Critics see Once Upon A KATAMARI as a charming, inventive extension of the series: its time-travel missions bring fresh settings and set pieces to the familiar rolling loop. Reviews also flag restrictive levels, modest-impact power-ups, and a competitive mode that may not hold everyone’s interest. One reviewer additionally reports performance dips in open hubs and frequent loading screens.
What critics say about Once Upon a Katamari
The clearest strength across the two reviews is the use of different historical periods to vary the familiar Katamari formula. GamesRadar+ says the time-travel structure makes the game feel fresh through its settings, objects, and reasons to roll; MeriStation also praises the era variety, mission variety, and surreal humor.
GamesRadar+: inventive missions, with some friction
Oscar Taylor-Kent’s GamesRadar+ review, conducted on PC using a code provided by the publisher, highlights the set-piece missions, humor, presentation, and soundtrack. The review’s verdict calls the time-travel settings and set pieces “the most inventive evolution of the series yet.” Its reservations are that some restrictive levels feel boring, power-ups do not add much, and the battle mode can feel dull. Read the GamesRadar+ review.
MeriStation: variety, controls, and technical caveats
Cristian Ciuraneta Catalán’s Spanish-language MeriStation review, updated November 3, 2025, likewise appreciates the range of eras and missions. It notes that players can choose an optional one-stick control setup as well as the traditional dual-stick controls. The reviewer reports performance dips in open hubs and frequent loading screens; those are observations from that review, not a platform-wide performance benchmark. Read the MeriStation review.
#1 Best Overall
- A Shiny New Katamari Damacy Adventure Awaits - Experience new stages and a fabulous new original soundtrack! Behold a fresh rolling experience, with never-before-seen power tools like the magnet that draws in nearby objects! How...attractive!
- Roll Through the Ages - The King was so well-behaved but one day, he mistakenly crushed the Earth, the Moon, and numerous other planets while fiddling with a peculiar scroll. Fix the King’s blunder by rolling your katamari through the Jurassic Era, Ice Age, historical Japan, and more eras to rebuild the sky's dazzling field of stars.
- Keep the Family Close With Cousin Customization - Play as The Prince or choose among his 68 cousins and kin to play as. Customize your character in different colors and faces to create as many original Cousin designs as there are stars in the sky.
- Compete in Celestial 4-Player KatamariBall - Conquer the game of KatamariBall, the galactic sport of choice across the Cosmos! Compete in online multiplayer against cousins around the world or hone your skills with scintillating offline play against CPU opponents.
How the game’s premise and mechanics fit those reviews
In Bandai Namco’s launch announcement, the story begins after the King of All Cosmos destroys Earth. The Prince travels through time, rolling up objects to restore the stars. Announced settings include the Jurassic Period, the Ice Age, and historic Japan. The core task remains to grow the Katamari by collecting objects, while new stages, music, customization options, and a magnet tool add variation. Bandai Namco’s launch announcement.
That makes the critical split easier to understand: the reviews’ main enthusiasm is for what the changing eras and mission design do around the established rolling mechanic, rather than a wholesale reinvention of that mechanic. Players seeking a substantially different core loop may find the familiar controls and collection cycle less compelling than players who enjoy new settings and playful objectives.
Rank #2
![Once Upon A KATAMARI Standard Edition - Xbox Series X|S [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xO5l6qnHL._SL160_.jpg)
- Customization parts can be obtained through normal progression | Once upon a time a katamari rolled through both past and present.
- In this story across time, the adage endures: Let The Good Times Roll!
- Now onward through new worlds to roll up thy heart's desires and to restore the stars!
Is Once Upon a Katamari worth playing?
The reviews suggest it is most appealing to players who enjoy Katamari’s established rolling formula and want it refreshed with varied historical settings, comic set pieces, and customization. The strongest shared praise is for variety and humor; the main cautions are that some levels can feel restrictive, power-ups may have limited impact, and competitive play is not a draw for every reviewer.
The game also includes KatamariBall, a competitive mode for up to four players, playable online or offline against CPU opponents, according to the publisher. That is a useful extra for players who want multiplayer, but the reviews do not present it as the game’s strongest feature. Bandai Namco’s feature announcement.
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Rank #3
- Tell a tale based on random topics in your hand and try to steer the story toward your secret conclusion.
- Appeals to players of all ages.
- Once Upon a Time is a game in which the players work together to create a new fairy tale using elements from their cards like dungeons, giants, and cauldrons. Steer the story toward the secret ending you hold.
- To win the game, play all of your story cards and steer the story to the ending card held in your hand! And they all lived happily ever after…we hope
Platforms and editions
Bandai Namco’s October 24, 2025 launch announcement named PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch as the original platforms. The current official game page also includes Nintendo Switch 2 in its edition selector. The catalog can change, so check the regional storefront for current availability and edition contents. Official game page.
The official page describes a Royal Sound Edition that bundles the base game, Rolling LIVE Highlights content, and soundtrack DLC. Confirm the selected platform and included content on the store page before buying; the available editions and listing details may vary by storefront and region. The PlayStation and Steam listings provide platform-specific edition and add-on information. PlayStation US storefront · Steam storefront.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Included is the following: Once Upon A Katamari for PlayStatio 5 PS5, 2 pack of PremGear 2 Sizes Thumbsticks made to increase accuracy and comfort (1 High-Rise, 1 Mid-Rise), PremGear Quality Cleaning Cloth
- A SHINY NEW KATAMARI DAMACY ADVENTURE AWAITS: Experience new stages and a fabulous new original soundtrack! Behold a fresh rolling experience, with never-before-seen power tools like the magnet that draws in nearby objects! How...attractive!
- ROLL THROUGH THE AGES: The King was so well-behaved but one day, he mistakenly crushed the Earth, the Moon, and numerous other planets while fiddling with a peculiar scroll. Fix the King’s blunder by rolling your katamari through the Jurassic Era, Ice Age, historic Japan, and more eras to rebuild the sky’s dazzling field of stars
- KEEP THE FAMILY CLOSE WITH COUSIN CUSTOMIZATION: Play as The Prince, or choose among his 68 cousins and kin to play as. Customize your character in different colors and faces to create as many original Cousin designs as there are stars in the sky
- COMPETE IN CELESTIAL 4-PLAYER KATAMARI BALL: Conquer the game of KatamariBall, the galactic sport of choice across the Cosmos! Compete in online multiplayer against cousins around the world, or hone your skills with scintillating offline play against CPU opponents
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