Paper Mario: The Origami King
Paper Mario: The Origami King Reviews Summary
Summary: The Origami King is no Thousand-Year Door, but Paper Mario fans will still find a lot to love if they can look past the combat system.
Classic Humor
The Origami King lives up to the series' family-friendly humor.
Visual Design
Successfully delivers on its Origami visuals; its open world is vibrant and fun to explore.
Combat System
Combat has few interesting choices and quickly becomes repetitive.
Rating Summary
Based on 100 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Top Critic
Paper Mario: The Origami King tried to be an RPG with adventure elements, but failed and became an adventure with miserably boring combat
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Top Critic
The genuinely thought-provoking Ring Battle system, engaging puzzle design, and care given to Olivia's characterisation all make The Origami King the best Paper Mario since the series' Wii outing, but that wasn't a high bar to begin with and the series is still struggling to come up with an engaging gameplay loop in light of the lessened RPG elements. Without experience or levelling, random battles lose their lustre fast. Likewise, Accessories don't make up for a lack of Badges or traditional equipment, keeping combat relatively static and offering little in the way of non-Toad rewards for uncovering secrets. Worse is Intelligent Systems' love affair with bloated pacing holding back otherwise well-designed dungeons and set pieces. The Origami King is an overall step in the right direction, but it's emblematic of the fact that Paper Mario has no interest in honouring its legacy or living up to its potential. If nothing else, a direct sequel could easily unfold Origami King's many creases.
Top Critic
The Origami King suffers from one-note combat and few real choices, but its personality and visual design are a joy.
Top Critic
Nintendo sketches another warm and colourful Paper Mario adventure, though never traces its full potential.
Top Critic
One of the most relentlessly charming video games ever made and the best Paper Mario since The Thousand-Year Door.
Top Critic
Paper Mario: The Origami King is fun, light-hearted and a celebration of Super Mario with a strong story, great humour and brilliant characters.
Top Critic
As usual, Nintendo's quirky writing is full of laugh-out-loud moments, but your quest is full of tiresome backtracking
Top Critic
I want to share it with my nieces and nephews, as well as my grown friends. But I hesitate due to the frustration of the combat and those imposing boss battles — those moments where I wish I had someone else to take over on the controller.
Top Critic
The Origami King keeps its RPG systems and character work light, but revamped combat and solid gags throughout are the course-correction Paper Mario needed.
Top Critic
Origami King might not be the successor to Thousand-Year Door for which fans have been clamoring, but this time the formula works, allowing the series’ great writing and worlds to shine through.
