Having first played a Katamari game over 20 years ago now, I was super excited to find out this game existed. For those unfamiliar with Katamari, the concept is fairly simple. You play as the prince, helping the King of all Cosmos replace all the stars and planets he knocked out of the sky. Totally wacky premise right, I know. But what that translates to for gameplay is rolling a sticky ball that picks up objects you run over. Too big you won't pick them up though. You grow your Katamari by starting small and rolling up increasingly bigger things. We're talking about going from buttons, coins, and candy to skyscrapers, volcanoes, and even the world itself! That being said, if you Have played a Katamari game before, this is more of what you've come to know and love.
I haven't made it through the game yet so these are only my first impressions. But I can break it down for you categorically.
First off the graphics, simply put, are charmingly unrealistic. Vibrant and blocky, they have not changed stylistically since Katamari's initial foray on the PS2. They look good though; a lot smoother than they looked back then being all HD quality now.
Second, the soundtrack. Katamari has always been revered for its amazing soundtrack and this entry is no different. A wide variety of tunes spanning several genres to roll your Katamari to. You'll be humming along to them in no time!
Third, the story. You could say a lot about it we suppose. Zany, laughable, quirky, offbeat, charming, incoherent, nonsensical... they all accurately describe the "story" you'll find here. Again, very similar to what you'll get in the other entries. It's laid out mostly over brief cutscenes consisting of still frames and animations. Charming and wacky imo. It's all just a setup to... ahem... get the ball rolling.
Fourth, the gameplay. For me, this has always been the main draw. I've had so much fun rolling Katamari over the years that I couldn't wait to give this one a go, and it didn't disappoint! The situations you'll roll your Katamari into can be downright hilarious. This entry has you traveling between various eras in world history, so you've got some good variety on display here. But when it comes the one thing that matters most, FUN, Once Upon a Katamari delivers that in spades! I've had a blast with it so far and can't wait to roll through the rest!
A couple other noteworthy things: Though single player focused, apparently there is online multiplayer here. Haven't tried that so I can't speak on it. Many playable cousins and collectibles to find here help with the game's overall replayability.
Final Thoughts
Once Upon a Katamari is a charmingly unique and loveable game that has a lot to offer. It stays true to what we loved about previous entries while giving us more of what we love. It doesn't reinvent the wheel because it doesn't have to. Bottom line, its mad fun and thats all it needs to be! As good a point as any to jump in and see what you've been missing!
