Wattam

Its charming visuals and messages of compassion and cooperation make Wattam a great game to play with younger members of the family.

It isn't often that you play something that is so pure and unapologetically itself, but that's Wattam. I don't know if I'll ever play another game that makes me turn all of my friends into fruit so I can progress. It oozes passion, and it has an infectious enthusiasm that's present in each and every aspect of it. Wattam never takes itself too seriously, and that makes it easy to buy into its world and suspend your disbelief. While the gameplay is all over the place, Wattam is held together by themes of friendship and a cohesive soundtrack that actually leave you grinning long after you're done.

Wattam features a truly unique design and concept and happens to be much deeper than expected, but technical issues and a certain lack of creativity prevent the game from reaching its full potential.

It becomes, in the very best sense, an anarchic fetch quest played by Takahashi's whimsical rules. [Issue#341, p.114]

Wattam combines an original concept with a simple but iconic design; software limitations, however, are some technical issue of the software and repetitiveness, also caused by the almost nonexistent challenge.

Wattam is a game that simply wants to put a smile on your face. It doesn't last very long, it doesn't require much skill from the player, and it doesn't have a complex story to tell. That also means it doesn't overstay its welcome, and that almost anybody can pick it up and enjoy it.

Wattam takes the concepts of action and puzzling, and makes them its own. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of the wacky and strange characters that Funomena has conjured up. Starting with the lonely mayor and ending with an entire community of over 100 playable characters is a very satisfying progression. However, Wattam doesn’t provide the extra layer of gameplay that I found myself yearning for.

Wattam is a unique game that feels targeted to a younger audience. It’s fun with friends, but sometimes we wished it had a more "video-game-y" feeling to it.

In an industry still obsessed with lifelike visuals, gratuitous violence, and tear-jerking stories, Wattam is a welcome remedy. Though short-lived and bizarre is its design, it has a joyous cleansing effect that will have you grinning ear to ear.

Wattam is a pure, adorable joy. Keita Takahashi's signature idiosyncrasies shine through in this playful game about friendship and finding pleasure in the simple things. Interacting with the wacky cast of characters is great fun, and there's almost no pressure to march on with the story if you'd rather do your own thing. It's a shame the technical side of things lets the experience down somewhat, but when the game is at its ludicrous best, you probably won't care.

Wattam is not a great video game by any definition. However, it is a great, zero-stress experience that wants to show how great friendship can be. If you’re looking for a game to test your skills or provide you with a mature narrative that makes you think, Wattam ain’t it. However, if you’re having a bad day and just want to unwind by kabooming golden poops all over your screen, Wattam is more than happy to take you under its bowler.

Quotation forthcoming.

For maximum enjoyment, Wattam expects you to meander, to mosey, to stride. A frantic pace will only lay bare the shaky controls and the counter-intuitive camera setup. Take your time, the game insists. Speak to every new citizen, wear all of their hats, propel them skyward with your hat bombs. This way, the good times can dwell while the pockets of misery remain distant and hazy. For me, the off-putting voices and the clumsy controls work with the sparse conceit to create a world that’s oddly ill-fitting. The idyllic madness and the slow, sparse mechanics butt heads to make a game best approached with caution and care. Choose the world of Wattam at your most studious discretion, my friends.

Like Katamari Damacy, Wattam is a feast of visual gags and imagination. But Takahashi’s newest project ultimately doesn’t have the necessary depth of gameplay to transform itself into more than a silly yet loveable romp.

I can’t say that Wattam makes for anything other than a clever diversion, best for parents and young children or those besotted with cuteness. The game teeters over the line between childlike and childish.

Wattam’s fascination with connection could have been better served if had a stronger story to back it up. Perhaps it could have been a kid-friendly, significantly less convoluted version of Death Stranding if it fleshed out its narrative just a bit more in the right ways.

Wattam should be played, if for no other reason than to see a designer expressing ambivalence about his own ideas.