Once Upon A Katamari Review – Rolling Around Has Never Been More Fun

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Fans of the Katamari series patiently waited through the decade without a new game. I remember eagerly anticipating an announcement, only to find it was for a system I didn’t have. The 2018 remaster of Katamari Damacy finally brought the rolling fun back, and now we have a completely new game after eleven years! I worried it would just be a simple trip down memory lane, but I was happily surprised. Once Upon a Katamari isn’t just a new installment—it’s possibly the most content-rich and refined game in the series, retaining all the quirky Katamari charm and showcasing it with pride.

If you’ve never played a Katamari game, you’re in for a treat! The basic idea is you start as a small ball and roll around a colorful world, picking up everything you can. As you collect more and more objects, the ball grows bigger, letting you roll up even larger things – eventually even buildings and trees! The newest game, Once Upon a Katamari, plays almost exactly like the original Katamari Damacy. Despite all the wild and crazy things that happen in these games, the core gameplay remains wonderfully simple and consistently fun, and that’s what I love about this latest installment.

“If there’s one thing the game refuses to innovate or iterate on, it’s the storytelling.”

Okay, so as a big fan of the original, it feels like the story is almost exactly the same as the first game, with just a few little tweaks here and there. Basically, one wrong move and everything falls apart! You play as the tiny Prince, and your job is to fix time by traveling to different periods and, yep, rolling up absolutely everything you can find. There are some cute little cutscenes showing what the Queen’s been up to while jumping through time, and honestly, it’s all wonderfully weird and charming – just like classic Katamari! If there’s one thing this game doesn’t try to change, it’s the story itself.

What really makes this game stand out is its incredible variety and amount of content. It’s one of the most full-featured entries in the series, and it doesn’t just add more – it offers a wider range of experiences. Unlike previous games which were set in a somewhat generalized 1990s Japan, this one takes you to nine different time periods and continents. I’ve often imagined how fun a Katamari game would be in places like the American Wild West or ancient Greece, and now I finally have my answer.

The game constantly throws you into surprising situations – like finding myself on a pirate ship just before a ghost ship attacked! I spent time collecting items to absorb both crews, and honestly, the fight was so entertaining I almost didn’t want to stop it. These memorable moments add excitement to the usual gameplay, making each level feel fresh and unpredictable. The game’s themes are cleverly woven into the objectives, giving each stage its own little story. One particularly funny moment involved rolling a boy until he was big enough to wear samurai armor! Instead of being the rolling ball, you are the boy, collecting swords and treats to help him grow. It’s a truly original idea that only a Katamari game could pull off, and this game is full of them.

I especially love how the game features nine unique worlds, each with its own distinct look and feel. As you beat levels, you’ll see these worlds come to life with new objects, creatures, and people, which is a really satisfying way to show your progress, even if it’s just visual. Your spaceship serves as the game’s main hub, storing all the items you collect and letting you customize it. You can even decorate the upper levels of your ship with themes inspired by the worlds you’ve explored.

Earlier games were set in different areas of a Japan reminiscent of the 1990s, but this new installment takes players to nine distinct time periods and continents.

You unlock the online multiplayer features on your spaceship base, but unfortunately, this part of the game is a bit of a letdown. It takes a significant amount of playtime—you won’t be able to access it until you’re well into the game—and there’s no option for local, split-screen multiplayer. A second player can join in, but they’ll be sharing the same katamari as the first player. The only multiplayer mode is KatamariBall, where up to four players compete to create the biggest katamari, bumping objects off each other before the scores are counted under a moving spaceship. Winning earns you unique katamari designs, but these can only be used in multiplayer. While hectic and fun, rewarding both knowledge of the levels and skillful gameplay, the fact that it takes so long to unlock and the lack of local multiplayer are definite drawbacks.

The only real issue I found was with KatamariBall’s performance. The framerate would occasionally stutter, likely because of all the action happening with four players rolling up objects simultaneously. While the game doesn’t look dramatically different from previous versions, these performance drops feel unnecessary, particularly on consoles that should easily handle it. To be clear, I don’t have any complaints about how the game looks.

KatamariBall is a fast-paced, competitive mode where knowing the map and having good reflexes are key to winning. However, it’s also the only part of the game where I noticed performance issues, and it takes some time to become available.

The game keeps the same fun, blocky art style that made the original Katamari so popular. This is a good thing because it makes the on-screen chaos easy to follow. The clear, sharp shapes of objects help you quickly identify everything – whether it’s a Cousin, a Crown, or something else to roll up. It’s also easier to see which objects you can actually grab based on their size. With nine different time periods and tons of themed objects, the art style really shines. There are more unique things to roll up than ever before, from Egyptian artifacts to Wild West items.

The game’s music is fantastic – truly capturing the spirit of the Katamari series. I’ve loved the soundtracks since Lonely Rolling Star, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It features over 30 new songs spanning a wide range of genres, making it one of the best musical scores in the series so far. The track “Skyscraper” is particularly inventive, blending dance-pop with glitchy sounds and catchy vocals. While some songs lean towards jazz or rock, many capture the hopeful feeling of Lonely Rolling Star without simply copying it. Each area of the game has its own unique, more relaxed instrumental theme. As both a music lover and a Katamari fan, I’m thrilled. This soundtrack might be my favorite of the year, and it perfectly embodies the quirky charm of Katamari.

Even after playing the newest game, it’s hard to pick which one has the best levels. If I had to choose, I’d say either We Love Katamari or Katamari Forever. But when it comes to having a ton of different levels, Once Upon a Katamari really stands out. Unlike Katamari Forever (which is almost perfect), this game doesn’t reuse any old levels, not even as a nod to the past. Everything is new (besides the returning characters and the King’s usual teasing). That alone makes it feel like a complete game. Players roll up everything from small bedrooms to huge outdoor areas with skyscrapers and islands. It’s also easier to get into, while still being challenging. Like some recent updated versions, you can choose between classic controls or a more modern system. I prefer the classic controls out of habit, but the new controls should be easy for new players to learn.

It’s frustrating when character conversations pop up during quick actions. These dialogues appear right in your view when you enter a new area or find an item, and while you can skip them, it’s clumsy because you have to use a button. There’s no way to make the text scroll faster or slower, and if you try to speed through it, the auto-advance feature can cause you to miss important parts. It feels like a step backwards in the gameplay experience.

Compared to previous games, the level design feels much more natural and easy to understand. It’s great that the game still doesn’t use obvious on-screen markers. Instead, strong visual themes and objectives tied to gameplay guide you organically, something older games lacked. One item even subtly acts as a point of interest marker: the sonar helps locate Crowns and other collectibles, while the new magnet ability pulls nearby objects towards your ball, making them easy to find.

It’s really satisfying to watch your world come to life with new creatures, objects, and people as you advance through the game. It feels like a clear sign of your progress.

This game has more collectibles than any previous installment, including three crowns per level, hidden cousins, presents, high S-ranks, and optional challenges. Aiming for these extras provides a good level of difficulty. While the game is well-designed and offers useful items, it’s still challenging – these features just make it more enjoyable and balanced.

One thing this game lacks compared to previous versions is an endless mode – or a way to replay stages without a time limit. It’s really satisfying to perfect a level and then just relax and roll around without any pressure. While some games only offered this on a few levels, Beautiful Katamari let you unlock it for everything. Given how many objectives and rewards are in this game, it’s disappointing not to have endless mode available. Costume unlocks are nice, but the ability to replay stages without a timer would be a much more appealing reward for dedicated players.

I was really blown away by Once Upon a Katamari. It offers a surprising amount of new content and diverse levels, all wrapped up in the classic Katamari charm that’s just impossible to resist – especially considering it’s much cheaper than most Nintendo games. While the multiplayer can be a little buggy and it’s missing an endless mode, the game perfectly captures what makes Katamari so special, while also adding some clever new ideas. Longtime fans will love this triumphant return after 14 years, and for anyone new to the series, it’s a fantastic and easy-to-pick-up introduction.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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2025-11-02 15:13