We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie Review Summary

Last updated: 2025-07-28
  • Exceptional sequel and remaster
  • Varied levels and satisfying rolling
  • Phenomenal and catchy soundtrack
  • Clunky PC keyboard controls
  • Lack of new content/recycled
  • Repetitive and grind-heavy progression
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie header

Emotions

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Exceptional Sequel & Remaster: Players overwhelmingly praise the game as a superior sequel, improving upon the original in nearly every aspect, including content, replayability, and overall polish. Many consider it the best in the series and a timeless classic.

Varied Levels & Satisfying Rolling: The game offers a wide variety of creative and unique levels, each providing a fresh and enjoyable experience. The core mechanic of rolling up objects to grow the Katamari is consistently satisfying and addictive.

Phenomenal & Catchy Soundtrack: The game's soundtrack is frequently lauded as outstanding, memorable, and a major highlight. Its catchy tunes and unique musical style enhance the overall experience and are often enjoyed even outside of gameplay.

Charming Art & Humor: Reviewers consistently highlight the game's charming art style, whimsical humor, and endearing characters. This unique aesthetic contributes significantly to its joyful and stress-relieving atmosphere.

Addictive & Relaxing Gameplay: The game is highly addictive and provides a unique, stress-relieving, and entertaining experience. Its simple yet ingenious gameplay loop makes it ideal for casual play and helps players unwind.

Common complaints

Clunky PC Keyboard Controls: Many players found the PC keyboard controls to be clunky, awkward, and frustrating, making the game difficult to play without a controller. The inability to freely remap keys and the poor translation of controller limitations to keyboard input were significant issues.

Lack of New Content/Recycled: Many players felt the game offered little new content, largely recycling existing ideas and levels, making it feel more like an expansion than a full sequel. The lack of novelty and perceived shallowness led to disappointment, especially for those familiar with the original.

Repetitive & Grind-Heavy Progression: Players found the game's progression, especially towards 100% completion, to be repetitive and grindy. The time limits on stages and the need to replay long levels multiple times for achievements or specific items led to frustration and a feeling of tedium.

Disappointing Soundtrack & Sound: The game's soundtrack and sound effects are widely considered inferior to the original game's, with many tracks being bland or unmemorable. Players also noted issues with sound quality, including incorrect pitching and low volume.

Poor Object Draw Distance: The game suffers from a very low draw distance, causing objects to pop in suddenly and making it difficult to plan routes or locate items. This issue is particularly problematic in certain levels, hindering gameplay and navigation.

Gameplay and performance

Core Rolling Gameplay: The core gameplay loop revolves around rolling a 'Katamari' ball to collect objects smaller than itself, making it grow larger. This mechanic allows players to absorb increasingly bigger items, from small household objects to entire planets, which in turn affects the Katamari's physical movement and control.

Expanded Content and Variety: This sequel significantly expands upon the original game's content, offering a greater variety of mission types, unique environments, and diverse challenges. It introduces new gameplay gimmicks and special rule stages, moving beyond just size objectives to explore 'what can you do with the Katamari'.

Unique Twin-Stick Controls: The game's unique twin-stick control scheme, while initially feeling odd or complex, is integral to its design and identity. Players generally adapt quickly, and a controller is highly recommended for the best experience, as it allows for intuitive movement and turning.

Time Limits and Objectives: Most stages feature time limits and specific clear conditions, often requiring players to reach a certain size or collect specific items within the given time. The game also includes an endless mode and encourages replaying levels to achieve higher scores or better completion rates.

King of Cosmos Backstory: The game features a new storyline focusing on the backstory of the King of All Cosmos, allowing players to experience his childhood as a prince. While the King's dialogue can be skipped, this narrative element adds a unique layer to the game's quirky humor.

Excellent PC Optimization & Performance: The game is highly optimized for PC, offering excellent performance across various systems, including the Steam Deck. Players report smooth high frame rates, 4K support, and significantly reduced loading times compared to previous versions.

Significant Remaster Improvements: The remaster offers substantial improvements over the original, including better graphics, more stable performance, and fixes for frustrating gameplay mechanics like objects getting stuck or lost.

Improved & Responsive Controls: Players noted a significant improvement in control responsiveness and overall smoothness, making the gameplay experience more enjoyable and precise.

Occasional Stuttering & Freezes: Some players experienced noticeable screen stuttering, particularly when one minute remains in a level, and occasional full game freezes.

Object Pop-in Issues: There are instances where objects do not load in smoothly from a distance, instead appearing or fading in abruptly, which can be visually jarring.

Recommendations

Highly Recommended Fun: Many players highly recommend the game, praising its fun, unique, and lighthearted nature. It's seen as a must-play for both new and returning fans, especially if they enjoy colorful, joyful, or quirky games. The game is considered a great remaster and a worthy experience.

Buy On Sale: Many reviewers suggest purchasing the game when it's on sale, indicating it offers excellent value at a reduced price. Some also mention that the base game is worth it, but caution against expensive DLC.

Play First Game First: Players frequently recommend playing the first game, Katamari Damacy Reroll, before or alongside this title. Some suggest it's a better introduction to the series, while others believe it enhances the experience of this sequel.

Controller Play Essential: A significant number of players emphasize that a controller or gamepad is essential for playing this game. They strongly advise against using a keyboard due to poor controls and a less enjoyable experience.

Port Other Katamari Games: Several players express a desire for other Katamari titles, particularly Katamari Forever and Beautiful Katamari, to be ported to PC. Some even suggest these older titles might offer a better experience than the current game.

Other review notes

Strong Nostalgia & Port Demand: Players express strong nostalgia for the Katamari series, particularly the original PS2 titles. There's a significant desire for more remasters or new entries, especially on PC, indicating a loyal fanbase eager for the franchise's continued presence.

Unique & Casual Gameplay: The game offers a unique and unusual gameplay experience that stands out from other titles. Its pick-up-and-play nature, with satisfying short sessions, makes it ideal for casual gaming, though initial controls can feel clunky.

Purchase Behavior & Sales: Players are willing to purchase the game across multiple platforms to support the series, but also advise waiting for sales due to frequent discounts. This suggests a dedicated but price-conscious fanbase.

Distinct Japanese Aesthetic: Reviewers frequently highlight the game's distinct Japanese aesthetic and sensibility, describing it as a quintessential early 2000s Japanese title. This unique cultural imprint is seen as a core part of its identity.

Loose, Silly Story: The game's narrative is noted for being loose and not a primary focus, often characterized by ironic self-awareness. The universe is described as silly, contributing to the game's overall charm rather than its plot depth.