Paper Mario: The Origami King Reviews
As opposed to the cynical anti-player nonsense smothering the last two games, there’s a real heart beating in this installment that I can’t ignore: I adore this cast, I like exploring this world, and I enjoy the tale they left behind. But my contempt lies more within my response to 2007’s Super Paper Mario: wherein a genuinely well-meaning iteration is, once again, suffocated by a gameplay system that does it no favors.
If you were disappointed by Sticker Star and Color Splash, give this new entry a go as it is definitely more enjoyable, but keep in mind the series is clearly heading into a new direction.
A fun game despite some losses in RPG dynamics and depth.
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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.
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 a delightful debut for the arts and crafts world of the Mushroom Kingdom on Switch by having the sharpest execution of the series’ endearing presentation and writing to date. However, developer Intelligent Systems continues to enable Paper Mario’s decade long identity crisis by failing to commit to RPG systems in addition to the inclusion of a half-baked battle system that feels irrelevant to the overall experience.
A visually beautiful and hilariously well-written experience let down by an overbearing and clunky fundamental gameplay system. Unfortunately, Paper Mario: The Origami King falls flat in its attempts to bring one too many things into the fold.
A lot of the little puzzles and vignettes are also fun as well. However, it's hard to look past the masculinist colonialist ideals it holds onto and consider coming back again. I'm not sure I'll be able to forget the fun and laughter of Origami King, but I also won't forget its problems.
Paper Mario The Origami King is a delightfully charming game, with a vibrant open world to explore and endearing characters that are genuinely funny, so long as you can handle a healthy dose of dad jokes.
“Paper Mario: The Origami King is a charming Mario adventure marred by a difficult and tedious battle system.”
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.
As a longtime fan of the series, Paper Mario: The Origami King has its trademark humor and charm, but misses its appealing RPG gameplay.
Overall, the charm, colour and wit of Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom outshines its repetitive gameplay. It’s a truly enjoyable experience.
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.
The best thing I can say about Paper Mario: The Origami King is that it has some major problems, but the story is great enough and so worth experiencing that it's worth trudging through the negatives to experience it at least once. Like a lot of first-time origami projects, it starts rough, but it's worth seeing through to the end.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a solid, but unremarkable sequel. It's like a table of snack food at a party, where you'll happily nibble away just because you're stood next to it or feeling a bit peckish, but it's not exactly going to fill you up. The new battle puzzles and the boss fights in particular stand out, but the world and endless Toads fail to spark the same delight. This feels like a missed opportunity.
The Origami King suffers from one-note combat and few real choices, but its personality and visual design are a joy.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a fun-filled adventure that manages to keep things fresh, however, the puzzle-based battles tend to feel repetitive. Despite the repetitive combat, the boss battles are easily some of the best seen in the series.