The Patapon games first release on the PlayStation Portable, and next to select few other titles like FF7: Crisis Core and a Joan of Arc Turn-based strategy game I heard about, were always one of the main reasons for me to consider buying one. In the end, I never did…
Fast Forward a few years and Patapon 1+2 Replay are not out on PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. Sadly, they skipped Xbox and I’m sure that would have been motivation enough for me to go for 1000G versus only settling for beating the game like I did on the PS5. That makes this my first ever PS5 review on LifeIsXbox. But haven’t you heard? Everything is an Xbox now! We live in an era with Gears of War on PS5 and Helldivers 2 on Xbox, anything goes!
But enough cha-cha-chatter, let’s pata-pata-pata-GO with the actual review.
ℹ️ Reviewed on PS5 | Review code provided by Day One MPM. This review is the personal opinion of the writer.
| Developer | SAS CO. |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
Things I liked!
- Rhythm Strategy | I like rhythm games, and I like strategy games. This is the first time I’ve played a clash of the genre! To explain the set-up: you enter short 4 or 5 beat instructions for your one-eyed creatures called Patapon. If you use Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon, they’ll move forwards. If you use Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon, they’ll attack. There are commands like this for retreating, defending, jumping and more. It’s important to stick to the rhythm, as a 3-chain combo will start a “FEVER!” which wildly increases the effectiveness of your attacks. And keeping a close eye on the enemy so you can dodge a devastating attack is the difference between success or failure.
- Lots to customise | In the first game, you can create rare versions of your patapon using special materials, or you can equip them with various weapons and items. In the second game, your patapon can also level up each class, adding even more tactical depth, and you’ll even get a Hero in Patapon 2, who’ll carry your team to victory if you use his abilities correctly.
- It’s got style for days | While the background and creature designs are relatively simple, I still find them quite striking and the aesthetic is timeless. This is the type of game that’ll look as good in 2 centuries as it does today.
- Cross-game progress | While minimal, I was extremely happy seeing a pop-up when starting the 2nd game that asked me if I wanted to import my collected materials from my Patapon 1 save. This is a very grind-heavy game, so I’ll take every bit of help I can get
Mixed & disliked!
- Jujus | At some point, you’ll also learn various JuJu’s. Dances that either change the direction of the wind, or more importantly: cause it to rain so you can cross the hot desert. But the introduction of this mechanic damn near broke me. You see, until this moment, every command entry was in a series of 4 beats, to the same rhythm. To correctly do the Juju dance, you’ll have to do a 5-beat rhythm that was extremely hard for me to get right at the time, and now feels like second nature. A quick Reddit/GameFAQs search luckily showed me I wasn’t the only one. Hang in there if you get stuck here too, it’ll click eventually!
- FOMO + Grind | Even more so than in the first game, the second Patapon adding a leveling mechanic was too overwhelming for me. Patapon is a grind-heavy game and you’ll often have to replay previous levels in the hopes of scoring rare materials or better gear, but the fact that each of your Patapon can now level up with increasingly demanding material requirements was maddening. I was so afraid of wasting my collected loot on the wrong build and there was really no way of telling what was the correct path, since the descriptions of each class are pretty vague.
- Music & chanting | Oh-oh, seeing music anywhere but in the “things we liked” section for a rhythm game is pretty damning no? Well, kind of. At first I really liked chanting along with the Pata-pata-pata-pon tunes and even my kids would be humming it throughout the day. But they always stay the same, and again: the game is very grindy, so what was a pleasure at first became an annoyance about 30 hours into the collection. In fact, writing this review and mentioning the game’s title will Kickstarter another two days of me singing the songs around the house and my wife being mad at me because I just can’t control it anymore. Pata-Pata-Pata-won’t stop.
- Too difficult | I keep repeating myself, but Patapon is intended for people who like to play a grindy game. It’s impossible to beat the game or would take way too long, with a basic army. If you don’t grind for materials to level up your patapon or get lucky finding rare equipment, you won’t deal enough damage to make an impact. With most boss fights that would just prolong the level, but there are various time-sensitive story levels as well, where you need to save one of your own. In the end, I had to call it quits at the final boss of the 2nd game because I just got tired of replaying the same levels over and over again and didn’t want to invest another 4-5 hours just to get some levels in.
How long did I play the review before publishing? 40 hours across the 2 games
How long to beat the story? ~15 hours for each
You’ll love this game if you like these | Rhythm Games & Strategy Games.
CONCLUSION
Score: 77/100
I’m super grateful for the remaster, allowing me to replay a classic that I’ve always been curious about. I certainly don’t regret spending my time with Patapon 1+2 Replay, but I’m also glad that I was able to leave it behind me and drop the compulsion to complete it, or I would have been chanting Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon into my casket.
Do you prefer to see the game in action? We’ve got you covered!
Robby lives and breathes video games. When he’s not playing them, he’s talking about them on social media or convincing other people to pick up a controller themselves. He’s online so often, he could practically list the internet as his legal domicile. Belgian games-industry know-it-all.
