Patapon 1+2 Replay Review (PS5)
The PS4 remasters of Patapon and Patapon 2 did a sufficient job of reintroducing people to the quirky PSP rhythm titles where you direct tribes of warriors to the beat, but they definitely had their share of problems. Input lag and muddy textures put a dampener on the initial attempt.
Bandai Namco has taken a mulligan here, correcting the lingering issues from the PS4.
Input lag is nowhere to be seen, and you can now adjust the timing window for hitting beats if needed. Plus, the textures look crisp and downright beautiful – they easily look the best they ever have.
A new difficulty option is available from the main menu, though interestingly, both titles default to “easy”. Either way, the controls feel responsive, and with no lag to worry about, so it’s easier to get into flow with the music.
The titles themselves are bizarre, but they have rich lore, fun world-building, and great use of colour. For those of you unfamiliar with the originals, you’ll be drumming out beats using the face buttons to command a group of troops in a unique blend of rhythm and RPG.
Old issues remain, like how grindy the games can be. This is especially true of Patapon 2, which has more content and variety, but requires you to keep revisiting maps over and over for resources.
While not wholly unexpected, it is disappointing to learn there are no quality-of-life improvements here to reduce some of the repetition of the originals. Some of the more confusing objectives haven’t been clarified either, unfortunately.
But it’s hard to knock the games too hard for retaining original experience intact in this respect, as the remasters improve pretty much everything else. This collection leaves you with what is now the definitive way to experience Patapon and Patapon 2.
