Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform: PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4
Tested on: PS4
Katamari Damacy REROLL – Review
When you were younger, there was always that weird game you wanted to get with your rightfully claimed allowance, but you eventually decided to go with something bigger. We reckon, if you had a PS2 and liked quirky games, you must have held Katamari Damacy at a certain point, probably putting it down to pick a more mainstream title with your limited budget. Nonetheless, the game is somewhat deemed a colorful classic and it actually made its way in its remastered form to PC and Switch in 2018. Very much a success, the ‘REROLL’ version has now been ported to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. With the backwards compatibility of the PS5, we were able to enjoy this remastered classic.
Story
You’ll basically be thrown into this game, where all of a sudden the Earth is the only celestial body floating through space. The stars, the moon and even other constellations have been completely destroyed. This has been done by the King Of All Cosmos, your father. You, as a tiny prince, and clearly his somewhat unwanted son, get the arduous task of recreating these celestial bodies again, for everything to return to normal. You will have a special ball, the Katamari, at your disposal, which will slowly grow, the more you roll over things. That is basically the plot of the game, which is quite amusing and simple. You’ll have small cutscenes in-between levels, and while often presenting you with the same dialogues, in different locations, it’s a fun narrative that motivates you to press on.
Graphics
The graphical prowess of Katamari Damacy REROLL is still appealing in a way, but it also feels dated. You’ll have very colorful sceneries to enjoy, and the simplistic low-poly style makes things cute, but you can also see that this was originally a PlayStation 2 game in how things are presented. The menus also feel somewhat unwelcome and annoying, especially when having to pick your save file. The latter is very unclear when booting up the game again. Nonetheless, the visual appeal is still there, especially in the weird Japanese Monty Python-esque drawn intermezzos. These somewhat make the odd experience attractive.
Sound
This remastered version includes the original audio, and it’s quite cheerful. You’ll have a nice backdrop when playing, even if some content does loop very quickly. The styles of music change with every region you’re in, and it’s quite nicely made. We recommend not leaving your PlayStation’s home menu on with the game selected though, as the short loops will get you annoyed before you even boot up the game. The sound effects are simplistically handled, but they suffice.
Gameplay
Katamari Damacy REROLL is classified as a puzzle game, but it’s also very arcade-like. The game has you control a little intergalactic prince, who has to roll a ball that has the power to have everything stick to it, given that it’s a small size than the diameter of the ball. This means you will always have to start rolling over small(er) objects, gaining mass, gradually unlocking your way to bigger objects. You always have a specific goal you have to reach for each level and you have to do so within a time limit. The game is very straightforward in what you have to do as you basically just have to ‘roll’ around.
While the game can get you in a zen-like state, it would have been nice to have some levels without the time limit, and there are a few that immediately up the difficulty level of the game. Nonetheless, the game’s biggest annoyance lies in its very dated and irritating control scheme. While the actual movement of the ball works fairly okay, it’s the camera that is truly a hassle to properly align, giving you a decent overview of where to go next. The latter actually becomes quite irritating and annoying in certain stages, throwing you out of that relaxed state of mind.
Conclusion
Katamari Damacy REROLL, even with its horrible control scheme in place, is a very nice game to play through. While not every level is as relaxing, the game has you mucking about with a giant dung beetle-like ball before you know it. It’s oddly satisfying rolling over everything in sight with the promise of making a star out of a bunch of junk (and sometimes living critters). If you missed this one when you were younger, it’s certainly worth a try.
Katamari Damacy REROLL - Review,
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[…] we took a closer look at a game that was probably a blast from the past for many gamers, namely Katamari Damacy REROLL. The game had been remastered for modern-day audiences, even though the game’s graphics still […]