Once Upon a KATAMARI

Once Upon A Katamari feels like a confident step back into the series after having a crack at some remasters, and feels like a game that perfectly follows up on what those remasters set out to do. Everything that we all love about Katamari is still here and absolutely kicking. Small reservations with the progression system do precious little to take away from what is - ultimately - one of the most pure and appealing game concepts ever put to players. An absolutely fantastic return to form for a legacy franchise.

A kick right in the nostalgia for longtime fans, but also a great entry point for newcomers; roll some katamaris!

Once Upon a Katamari doesn't stray an inch from the classic formula of the series; in fact, it plays almost exactly the same. But it enriches the experience with more challenges, more distinct objectives, crazy levels, and competitive multiplayer for 4 players (including online). And all of this is sprinkled with the brand's trademark absurd humor.

Long time fans of the off-the-wall action puzzler and newcomers alike are bound to have a ball.

Once Upon a Katamari takes the simple, brilliant idea at the heart of the series and rolls it through time, offering a hilarious snapshot of human history. It’s packed with clever twists that shake up a formula which, at its core, stays the same — and yet it never stops being fun, thanks to its absurd creativity, irresistible soundtrack, and a presentation that’s unapologetically, wonderfully Japanese. If you’ve loved this franchise in the past, this comeback will have you cheerfully humming for days. And if you’ve never played it before, now’s a perfect time to give it a shot and discover just how fun it can be to roll over a bunch of Greek philosophers or barrel through a pack of velociraptors.

While its colorful art direction, eccentric humor, and fantastic new soundtrack capture the charm of the original, Once Upon a Katamari feels stagnant, with outdated controls, low interactivity, and few meaningful innovations beyond its nostalgic core.

Once Upon a Katamari walks a fine line between offering players lots of fun things to do and getting in its own way through all of these add-ons, and I found myself thinking it landed on both sides of that line at various points, depending on my mood. Perhaps it’s because I’m such a fan of the series that I have the complaints I do about this one. I’m inevitably comparing Once Upon a Katamari to all of the fun I had with previous installments, and feeling this one falls short with its attempts to do too much. I just want to roll. And while I technically can in Once Upon a Katamari, I’m forced to think about five other things while doing it.

Its a katamari game! They could have done so much more with the premise. It's been so long since we had an entry, that this feels a big standard and uninspired. i was hoping for more, but it was still fun

The game itself is great, it just doesn't reach the heights of We Love Katamari

Collecting crowns is too much of a hassle. You have to play the same stage over and over again just to get the crowns. It's like torture.