Paper Mario: The Origami King Reviews
I would say that Paper Mario: The Origami King is a nice return to form that the last couple of Paper Mario games seemed to have lost. The game shows a lot of charm between it’s lush and beautiful landscapes as well as the fun child-like humour. I personally feel like it still doesn’t quite hit the same strides that games like Bowser Inside Story hit, but this is a great start.
Whilst it’s commendable to see Nintendo being more daring with its key franchises, it’s clear that it didn’t quite work out on this occasion with this new Paper Mario entry. Paper Mario: The Origami King makes for a mostly fun adventure that is bogged down by some ideas that didn’t quite work as expected.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a fun romp back into the world of Paper Mario, but mundane combat and a lack of experience points really hinder the main activity of the game. Charming writing is the real draw here and what will keep bringing players back for more.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is an absolutely phenomenal game. It simultaneously makes a return to what made the original games so great, namely the exploration and humor, while still progressing forward with new, creative battle systems and ideas. I had a blast playing through the game, finding collectibles, rescuing Toads, and saving the Mushroom Kingdom in a beautiful, paper world that always kept me laughing.
Though this Paper Mario: The Origami King isn’t an RPG, and more of an Adventure game it is still a brilliant game. It is a game full to the brim with delightful writing, lots of humour, bright vibrant colours, old faithful characters and laugh out loud moments for the player. While it follows the Paper Mario formula in some aspects, it does more to re-imagine the series then not. Paper Mario: The Origami King is a worthy contender in the Paper Mario series, and is the perfect game to immerse yourself in for a wonderful crumpled, creased and folded adventure.
Hopefully both new and long-time fans will still find something they will love here, because it would be a terrible shame if this game wasn’t viewed as it’s own piece, and just “Not-The-Thousand-Year-Door”.
Nintendo came, saw and won! With a surprise announcement and directly delivered. The picturesque world explodes with humour, charme and details and offers a beautiful adventure for fans of the series. Only the fighting system doesn't really fit to the otherwise great rest of the game.
Review in German | Read full review
Paper Mario: The Origami King should not be overlooked, and is one of the most fun Switch games I have played. Fun ways to play, a fun story, and collectibles to collect all make this a game a classic.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a vibrant, detailed, and exciting adventure filled with bustling hubs and lots of hidden treasure. Sadly, whilst the battle system looks good on paper, it isn’t the enjoyable or in-depth RPG system long term fans were hoping for. The writing is consistently laugh-out-loud funny though, and that’s the most important thing in any Paper Mario game.
Ultimately, let down by a lacklustre combat system that is far too repetitive and frequent, Paper Mario: The Origami King is only... ok. It's still worth playing for the wonderful visuals and excellent storytelling but don't expect a true Mario RPG.
Paper Mario: The Origami King may not quite reach the outstanding greatness of the first part on N64. But with its lovingly design, its pleasant cast and its exciting puzzle-kind fighting system Intelligent System brings the Paper Mario series back into line. Including the rich game world the new Paper Mario on Switch is definitely worth a buy.
Review in German | Read full review
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a hilarious game with a ton of variety in its world and a clever new puzzle-based battle system. There's so much fun to be had that if you don't already own a Switch, this will act as a fantastic reason to go out and get one.
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.