Once Upon a Katamari is the first all-new instalment in Bandai Namco’s ball rolling brand for quite some time. It’s also a rather good one.
The embargo for outing lifted earlier today, and it’s already wrapped up some pretty big scores. Its aggregate rating on Metacritic is at about an 80 on PS5, which is sturdy stuff for this oddball series.
Unfortunately, we weren’t provided a pre-release code, so you’ll have to wait a little longer for our verdict. It’s unclear why we didn’t get one, but perhaps we’re not in good standing with the King of All Cosmos.
While you wait for our review, though, here are some verdicts from around the web:
IGN - 9/10
I couldn't stop smiling as each melon, shoe, playing card, traffic cone, and house satisfyingly snapped into place on my whirling clump of stuff as I rolled across time and space. The only time Once Upon A Katamari broke my delirious grin was when it tickled my ears with riffs so funky the bassist practically reached through my TV's speakers and slapped a stank face out of me (and that's meant as a compliment). This appropriately ostentatious, energetic return is the best the Katamari series has been since the PlayStation 2 era. With cleverly implemented tweaks to the ever-satisfying gauntlet of rolling delights, a stellar soundtrack, and offbeat charm in spades, there will always be room on my hard drive for Once Upon A Katamari.
PlayStation Universe - 9.5/10
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.
Gamespot - 8/10
Regardless, Once Upon a Katamari is still a fantastic time and the new must-play title in the series. It manages to perfectly capture what has always made Katamari so charming and special--the writing, the humor, the music, the absurdity of it all--and refines it into the best way to experience the series, regardless of if it's your first time playing or if you're a long-time fan. Though it seems absurd to claim I wanted Bandai Namco to commit even more to the bit with this game, more intention and innovation is all that keeps Once Upon a Katamari from being truly great. Regardless, it's still a wonderful--and much-welcomed--return to the world of Katamari.
PlayStation Lifestyle - 8/10
Once Upon a Katamari gets what has made the series such a long-lasting and beloved gaming franchise. The latest Katamari game is simply a joy to experience, as it gives the Prince plenty of wacky objects to roll up and is a worthy sequel. Both newcomers and series veterans will have a blast with Bandai Namco's latest, as it's hard to imagine anyone not smiling while playing.
Shacknews - 7/10
It's basically the kind of greatest hits-style structure you'd expect from a quirky, arcade-style franchise game over a decade removed from its last major entry (unless you're in the Apple Arcade mines). It's got everything you'd expect to see but more of it, lots of unlockables, music DLC, self-referential content out the wahzoo, so on and so forth. It's a lot of fun even if Katamari's trademark weirdness isn't so weird anymore, and it doesn't really seem to have ambitions to redefine anything (not that it needs to). Aside from the whole crown thing putting me off, it's been a blast picking away at the experience piece by piece. And listening to Lonely Rolling Star in the menu. On repeat. A lot.