In just a couple of days, we will all be jumping and hammering our way to Paper Mario: The Origami King on the switch. If you have already visited our home page today, you will have noticed that the game reviews have already been published. So what do critics think?
Below, we’ve put together a selection of quotes and review scores from several different outlets. The answer is mostly positive, although there are some complaints that are quite consistent across the board. Before we dive in, naturally we would like to urge you to review our own review:
Okay, now that you’ve read that, let’s see how well (or not) the game has fallen with other critics around the world:
GamesRadar noted a ‘highly variable’ level of difficulty among other minor issues, but was otherwise impressed, awarding the game 4.5 out of 5:
However, aside from the complaints, the latest Paper Mario title is a joy to exist. An excellent story, charming characters, and the ability to team up with your oldest enemies make The Origami King a triumph. Yes, it may not be the new Thousand-Year Door RPG, but it is something special that should be celebrated.
Godisageek gave the game a 9/10, saying:
This is by far the best Paper Mario game in a long time, and if you can accept it, it is not an RPG as defined by most people, and instead you appreciate a beautiful and extensive action adventure with combat Take turns, a great script and a sublime soundtrack, you will have a great time.
Gamespot says the battle system ‘revitalizes the series,’ while noting that the characters in the game aren’t as charming as previous games. He gave the game an 8/10:
With a new combat system that steals the show and offers a new version of turn-based combat, its winks, nods and adventures shine even brighter. Your world and characters may not be the best in the series, but it can still throw left turns, good jokes, and clever surprises.
Game Informer gave the game a quirky 7.75 / 10:
As a series, Paper Mario constantly explores new concepts and mechanisms, which is exciting, but carries many risks. Origami King’s increased chances don’t pay off in a satisfactory way. I enjoyed Mario’s antics and all the misfits he encounters, but the new ring-based action needs refinement.
Eurogamer called it “a sincere creation that doesn’t hold up”:
There are many things I would recommend about The Origami King, a generous journey with its humor, its expanse of locations, its continued sense of adventure in Mario’s attempt to defeat the evil Origami King … But every time the game changed the setup, every time he changed into a new party member, every time he cleared another boss, he waited for the outbreaks he had begun to expose to grow and go a little deeper. For all sense of personality and place of play, it never becomes heavier.
VGC wasn’t completely impressed either, giving the game a 3/5:
Origami King contains some of the highlights from the series, almost all related to its nice script and wonderful and varied environments, but it also gets frustrated with some disappointing new features and all too familiar missteps.
Finally, IGN gave the game a 7/10, describing it as ‘truly enjoyable’ despite feeling that the combat is ‘largely unsatisfactory’:
The Origami King is a really nice game despite the shallowness of its new twist on the game. Its characters are attractive, its visual design is magnificent, its world is fun to explore and its narration is innovative and playful. At the same time, however, it could be much more. The combat is largely unsatisfactory, and his journey overall lacks significant options. For a series with RPG roots, it’s a real shame.
Paper Mario: The Origami King launches on July 17 and is available to buy digitally on Switch eShop or physically retail. Are you looking forward to playing the game this Friday? Let us know in the comments.
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