Paper Mario: The Origami King Reviews

Paper Mario: The Origami King is ranked in the 71st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Jul 15, 2020

There's room in my heart for both styles of Paper Mario. The old games still exist and this newer, sometimes thinner formula is fine too. That said, it's possible Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have folded this subseries every which way they can at this point. I hope the next one is a little more fresh.

Read full review

Jul 29, 2020

While it may not return to the heights of The Thousand-Year Door, Paper Mario: The Origami King is by far the best entry in the series in over a decade and gives us hope for the future of the series for the first time in awhile.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Jul 15, 2020

It’s smart, creative, and rarely less than lovely to look at, but its combination of odd combat mechanics and sporadically subversive wit are bound to reinforce the franchise’s status as distinctively niche within the Marioverse.

Read full review

6 / 10.0
Aug 4, 2020

Endearing visuals and storytelling can't rescue Paper Mario: The Origami King from a tedious combat system that slows the action to a crawl.

Read full review

Guardian
Top Critic
Unscored
Aug 4, 2020

It might be made of papercraft, but Origami King has a lot of structural integrity, and unexpected depth. If you don’t fold at the tricky battle mechanics, the reward is an elevated, postmodern delight.

Read full review

Jul 21, 2020

The latest outing for Mario's most unusual guise combines inventive puzzle-combat and a gorgeous world to explore

Read full review

ZTGD
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Aug 13, 2020

Despite being charming and oftentimes funny with some great set piece moments sprinkled throughout, Paper Mario: The Origami King’s repetitive combat and dull sense of progression hampers an otherwise enjoyable journey.

Read full review

GameMAG
Top Critic
9 / 10
Jul 15, 2020

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a full-fledged, large and very beautiful adventure with role-playing elements, which pleases with an abundance of gameplay mechanics, a great sense of humor, an interesting plot, a well-developed world and a huge number of entertaining puzzles. The game will give you dozens of exciting hours in the paper world and is just a must-buy for all owners of Nintendo Switch.

Review in Russian | Read full review

95 / 100
Jul 15, 2020

There are no paper cuts in store for you here. Paper Mario: The Origami King is as smooth as butter.

Read full review

Jul 15, 2020

An endlessly enjoyable story, a unique take on combat that fuses puzzle-solving with RPG traditions, and a beautiful world full of adventure makes Paper Mario: The Origami King yet another must-play Nintendo Switch experience.

Read full review

Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Jul 15, 2020

Paper Mario: The Origami King is the best Paper Mario game I've played in over a decade, and yet I'm still feeling let down. While it's incredibly endearing and genuinely funny, it's also painfully boring and the thought of playing it again puts me straight to sleep. There will undoubtedly be massive fans of Paper Mario: The Origami King, but I can't say I'm one of them. A lovely action adventure game, but essential for no one.

Read full review

9.1 / 10.0
Jul 15, 2020

The Origami King is one of the most entertaining chapters in the long-lasting Paper Mario franchise and will surprise you with some fresh gameplay solutions.

Review in Italian | Read full review

82 / 100
Jul 21, 2020

Charming and humorous action RPG with a loving world, whose new puzzle combat system could have used more variety.

Review in German | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jul 21, 2020

This is no Thousand Year Door, and it's not really an RPG at all, but it is a nice little diversion to keep your thumbs busy between other bigger releases.

Read full review

Jul 30, 2020

Paper Mario: The Origami King has plenty of humor and some frustrating combat, but it all comes together to create a unique experience for players of all ages.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jul 28, 2020

There's a lot of joy to be found in Paper Mario: The Origami King, but its shallow combat and monotonous nature makes for a glib experience that crumples under pressure.

Read full review

Jul 24, 2020

While a lot of care has gone into refining the game's combat, there's no shortage of things to do outside of battles.

Read full review

7 / 10
Jul 23, 2020

Overall, the charm, colour and wit of Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom outshines its repetitive gameplay. It’s a truly enjoyable experience.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jul 23, 2020

Origami King — even with its imperfections — is a bold attempt at reimagining the franchise. Fans who pine for the series classic RPG mechanics will likely be disappointed in the game’s combat system. A colorful and imaginative open world, however, combined with witty dialogue and poignant storytelling, make Origami King a welcome addition to the Paper Mario fold.

Read full review

90 / 100
Jul 15, 2020

this new Switch exclusive reminded me of many of the feelings that that 2004 title conveyed to me at the time, especially that of being on a great journey.

Review in Spanish | Read full review