Dubbed We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie, the remaster not only brings the classic back with a fresh coat of paint, but also brings with it some new content. How well does the PS2 classic hold up in this day and age, you might wonder, and that’s exactly what we’re here to discuss in this review.

"While the story is largely just an excuse to get you into the rather excellent gameplay, We Love Katamari REROLL features some rather clever meta-commentary."

Much like its predecessor, We Love Katamari is a strange game where you essentially try and roll up every single item in a level into a giant ball in order to make it into a new celestial body. The sequel’s premise essentially picks up from the events of the first game, which had the King of All Cosmos somehow destroying every single star in the universe, and enlisting his son—referred to as the Prince—into helping him repopulate the night sky. In We Love Katamari, the King of All Cosmos realizes that he should capitalize on the success of Katamari Damacy, and enlists the Prince yet again to fill up even more of the night sky with new celestial objects.

While the story is largely just an excuse to get you into the rather excellent gameplay, We Love Katamari REROLL features some rather clever meta-commentary, but completing the game’s various levels also gives us a look at the childhood life of the King, and how he eventually grew into the insane ruler of the Cosmos that we know today. We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie also brings with it a few new levels that go further into the King’s backstory, if you’re into that sort of thing, but honestly, even without the storyline, additional levels for a Katamari game would always be welcome.

"Even without the storyline, additional levels for a Katamari game would always be welcome."

When it comes to gameplay, We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie plays almost entirely like its predecessor. Rather than having direct control of the Prince and the Katamari he uses to roll things up, you instead have to think of both analogue sticks on your controller as controlling individual sides of the Prince’s body. Push the left stick forward and the prince will start rolling with his left hand, and likewise for the right stick. Moving forward is done by pushing both sticks forward, and any turns you might have to make will involve you pulling the stick on the side you want to turn to back.

While it might sound awkward when you first hear about it, and it will be quite awkward to play with for your first few levels as well, the controls ultimately start making sense in a strange way. The dual-analogue movement starts feeling incredibly intuitive, especially in the context of the item-finding and navigation puzzles that We Love Katamari’s levels can quite often devolve into.

Each level will start you off small—around the size of an eraser. Your Katamari will grow as you roll it into similarly-sized objects. If something’s too big, you’ll bounce right off it. As you grow your Katamari, you’ll start needing bigger and bigger objects to roll up. For example, an early level might have you start out with grabbing erasers, staple pins, and matchsticks, and after a minute of rolling, you’ll start grabbing bigger objects like crabs, flowers, and pencils. Get big enough and you can roll entire humans, their houses, and even their neighborhoods up into your Katamari.

Speaking of levels, there are several of them, and they aren’t as breezy as you’d imagine for such a bright, cheerful and colorful game. You’re given a strict time limit and a minimum size to which you need to grow your Katamari, and your first attempt at any level is quite likely to end in failure. Much like Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie relies on you actually understanding the level, and figuring out more efficient routes through subsequent attempts.

"We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie relies on you actually understanding the level, and figuring out more efficient routes through subsequent attempts."

The general gameplay loop in We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie feels like a refinement over the original Katamari Damacy in quite a few ways. Levels feel better thought out, and routes look more intuitive, gradually guiding you into grabbing appropriately-sized items up into your ever-growing mass of random objects. Despite—or perhaps because of—the simple gameplay loop, it’s quite easy to end up spending hours on any level of We Love Katamari in an effort to get the best possible score you can get.

Visually, much like Katamari Damacy REROLL, We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie feels like an acid trip in all the best ways. The game never really takes anything seriously, and just about every character you meet in the story or its various levels look like insane caricatures of what a person might look like. The King of All Cosmos himself has an absolutely absurd design with proportions that make no sense, and the Prince being so tiny just adds on top of the already-absurd aesthetic.

When it comes to the visuals in levels, everything seems to have been designed with the idea of things being understandable and legible at a glance. You’re never going to be confused about the object you’re rolling the Katamari into, and the flat color palette adds quite well to this aspect of the game. 

Of course, the soundtrack and sound effects for We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie are also absolutely insane, with the soundtrack featuring quite a few incredibly-catchy songs that will end up haunting your dreams and staying with you forever. Characters never really talk using any understandable language, and instead just generally make sounds that get subtitled for you. Just about every bit of the audio/visual side of the game adds on to the surreality of the game as a whole.

"The soundtrack and sound effects for We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie are also absolutely insane."

One of the most under-appreciated aspects of the franchise is just how much fun it can be with another player. Sure, We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie features an absolutely hilarious local co-op mode that has each player trying to roll the same Katamari, but in case you only have a single controller, even just an evening of passing the controller between you and your buddies can be a great time. Once you get the hang of the controls, the objectives are instantly obvious, and the time limit in each level means that no one really ends up hogging the controller for too long.

If it hasn’t already become obvious, we absolutely adore the insanity that is We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie. It has addictive gameplay with clever level design that just begs you to keep trying to get better scores, as well as a hilarious story that gives us a glimpse into how the mind of the King of All Cosmos might work. All of this is capped off by an incredible soundtrack and fun visuals, making We Love Katamari an easy game to recommend.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter 6 is the first mainline sequel in the series since 2016 and the first in a long time without producer Yoshinori Ono at the helm. It returns to its roots of fighting on the streets but also introduces new combat mechanics like the Drive System for unique parries, reversals, dashes, and stronger versions of Special Moves called Overdrives. There are 18 fighters available at launch, from veterans like Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Dee Jay to newcomers like Marisa, Manon, JP and Jamie, with a wide range of play styles.

Fighting Ground is where you’ll find Arcade Mode for each character, Extreme Battle for zany fights with unique gimmicks, Training and 1v1 battles, and online matchmaking for Ranked and Unranked fights. Battle Hub is where the real online competition is, with players meeting up in a virtual arcade to duke it out for supremacy (with rollback netcode and crossplay supported). You can also take a break and partake in retro titles like Street Fighter 2.

Single-player fans have World Tour, where you create a custom fighter and explore environments like Metro City from Final Fight, challenging everyone and becoming stronger. You encounter characters like Luke and Chun-Li who can act as masters, participate in mini-games like breaking boards, and customize your character with sweet cosmetics. Of course, there are other cool features like Real-Time Commentary, which provides simulated commentary from a range of professionals like Steve “TastySteve” Scott, James “jchensor” Chen, Thea Trinidad, and much more.

Street Fighter 6 releases on June 2nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Whether it becomes a massive success or not, it’s looking much better than its predecessor did at launch.

We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie

MONKEYCRAFT of Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series and Katamari Damacy REROLL fame is back with a remaster of We Love Katamari. REROLL retains the same gameplay loop that fans know and love. You have a Katamari and can roll it around on things to gather them up, thus making it bigger. The Katamari has to be the same size as other objects to roll them up, so there’s some strategy required to grab everything.

Royal Reverie is the new content with players controlling the Great King in his youth as he undergoes the same Katamari rolling to become worthy of the throne. This results in five new challenges, which should test the skills of long-time players. Put all this together with some sleek-looking visuals. We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is out on June 2nd for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Diablo 4

Diablo 3 launched in 2012 and went on to sell over 30 million copies by 2015, yet it took this long to get a sequel. Nevertheless, Diablo 4 is nearly upon us and features yet another world-ending threat. As the Wanderer, you’re…wandering around and seeing all this evil business before taking it upon yourself to stop it. After all, who can say no to sweet loot?

With five classes, each with unique skills, play styles and specializations, there are several ways to customize your monster killer. Despite a more visceral, macabre story rife with suffering, Blizzard won’t overtly restrict you. The five regions are mostly free to explore with side quests, World Events, World Bosses, Whispers of the Dead, PvP via the Fields of Torment, +100 Dungeons, Strongholds, and much more to conquer with tons of loot to collect and Aspects to draw on.

Of course, post-story, you get to the real meat – the end game. You’ll progress through World Tiers, add affixes to Dungeons to turn them into Nightmare Dungeons for more rewards, encounter Helltides, complete Capstone Dungeons, fill in Paragon Boards, collect Uniques, and much more to chase on the path to power. If you brave all that and somehow hit max level, a pinnacle boss awaits at the end. And hey, if that’s not enough incentive, Blizzard is begging you to buy the game in their latest live-action launch trailer. Why not do ’em a solid for $70?

Diablo 4 is out on June 6th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC, with Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners gaining access on June 2nd.

Layers of Fear

Previously called Layers of Fears and now known as, uh, Layers of Fear, this follow-up from Bloober Team and Anshar Studio remakes the first two games and the Inheritance DLC in Unreal Engine 5. It means prettier-looking visuals with more impressive fire effects, particles, textures and lighting. Some new mechanics have also been added, like the oil lamp for burning away ink splotches and fighting off the Artist’s wife in the first game.

The main appeal is the new content surrounding the mysterious Lighthouse and The Final Note DLC. The former sees players controlling the Writer, who is holed up inside the lighthouse and discovers aspects of the other Layers of Fear stories. The Final Note takes place from the perspective of the Artist’s wife and gives some more context to their relationship.

Layers of Fear seeks to link all these stories together with ray tracing, 4K and HDR support. It’s out on June 15th for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and probably worth checking out for those who didn’t play the original games.

Aliens: Dark Descent

The quality of games based on the Aliens franchise is hit or miss post-Isolation, but Aliens: Dark Descent looks promising. Releasing on June 20th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC, it focuses on a Colonial Marine squad which crashlands on the backwaters planet Lethe and quickly finds it swarming with Xenomorphs. As the commander, you lead a Marine squad through various locations, purging enemies throughout. It’s a tactical squad-based strategy title where you issue commands to units in real-time.

There are five classes of Marines with different weapons, specializations and abilities to customize them with, and each level offers various paths. They’re also persistent, so any motion trackers and shortcuts unlocked will carry over when you return. However, the Xenomorphs will adapt to your strategies eventually.

Keeping your squad healthy and sane while managing resources is key. If any of them fall, you’ll need to train replacements since death is permanent. With various tactics and enemies to encounter, Aliens: Dark Descent looks like a tense but fun action strategy experience while maintaining the scary atmosphere of the movies.

Crash Team Rumble

You’ve seen Crash and friends in kart racers and platformers, but what about a 4v4 multiplayer game with MOBA elements? Not the most enticing proposition, but Crash Team Rumble does have a lot going for it. It’s developed by Toys for Bob of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time! fame. Along with the titular bandicoot and his sister Coco, you can play as his arch-nemesis Neo Cortex, an alternate-universe Tawna, and Dingodile, among others.

The objective of each match is to gather Wumpa fruit and deposit it in your goal. The opposing team will try to stop you, though. Each character has unique abilities and roles, with Scorers gathering the fruits, Blockers attempting to stop them and Boosters activating Gem Pads for powerful assists. There’s a decent amount of strategy involved, but platforming and understanding each map is the key to success.

Crash Team Rumble launches on June 20th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC, with crossplay support. Though it has post-launch seasons and battle passes, you earn heroes and their abilities by completing in-game challenges.

Final Fantasy 16

Square Enix’s next mainline Final Fantasy, and perhaps its biggest single-player game, was first announced in September 2021. However, it’s been in the works for longer, starting with its concept in 2015. Final Fantasy 16 is darker and more brutal than its predecessors, taking place in Valisthea, with six nations battling over the Crystals. Many of them have Dominants on their side who command powerful Eikons like Titan, Ramuh, Bahamut and much more.

The story focuses on Clive Rosfield, who becomes a Branded after the invasion of his home in Rosalith. With the power of Ifrit, he’s somehow capable of harnessing the power of other Eikons, adding their abilities to his repertoire. Final Fantasy 16’s combat is fully real-time with hack-and-slash mechanics, dodging and combos to chain in various insane ways. Only Clive is playable, with party members coming and going depending on the story.

By exploring the massive world, divided into four large zones, Clive seeks to defy his fate and comes into conflict with the other Dominants. Thus far, Final Fantasy 16 has looked very impressive with its visuals, enemy design, combat and presentation (which includes over 11 hours of cinematics). With a hefty campaign and side content, not to mention New Game+ and end-game challenges, it promises to be a brave new beginning for the franchise when it releases on June 22nd for PS5.

Fans won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on it since a demo goes live roughly two weeks prior, with progress carrying over.

Sonic Origins Plus

Sonic Origins may have turned heads due to its convoluted chart of pre-orders and price, but Sonic Origins Plus may be a more worthwhile proposition. It features the base game with Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles and Sonic CD. You also get all the previously released DLC content like Mirror Mode, Extreme Missions, backgrounds, music and new character animations.

The Plus Pack is new and adds 12 Sonic games from the Game Gear era, including Sonic Drift 2, Tails’ Adventure, Sonic Triple Trouble, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Blast and more. Granted, not all of them are the best, but there is some nostalgia value. Also, you can play Amy Rose in all of the base titles or control Knuckles in Sonic CD. Sonic Origins Plus launches on June 23rd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch

Trepang2

Do you miss the days of F.E.A.R. with its slow-mo kills and fast-paced action? Trepang2, from the appropriately named Trepang Studios, may feel that niche. As an amnesiac soldier on the run, you have powerful abilities to assist in mowing down hordes of foes. Slow-mo, like in F.E.A.R., lets you quickly empty a clip for massive damage, but you can also turn invisible and snap necks, slide, take an enemy hostage, throw them or just kick them in the face.

It’s over-the-top and more than a bit ridiculous (like the reloading animation for when you’re wielding dual shotguns), but that makes it fun. Trepang2 releases on June 21st, exclusively for PC.

Amnesia: The Bunker

Frictional Games’ latest survival horror title in the Amnesia series is taking a semi-open world, sandbox approach. Set in an abandoned bunker during World War 1, Amnesia: The Bunker sees Henri Clément, a French soldier, trying to escape. It’s easier said than done when the darkness is overwhelming, a vicious monster is on the prowl, and he only has a revolver with one bullet.

Exploring the environment and scavenging resources while evading hazards and the monster forms the main gameplay loop. The sandbox approach means multiple solutions to different problems. However, the monster also constantly adapts to your actions. Every death and respawn sees the world randomized, which means you’ll need to stay on your toes to survive. Solving questions like how you ended up in the bunker and where your allies have gone is also paramount.

Amnesia: The Bunker has suffered several delays since its initial announcement, but seems to be on track for its release on June 6th on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Here’s hoping it reignites interest in the franchise while delivering a terrifying narrative.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

The underrated Capcom adventure finally comes to contemporary platforms. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective launches on June 30th for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and sees Sissel, a recently deceased individual turned ghost, trying to find his killer. He only has a few hours to do so but can possess objects for puzzle-solving and go back in time.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was renowned for its aesthetics, soundtrack and unorthodox mechanics. The remaster packs some new musical arrangements (though you can always switch back to the original tracks) and a brand-new track. You can also check out artwork in the Collection tab, play the Ghost Puzzles from the iOS version and complete new challenges. All this is in gorgeous new HD visuals with a revamped interface and higher frame rates.

Dordogne

Developed by UN JE NE SAIS QUOI (French for a pleasing indescribable quality) and UMANIMATIon, Dordogne is a narrative adventure focused on Mimi. In the past, she explores the area of Dordogne, which is rendered in gorgeous hand-painted watercolors, to remember the times spent with her late grandmother.

There are photos to collect, a journal to maintain and much more as Mimi explores caves, kayaks and ventures into forests. It affects Mimi in the present, as she solves puzzles her grandmother left behind. Dordogne promises to be “a heart-warming narrative experience” when it launches on June 13th. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

F1 23

After last year’s overly safe entry, F1 23 is doing things differently by…bringing back Braking Point (but with a “2” at the end). The gameplay sees changes, with F1 2014’s Red Flags returning, new vehicle physics, the option for a 35 percent race distance, and the arrival of F1 World.

F1 World features daily and weekly challenges with a seasonal cadence, and players can unlock new cosmetics and liveries for customization. As you advance through the ranks, your Tech Level improves, lending more parts and upgrades for Team Members to your car and unlocking even more events. Since it links all the modes, a new Safety Rating system is in place to match players who focus on clean driving.

There’s more to look forward to, including two new tracks, the return of classic tracks and Precision Drive tech for more responsive racing via a controller. F1 23 is out on June 16th for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Thankfully, it supports Dual Entitlement, so buying the game on one generation of console grants ownership to the other.

Park Beyond

If you’ve been craving a new theme park simulator, Tropico 6 developer Limbic Entertainment has you covered with Park Beyond. As the Visioneer, it’s your job to design and manage amusement parks, create and research rides, terraform the environment, place shops and appeal to your visitors in various ways. Everything is customizable, with thousands of props available to mess around with.

There’s a Campaign Mode where you team up with Cloudstormer and face Hemlock in a war of the parks. However, you can also unwind in Sandbox Mode and build to your heart’s content (or make things much more difficult). Whether it excels over classics like Rollercoaster Tycoon or not, Park Beyond does look pretty appealing. It launches on June 16th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Crime O’Clock

A hidden object game with a twist, Crime O’Clock is about exploring the maps of multiple eras and preventing crimes like hacking, theft and murder. You’ll take in the machines of the Steam Age, venture underwater to the Atlantean Age, explore beautiful Milan in the Information Age, and even venture to the cyberpunk future in the Aeon Age.

There are markers to investigate, and you’ll have to find clues to piece everything together and find success. However, this isn’t the end, as maps can change and new cases open up. While these crimes are happening in isolation, there’s a common link throughout the eras – it’s your job to find it. EVE, an AI, will accompany you as you hold sessions to deduce clues and solve puzzles.

Crime O’Clock releases on June 30th for PC and Nintendo Switch.