Rolling on the success of Katamari Damacy comes We Love Katamari, the direct sequel to 2004's surprised hit. Katamari Damacy was a strange game… very strange. But it was also one of the most original titles to ever grace any console with its odd aesthetics, simple concept, and sense of humor. Katamari Damacy holds a special place in many gamer's hearts so the highly anticipated sequel has some work ahead of itself.
The formula is still the same… you, as The Prince, roll around the Katamari collecting everything from fruits to toys to people and even the environment itself. The intuitive controls remain unchanged and the gameplay is still as fun it has ever been. There is a bit more craziness in the missions this time around and the world has a better design. Basically, it plays very much like the first game did with a bit more refinement. There are still some frustrating bits where your Katamari becomes trapped or cannot roll up a certain area/item even though it looks as you should be able to though not as frequent as before.
New additions are somewhat thin. The biggest addition is a two player mode where two people go at it in one world. It's a bit hard to get into, a bit hectic and it's not all that much fun. The game is still on the short side and averages around 10 hours of the average level of completion. If you're serious about your Katamari, then this game can easily provide for a lot more playtime since there are tons of items to roll up, plenty of 'cousins' (other usable characters) and accessories for The Prince to find. Also, you will probably need to replay every mission if you want to impress the King of All Cosmos.
As important as the gameplay is, the graphics and soundtrack had a lot to do with the reason why people loved the first game. The odd graphics are back and there haven't been any noticeable improvements. The game does look a bit sharper, the framerate remains solid throughout, and the clipping appears a lot less this time around. The soundtrack, while equally strange, falls a bit short of the freshness of the first game. There are still some fantastic tracks but nothing near the caliber of the first game.
While this review seems to be negative of We Love Katamari, this game is just as good as Katamari Damacy and that's also the problem: it really isn't that much different than the first. The minor chances here and there really aren't apparent. And though more of the same does not mean it will be bad, it just isn't as fresh this time as gamers know what to expect. Yet, just as the first game was something you had to experience, We Love Katamari is no different.
Final words: If you're a fan of the first, you'll love this game and if you didn't like the first one, you might want to avoid this game.
-Vinny
Create an Account
Member Login
