We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie review — Let’s roll!

If you’re a fan of the beloved Katamari series, you’re in luck because the best game in the franchise is about to be playable on all modern platforms with We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie! As someone who is fairly new to the franchise, I was a bit confused with what exactly this title was. I wondered: Is it a brand new game? Is it a remaster or remake? So, We Love Katamari is actually the second game in the series that came out all the way back in 2005 exclusively for the PlayStation 2. This was before Bandai Namco was even a thing, as Namco was the sole publisher of the game. We Love Katamari REROLL is the HD remaster of the original release, the same way Katamari Damacy REROLL is the remaster of the original Katamari Damacy. Now with that out of the way, are you ready for some pure ridiculousness?!

The concept of the game is simple to grasp and easy to jump into, which is probably what made the series a cult classic. Essentially you are given an adhesive ball, known as a katamari, that can pick up and stick to virtually anything, from paper clips and erasers to entire skyscrapers and mountains! The game lets you know when you “size up” to the next level, which allows you to stick to bigger and greater objects. All you need to do is just roll to your heart’s content until you reach the target size of a given level within a certain time limit. It’s an experience that is silly fun, brilliantly chaotic, and one that never takes itself too seriously. While the high level mechanics remain the same, different levels have you completing different tasks, which range from collecting glow-in-the-dark fireflies to helping a sumo wrestler bulk up for his match.

You play as the Prince, the son of the King of All Cosmos, who accidentally destroyed all the stars in the universe and needs you to help him create new ones. This was the premise of the original game, but in We Love Katamari, you’re actually taking requests from “fans” of the first title. It’s all very meta, considering this sequel analyzes and recognizes the events of the previous game. With all that being said, you can’t just roll up a new planet from the get-go, so you start off small, rolling up thumbtacks and pencils, before you become big enough to roll up entire cities. The narrative isn’t the main focus here, but there’s enough interesting lore to keep you engaged between levels, such as later chapters diving into the King of All Cosmos’s youth before he became King. Voiced cutscenes are sprinkled throughout, but expect to read a ton of text dialogue bubbles otherwise.

However, the experience we have here today is actually a little bit more than just an HD port because it includes the bonus Royal Reverie section too, which adds five brand new levels revolving around a young King of All Cosmos. Now I’m not complaining about extra challenges to complete, but this content does feel a bit bare bones and tacked on like an afterthought. The actual levels play out like rehashed versions of existing ones and come off as filler content rather than brand new never-before-seen katamari stages. The addition of a photo mode also feels a bit out of place, but I guess it’s better than not having one? What is awesome is the inclusion of the Eternal Mode, which essentially lets you roll and build up your katamari endlessly without a time limit, among other quality of life updates, such as a navigation function.

The controls have had much criticism over the years for being stiff and clunky, but I’m glad to announce that it has been improved tenfold here, with a simplified, more accessible control scheme. You can now use the left analog stick to move the katamari and the right stick to rotate the camera! That being said, the UI and menus aren’t the most intuitive and it took me some time to even find how to tweak the settings. Those who wish to use the classic controls of utilizing both analog sticks to roll the katamari still can, but just get ready for some frustrating groans with those terrible camera angles. It should be noted that “Usual Stuff” in settings refers to the traditional controls whilst “Simple” is self explanatory. We Love Katamari REROLL actually includes a local cooperative mode that you can play with a friend, but the caveat is that you both control the same katamari, instead of two separate ones. Given the already awkward camera angles and controls, you can probably imagine how hectic the 2 player mode can get.

If you are familiar with the Katamari games, then you must know how pivotal music is to the franchise and the gigantic role that it plays (no pun intended). Not only are the color palettes of the game itself bright and whimsical, so are the songs! Whether it’s the catchy tunes of Katamari on the Rocks or the soothing beachy vibes of Angel Rain, there is bound to be a song you find yourself getting addicted to. I never expected such a wide multitude of genres to appreciate, as the game features music ranging from light jazz to hip hop. What’s nice is that We Love Katamari REROLL allows you to register your favorite background tracks to listen to at any time. Those who purchase the digital deluxe version also get an additional 25 songs from Katamari Damacy, Katamari Forever, and Beautiful Katamari!

On the PlayStation 5 native version, this game runs great, with fast load times and smooth frame rates all around. The HD upscaled visuals are a bit more crisp, but the age of the game definitely shows in the graphics department. That being said, the game still looks nice, with a fantastic art direction and a style that still captures people’s attention to this day. I was one of those whose eyes were caught by previous Katamari games without knowing what it was, simply due to its distinctive art style and colors. For only $30, I think there’s an experience of great value here, given how much content there is and how replayable it is, especially if you didn’t play the original.

See below for our list of partners and affiliates: