Paper Mario: The Origami King Reviews
There is fun to be had with Paper Mario: The Origami King.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is as advertised above, a brooding yet charming affair that brings the collector in us along for a colourful ride through a kingdom gone foldingly mad.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a wonderful new entry that helps sell the idea that trying new things was the right move.
Paper Mario: The Origami King isn’t the game that fans have been clamouring for, but its excellent world building, charming dialogue and enjoyable battle system still provide a high quality experience
Tough Paper Mario: The Origami King is not an rpg anymore, this new work from Intelligent Systems is still an oustanding adventure with a lot of humor and awesome ideas.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Players wanting to re-experience a Mario RPG will be sorely disappointed by Paper Mario: The Origami King. But players who want a light-hearted and laidback adventure game are in for a good time. Albeit, one that doesn’t quite justify the game’s price tag.
Paper Mario: The Origami King might seem like a mixed bag on the surface, but in my mind the good outweighs the bad. The music, while forgettable, is still functional. The combat, while annoying, is far from the worst thing I've played. And the just pure enjoyment I got from exploring and experiencing the world is enough for me to still give the game a hearty recommendation.
When all is said and done, Paper Mario: The Origami King is a solid, wonderfully charming adventure-come-puzzle title. Thankfully, for series’ fans, it’s closer to Color Splash than it is to Sticker Star, but the game still doesn’t come close to The Thousand-Year Door territory. Perhaps this is down to The Origami King’s need to do everything at once, rather than focus on one core element of gameplay. Until the series can truly settle and develop an identity to call its own, Paper Mario will always be a little creased in the corners.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is not a game that is meant to satisfy fans who are thirsty for a traditional RPG. That said, it is a solid adventure game with a mix of platforming elements and a charming story.
The Origami King is a fantastic new page in the Paper Mario RPG playbook offering a funny story that is guaranteed to crease you up. Whenever the game threatens to get stale, it’ll have an exciting new twist waiting just around the corner.
Paper Mario: The Origami King tried to be an RPG with adventure elements, but failed and became an adventure with miserably boring combat
Review in Russian | Read full review
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.
Paper Mario is back and ready to fight with new ring-based battle system. Mostly successfuly.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The Origami King might suffer from the same Achilles heel that Paper Mario: Color Splash and Sticker Star did of eschewing conventional leveling systems, but the combat here is infinitely more intuitive and less contemptible. It might not be the best Paper Mario game, but The Origami King is absolutely a true return to form and a wonderful adventure any Switch owner should consider playing.
There are elements acting as a glue-stick, keeping Paper Mario: The Origami King from completely falling apart, but it is in desperate need of a vision. If you really need a Mario fix, look to the superior Super Mario Odyssey, which is already available on the Switch.
The Origami King is a fun adventure game with a charming story and clever dialogue. Sadly, it suffers from an identity crisis due to an battle system that is not for everybody.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It isn’t perfect, but Paper Mario: The Origami King has a huge amount of charm, and those with a keen sense of humour and adventure will find themselves effortlessly falling in love with it.
Despite a combat system that gets old quickly, Paper Mario: The Origami King's writing, puzzles, worldbuilding, and visuals make it the best entry in the series since The Thousand-Year Door.
If you're a fan of the series then you can't go wrong, but it's not the strongest game in the franchise with its plain bad battle system, regardless of how charming and beautiful it is.
Paper Mario: The Origami King might not be the sequel to The Thousand Year Door that some people are hoping for, but it's a darn fun game. It's witty, charming, fun to play, and has a soundtrack that can't be beat. Its low difficulty and the combat sometimes overstaying its welcome can drag down the experience a little. It's still a delightful experience for fans of Mario's adventures.