Katamari Forever

The unusual Japanese setting and surreal atmosphere will surprise some people, even pushing them away. Rest assured though, the game can give you hours of fun. The replayability is rather low, seeing how the multiplayer is only for offline use only, which is a pity. We can’t call this game a hit, but the original setting and rather addictive gameplay earns it a well-deserved score of 73.

Katamari Forever is not really a bad game. But there are so many little mistakes and frustrating moments in it that it is not more than a nice idea.

Its value for money is significant: there is a lot of bulk here, much of it excellent. But its wider value to gaming, to Takahashi's message and to the series it celebrates, is diminished. Like a balloon deflating, Katamari Forever feels like the series' final exhale, all puff and energy now gone from the idea. Metaphor!

While Forever is still a fine offering that die-hard fans will certainly enjoy, the lack of new content really put a dent in the game's overall enjoyment value for me.

The bottom line is that Katamari Forever is fun, but we've seen it before.

A tribute to the Katahashi series, with minor twists in the main formula.

Rolling a katamari is as charming as ever, but you may have rolled most of these katamaris before.

Katamari Forever is a more than decent installment for PlayStation 3 users, which will take the prince to new challenges. Unfortunately the game hasn't got any new elements in comparison with the previous ones, and it doesn't allow online play, a feature which Beautiful Katamari had, and was really addictive.

There are a few new features but it doesn’t make for a new experience for returning fans.

Katamari Forever can be best described as a 'best of'-collection, combining everything that make people love the series. The concept of the game still makes it worth playing and the visual style remains special. The game would have gained a lot from new elements and improved controlling-options, though.

While it remains very much an acquired taste, Forever is ideal for newcomers to the series, but perhaps a roll too far for Katamari veterans. As fun now as ever, we still think that only truly dedicated rollers or Katamari newbies need apply.

Katamari Forever contains a creative variation of missions in different graphical styles, but brings not a lot of real changes to the game. If you have a Katamari game, you should probably not get Katamari Forever. If you are a Katamari fan or if you never played Katamari, this is the time to get it. But be aware, just a small group of gamers will appreciate this game.

The amount of material here, familiar though some of it is, and the consummate presentation means that this is the most exhaustive Katamari to date, if not the finest. [Nov 2009, p.97]

If this concept on one hand shows clearly signs of some revision, especially for fans of the series, it remains an experience that serves as a fair tribute to the early work of Keita Takahashi.

Katamari Forever has become a decent game. This is definitely a game for you if you like Japanese games with some weird features. But unfortunately there isn't any online multiplayer option and the singleplayer won't entertain you for long. So therefore you won't play this game 'forever'.

I imagine there will be a group that will love the game regardless, but this one didn't do it for me. However, the game has great visuals, a solid soundtrack, and controls just fine, so if you want to check it out, don't let my pessimism put you off, just keep in mind that it's not as new and fresh as I was hoping it would be.

Katamari Forever is like a greatest hits album for an experimental band. Just for fans or collectors.

Another obnoxious sequel that seems to have forgotten that the whole point of the game was its originality.

A mixture of classic and new levels is a perfect introduction for newcomers, but perhaps only the ardent roll ‘em up fan will truly love this Katamari.

"Katamari Forever is a genuinely funny experience that could basically please everybody (and most of all the newcomers to this amazing series!), yet it's hard to hide a little disappointment: at the fifth chapter the formula still works and rolling around is surely a blast, but the saga desperately needs significant innovations to find its uniqueness once again.

Katamari Forver is just as whimsically delightful as its predecessors but those who've followed the series for a long time will discover that the charm is starting to wear thin.