Hats off to Bandai Namco on a new Doctor Who... I mean, Katamari Damacy. (Crying) It's been so long since a new game. (Tears) Once Upon A Katamari switches up the premise, by not just rolling up the Earth, but going to different eras. Whatever the time period, hearing the screams of the people you roll up is still as sweet as it was on PS2. A modern...all timer (?) Katamari is back and you might want to get out of the way! But, seriously, you'll probably want to get it as the base game is only $40.
Let's give some praise with the new game sticking with making the King the biggest dork still. He is down for one of the worst Dads in gaming. Bullying you constantly and stealing credit for you saving the day, we're glad the latest incarnation of the game has not mellowed this time-honored jerk.
It's so funny, how lazy he still is and at the same time you have to do what he says, because he's your Dad. He is the King and you are The Prince. He judges you on every roll, that's before straight up giving the worst speeches before the levels starts. His floating head popping up during game-play, hurting your view of the screen, stating nonsense. He's not your enemy, but it's worse, he's family. Without him, there's too cute game of rolling up people here.
reason...who knows. You have the Ice Age, Ancient Rome, American Frontier. AMERICAN FRONTIER! Who named it that? Who-in-the-Sam-Hill, they should have localized it with "The Wild West." Yes, you've got dinosaurs and pirates to roll up and some Ancient Egypt too. Kind of hoping for a fun "Future" level, but eventually you unlock modern times.
Each era has a few different levels and different mods, like fastest or get something specific past the simple, roll up and get this big in time. Now rolling works so well again and catching people, animals and whatever keeps giving you that dopamine hit in your brain as you grow larger and larger.
A little addition is crowns, you've got to scoop up randomly placed crowns in each level. Three per level, it's a bit of nuisance as it might halt you getting to a new time period, but it wasn't that hard to get enough eventually.
and other fun takes on that romanticized by Italians time period, but I loved rolling up Ancient Philosopher's in Rome. There's just so many little in-jokes that whiz by from tiny animations to totally unnatural things people would be doing in that period, it makes each run fun.
First play through, the game is into hand-holding. Oh, hey you're done with that level, we're going to this time period. Oh, you finished that, let's get to this mission. It's a little annoying. But, after you have beaten the game, you'll earn free will to go when you like.
Katamariball is back, so you can play online and compete, people online seemed a bit miffed you can't do it locally anymore.
RENGAME the developer this time and Bandai Namco made a great game that anyone can get into. I just want the next part not to sting as much with some critiques.
Power-Ups
Rockets to go faster, a timer to stop time, a magnet for pulling in more things. They all seem like they
would be in an arcade version, where you won't be able to replay the game. You also get a useful radar eventually for finding crowns, presents and cousins. I get the timer is to get past some traps, but it's used so infrequently, I'm not sure why it needs to be in the game. The rest also don't really add that much too me.
would be in an arcade version, where you won't be able to replay the game. You also get a useful radar eventually for finding crowns, presents and cousins. I get the timer is to get past some traps, but it's used so infrequently, I'm not sure why it needs to be in the game. The rest also don't really add that much too me.
You now earn coins from beating challenges and a level for the first time. Coins unlock emotes and faces for your Frankenstein Cousin. You can now make a Cousin from the Cousins you unlock and faces you get. You already have so many Cousins and Presents to change their look, I don't think anyone asked for more options. The emotes, might be fun if there was more online play, but as far as I know it's just Katamariball.
It's easy to be critical with the game being gone for so long, So I will. I thought there might be some more fun innovations or more time periods, no dice. Sigh. But, if you're a newcomer or a returning fan the game is a fine encapsulation of Katamari. There is nothing else like it.
I was just reminiscing with a friend of just getting lost in the Collections section in previous games, you can see everything you've rolled up each with it's own synopsis. Which you can still do. It's maybe not as tongue-in-cheek as before with explanations that are nonsense, but you can still see every item big or small you've collected.
A fine collecting game for your collection and perfect for the upcoming holiday break you might have coming up. Once Upon A Katamari makes you a horrible little time traveler with daddy issues scooping up random people from their lives, screaming at their fate, before their cast into the sky and turned into planets and stars. And, it's so darn cute.
Once Upon A KATAMARI™ is out on on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch
Game provided by publisher for review purposes, reviewer played Steam version.
