Katamari Damacy Reroll is the rerelease of Katamari Damacy for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. Reroll came out on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, but now here we are two years later as it finally rolls onto the Xbox and PlayStation.
Katamari Damacy Reroll Review: My Earth Is filled With So Many Things
Sure, the remake doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but its glamour and dazzling nature are enough to keep it standing tall in 2020.
For those unfamiliar, Katamari Damacy Reroll tasks you, the son of the cosmos, to build a new solar system by rolling up everyday objects, and yes, even people, into a giant ball to form new stars, constellations, and planets.
It’s absurd chaos and fun all rolled into a tight package. The game doesn’t stray from the original, even slightly.
It’s the same game you remember from the PS2 days, but I will say playing on an Xbox Series X, I didn’t encounter any sort of framerate or technical problems.
In fact, I don’t think the game has ever looked this good before. The vibrant colors of the characters and environment pop, which made for a new appreciation of the visuals that often get swept up in the action.
Outside of the updated graphics and redone cutscenes, one big thing that deserves recognition is the soundtrack.
It’s a weird mix of upbeat dance music, chanting vocals, and a lot of percussions. It fits somewhere in between club music and a jazz concert. It certainly bolsters the bizarre antics of rolling up a cavalcade of livestock, humans, and food.
That original soundtrack is still a regular staple in my daily life, and revisiting Reroll’s wild music solidifies what makes Katamari Damacy a unique franchise.
No one part of this game excels on its own. Everything rolls together to make one incredible package that deserves to be revisited every now and again.
The story of Katamari Damacy Reroll is equal parts a story of the universe’s recreation and using a tool of destruction to complete that goal.
By wiping out everything on Earth, you’re creating something entirely new. I guess it’s not too far off from recycling while listening to ska.
One major strike against the game comes from its controls. All of the action uses the two joysticks. Push both forward to move forward, both to the side to move sideways, etc.
The problem is as the ball gets larger and larger, it becomes difficult actually to wield it, and often you’re stuck trying to maneuver around environments fighting the controls at every turn.
Luckily, if you click both sticks in there is a quick 180 turn, which helps mitigate some of the issues, but it would be nice for a more modern controls scheme.
Sure, it’s part of the game’s charm, but there’s nothing wrong with some quality of life improvements to help the flow of things.
My other gripe with the game is a lack of autosave. Losing progress because you forgot to go back home and save can be frustrating. It’s a small thing, but no one likes to lose progress.
It certainly is a hard habit to get into, especially when autosave has become a common practice in almost every video game.
Katamari Damacy Reroll is timeless, over the top, and wears its heart on its sleeve. Back in 2004, it was unapologetically itself, and nothing has changed in 2020.
At a $30 price tag, this is an excellent addition to the roster of games available today.
A wise man once said, “Keep rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin (come on),” and I think that’s just what I’m going to do.
Pros:
- An excellent Soundtrack that bolsters the world around it.
- The game has never looked better.
- An absolute joy still even in 2020.
Cons:
- Outdated control scheme that can be difficult at times
- No autosave feature.
Score: 8.5
Published: Nov 24, 2020 07:02 pm