We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie

You could say that We Love Katamari did for its predecessor what Tears of the Kingdom did with Breath of the Wild: It expanded on everything that made its prequel unique, while cementing its signature series' style for the foreseeable future. [Issue #66 – July/August 2023, p. 75]

We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie is everything that could be expected from a remaster that enhances its source material. Every single thing here is an absolute delight to the senses, from the impossibly crazy and bubbly soundtrack to the level design, the sheer pleasure of rolling more and more, and the high-grade visual adaptation, We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie is an undeniable gem in the Nintendo Switch catalogue.

In rounding off Katamari Damacy’s rougher edges and upping the ante with more diverse mechanics and challenges, even goofier writing, and a terrific soundtrack, We Love Katamari cemented itself as a high watermark for video game sequels in 2005. Even without the remaster treatment, the game’s maintained its luster remarkably well but Reroll + Royal Reverie is (an admittedly thin layer of) icing on an already decadent cake. With a number of solid quality-of-life updates and sharper, brighter visuals, this is undeniably the best way to experience the 2005 classic.

We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie is my new favourite Katamari game, with varied stages and a whole lot of wacky charm.

This far outstrips the first game in content amount, and the approach to telling a new story that can encapsulate the wider scope is genius. We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is a fantastic portable game and fits Switch like a glove. This is a hearty recommendation to all gamers and any lovers of the King's tight purple tights.

We Love Katamari is a better game than Katamari Damacy. It has more level variety, and had multiplayer options before it was remastered. The core gameplay of both games is exactly the same. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie is a fantastic remaster of that already great game. The HD visuals and gameplay tweaks look and feel perfect. The only fault is in the bonus content. It’s always lovely to have more features, but none of them are so compelling that they extend the time you’ll spend with the game. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie won’t be for everyone, but it will also be a “must play experience” for many.

In this writer’s personal opinion, there are two Katamari Damacy games worth keeping around. We now have both of them on the Nintendo Switch, and I’m quite happy with that. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie isn’t a perfect experience, but it’s a more than acceptable way to experience a sequel that could have phoned it in but chose to do more. And yes, the soundtrack once again rules. A good version of a great game, and still just as fine a wine as it was back in 2005.

We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie is a colorful romp through wacky and challenging levels, with writing that’ll have you rolling on the floor laughing.

Though We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is certainly not a game for everyone, with its occasionally wacky mechanics and bizarre at times story, there is no doubt that those who choose to pick it up will be pleasantly surprised by its quirky, colorful, and addictive style. Not to mention that hanging around after the credits will allow players to complete a very satisfying final Katamari level that ties up the game beautifully and will leave players with overall satisfaction both in terms of narrative and gameplay.

Oh Katamari, what a vibrant collection of randomness you are. From a funky soundtrack to colorfully-vibrant aesthetics and even its irreverent humor, it’s a game that’s never boring with all the objectives and secrets it offers. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie is a great remaster of its original title, while still bringing something new to the game. Fresh secrets and collectibles entice players to roll around over and over for completion. Updated sound and visuals keep Katamari as vibrant as ever, while also looking better than ever. Newly-implemented UI elements that help you navigate the world create an ease of access for play. It’s now a nice assistance to see objective indicators appear when time is running low instead of having to waste precious seconds searching the map. These changes in addition to the Royal Reverie training missions elevates the title to be more than just a repeat of Katamari Damacy. While limited options in multiplayer and eternal modes hinder the variety, it doesn’t make Katamari any less addicting in its chaotic absurdity.

This remaster of We Love Katamari complies with bringing the experience of years ago, and it is that there was never any talk of doing a remake or something similar, just bringing it to a new audience. If you don't want to plug your PS2 back in then it doesn't hurt to buy it, and if you've never played it in your life, I think it would be a good window of entry.