Paper Mario: The Origami King Reviews
Humor was only one component that made past Paper Mario games so well-loved; The Oragami King eschews all the other important ingredients.
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.
While Paper Mario: The Origami King makes excellent strides in terms of humor and adventure game design, it's still sorely lacking aesthetically and features a horrendous battle system that only gets more frustrating as you play. I've given up on the series returning to the style of my childhood's classics, but if the series ditches battles entirely it could make for some extremely fun adventure games.
Can a game show significant improvement over its predecessors while further entrenching itself along the wrong path? Origami King certainly tries, making a game that’s a blast to read and gorgeous in screenshots but just not that fun to play.
Endearing visuals and storytelling can't rescue Paper Mario: The Origami King from a tedious combat system that slows the action to a crawl.
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.
For the fans of the series like me I see it as a fun experience in general, especially it's the debut of the series on the Nintendo Switch, but the overall quality of the series is still in decline unfortunately.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
A light-hearted, casual action-adventure game with basic of RPG elements that will appeal most to younger Switch owners and newer Paper Mario fans.
Paper Mario's latest outing on the Nintendo Switch is a very charming but shallow adventure in a gorgeous, handcrafted world.
Paper Mario: The Origami King weighs down a fun adventure with an unsatisfying, puzzle-based combat system that misses the mark.
Paper Mario: The Origami King once again takes the series in a completely different direction. Mushroom Kingdom is bigger and more alive than it's ever been, but it comes packaged with a combat system that quickly becomes stagnant.
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.
In the end Paper Mario The Origami King is a fine game, but throughout the years Nintendo has delivered games that are way better. If the game was a bit more challenging it would have gone a long way for the overall enjoyment.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
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.
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 world is absolutely stunning, especially the new enemy designs and the completionist in me loves finding all the Toads and holes to fill. But on the other hand, the game is plagued with niggling issues including the complexity of the ring battle system potentially driving new players away.
"A great adventure is unfolding..."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Paper Mario: The Origami King does not reinvent anything, relies on proven elements, as one can only wish for in some Nintendo series. The game is entertaining, joyful and a welcome change in a drought year that can't exactly boast numerous releases.
Review in German | Read full review