truly dizzying to look at after a few hours.
Illusion Island’s lack of combat is also an interesting pivot, focusing more on avoidance tactics not just for regular foes, but boss encounters too. Thankfully Mickey and friends are a treat to control and their upgradeable moveset helps keep things fresh as you work your way from environment to environment.
Sure the game likely won’t be overly challenging for genre veterans, there’s still plenty of casual fun to be had here with some friends or younger family members. And if you’re just a plain old Disney-lover, the visual aesthetic and surprisingly witty cutscenes should help seal the deal.
Dave the Diver (PC)
A game that blends scuba safari and restaurant management might not sound like a match made in heaven, but make no doubt about it: Dave the Diver might just be one of the best games of 2023.
Yes, by day you’ll direct Dave through the depths of the ocean in order to hunt for fish and supplies, and by night help manage the Sushi bar you’ve bought into with a couple of mates. But while that sounds simple in theory, it can be devilishly complex in execution and addictive at its very core.
I especially enjoyed the underwater expeditions which can quickly increase in intensity as you to face-to-face with all manner of sea life – all in an attempt at scoring the right ingredient for the evening’s menu. Likewise meeting Dave the Diver’s vast cast of characters is a whole other expedition as you try to grow your business and progress the game’s surprising story.
Yet somehow Dave the Diver somehow balances all these spinning plates perfectly to become one of 2023’s must-play titles. And if you don’t have a PC, a Switch release is also on the way soon.
Hands-on with the DJI Osmo Action 4
While GoPro scores a lot of the action camera limelight, DJI’s Osmo range has been steadily toiling away for some time now. Now we’re met with the Osmo Action 4, and it might just be the best iteration of the tiny wonder yet.
Packing dual full-colour touchscreens (the front measuring in at 1.4-inches while the back is 2.25-inches), there’s a lot to love about the Osmo Action 4. Having that shared functionality on both sides of the device allows for a lot more flexibility while shooting, especially if you’re a content creator trying to do everything on your lonesome.
And although the compact size of the unit obviously means the screens are on the small side, I didn’t have any issue framing a shot and appreciated the fact that the settings menu could be accessed out from the front of the device.
Speaking of things I loved, the magnetic mounting base is also great touch, and clips on/off incredibly easily. Screwing mounts onto a GoPro has often felt like an annoying time-waster, especially if you misplace the screw, so this alternative approach is a real winner and incredibly sturdy once locked into place.
In terms of actual performance, the Action 4 doesn’t disappoint, with a bevvy of options to shoot in including 4K/120fps as well as a 155º Ultra-Wide FOV setting in case you really want to squeeze in all of your surroundings. The resulting footage was not only clear, it’s evident how strong the stabilisation effects are with the Action 4. DJI calls the feature 360° HorizonSteady and it smartly corrects horizontal tilting if you hit any snags or bumps during recording.
Our one gripe: love it or hate it you’ll need a smartphone for the Osmo Action 4’s setup and activation (and will be unable to proceed without one), but thankfully once you do set yourself up DJI’s Mimo app is simple enough to use for extra features and firmware updates.
It won’t come cheap (prices start at $629), but if you’ve got the cash, the Osmo Action 4 is an impressive action cam that will serve you well whether you’re planning to vlog, scale a mountain or both. Oh, and if you do plan to pick one up, it’s worth looking at the Adventure Combo which includes a very sleek battery case that will charge three batteries at the same time.
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