E3 2007: Hands-on Beautiful Katamari

E3 Disclaimer: AMN’s E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what’s shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

What The Game’s About
The Prince of All Cosmos is at it again, rolling up Earth’s many objects in the upcoming Beautiful Katamari for the Microsoft Xbox 360. At first glance there really isn’t anything new to be found in this latest Katamari iteration (and the demo on display at E3 certainly acts like more of the same), but we’re told that the game will sport some new additions by the time it reaches stores later this year.

The core Katamari experience rolls on. The King of All Cosmos gives the dashing Prince missions that require rolling up all kinds of objects (from sausages to swimmers) in order to build the katamari up to a designated size. The demo’s explanation text was all in Japanese, so we really have no idea why the Prince is rolling this time. A two minute time limit was imposed on our ability to roll up stuff from around a town, and on the whole the game looks, sounds, and acts like the previous Katamari games (although, to be fair, the visuals themselves are sharper, but character and object models remain simple). The old sound effects are back, but the background music is new. In fact, the game will sport a new soundtrack when it’s released. The familiar customization options also return, allowing the Prince to collect gifts such a crown or a scarf. Other such items will be available for download from Xbox Live in the future. Even the Prince’s cousins are getting in on the act, as they’re playable characters as well.

When it comes to rolling puzzles, some are new and some are more familiar. Most objectives involve building a katamari to a particular size, but some missions require the Prince to roll up only, say, hot items. The hotter the katamari, the better. The “hot katamari” mission takes place in a convenience store, for example, and while the Prince scores points for rolling into the deep fryer, falling into the ice cream freezer counts against him. Multiplayer action returns, but this time includes an online co-op mode over Xbox Live where two players control a single katamari and must work together to roll up the world.

What’s Hot
The Katamari formula is quite simple, making the games in the series easy to pick up and play. Beautiful Katamari seems to be no exception. The new soundtrack is a welcome addition, and although the co-op multiplayer mode was unavailable in the demo, it’s certainly a welcome addition.

What’s Not
Beautiful Katamari’s worst aspect is that, at heart, it’s more of the same. The levels are different, yes, but once again it’s the same ol’ Katamari experience. It’s a great game formula, yes, but we’re up to the fourth edition of the game now. Super Mario Bros. is a great game too, but imagine if the original Nintendo Entertainment System game had been followed by The Lost Levels, then The Lost Levels 2 and The Lost Levels 3. At some point the Katamari formula has to evolve and grow, but that day is not today.

Outlook
Despite the repetition, Beautiful Katamari will be a welcome diversion when it releases later this year. Before the development is even complete we know what we’re going to get, but what we’re going to get is darn fun.