"Katamary Damacy REROLL" Review

The concept was so simple it was a surprise that it was never copied. The concept was so insane that it's a wonder it was ever even conceived, much less executed. "

Katamari Damacy" was a wacky action/puzzle/collect-a-thon that had players manipulate a ball around various levels, gathering objects in its wake that made it bigger and bigger.

As the Prince, you do all this to please the sardonic, eccentrically domineering King of All Cosmos, who demands that you craft giant Katamari balls to replace stars that have fallen out of the sky. The goofy setup was a starting point for a cavalcade of nonsensical jokes and non sequiturs.

Fourteen years after its original release, the relentless charmer has tujmbled back into public consciousness, popping up in a remake on PC and Switch as "Katamari Damacy REROLL."

The game doesn't reinvent the wheel, or Katamari for that matter, and that's just as well, because the mechanics that entranced gamers in 2004 remain every bit as alluring.

The latter's dual analogue sticks make for an ideal control setup, allowing you to use one for directional force and the other to change the angle at which you address the Katamari. If you're playing on your TV, you don't need to manipulate the sticks at all, using wrist twists to direct your Katamari.

An all-ages romp, "Katamari Damacy REROLL" is a relentlessly paced lark that, like a Katamari, only gathers stature and momentum as it rolls along. Playing it on the Switch feels just right, as though the PlayStation 2 version was just a beta for its eventual ideal landing spot. The King of All Cosmos would be pleased to see the new star hoisted into the skies.
Publisher provided review code.