We Love Katamari pushes the absurdity and genius of Katamari Damacy even further. Idea-packed levels, sunny soundtrack and thrilling gameplay. An essential masterpiece.
Your verdict
Category
Action2 players3+
Co-op
Description
A Namco and Bandai action game released in 2005, the direct We Love Katamari sequel of Keita Takahashi's Katamari Damacy masterpiece. The Cosmos King, now famous, orders his son the Prince to fulfill fan wishes by creating various cosmic objects by rolling katamaris. 30+ varied stages (school, house, ocean), new powers (mermaid, bear), charming self-deprecating narrative. More generous and creative sequel than the original. Masterpiece.
We Love Katamari review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
A tangy collage of everyday objects, minimalist shapes and dazzling pop colours: the aesthetic embraces a joyful, deliberate naivety. The absurd accumulation becomes a hypnotic, euphoric visual ballet. This graphic whimsy, unique and unbridled, makes the game an oddity as strange as it is irresistible.
Deliciously unhinged, the music of Yu Miyake and his guests blends jazz, lounge, samba, J-pop and improbable choirs into a euphoric patchwork. Each track matches the jubilant absurdity of the game with a wild inventiveness. This cult soundtrack, joyously unclassifiable, has become as famous as the game itself.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The return of gaming's craziest sticky ball, with lunatic new levels where you clump up absolutely everything, from candy to continents. The satisfaction of watching your katamari swell stays unique, and the offbeat humour enchants from start to finish. Colourful, zany and cradled by an irresistible soundtrack, a gleeful sequel of intact originality.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Taking up the absurd rolling again, this time answering ever wackier requests from fans, renews the pleasure of gathering up everything in your path. Aiming for a better volume and turning up the hidden presents keeps reviving the urge to replay a level. The concept stays close to the original, but this inventiveness, this catchy soundtrack and this offbeat tone keep a stubborn charm.
A sequel to the baffling Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari has you roll a ball that gathers the whole world in an offbeat pop spirit that became a symbol of Japanese originality. Still common in the West, its interest lies in this absurd charm and its cult series status rather than scarcity. A prime piece for fans of unique play concepts.
Better with friends
An object-roller as tender as it is wacky, offering a co-op mode where two players push the same ball to swallow the whole universe. The teamwork is funny and demanding: coordinating so you don't each go your own way takes real rapport, punctuated by laughter at every swerve. Original and warm, it turns the absurd gathering into a duo act where the slightest fumble becomes a memorable gag.
A cult cover
Hearts, collages and candy colors: the Western cover celebrates the love of katamari in a tender, hyper-vitamined graphic profusion. The cosmic King and his court spill out of the frame, true to the series' gently anarchic spirit. Delightful and instantly recognizable, the image cultivates a pop sweetness that disarms at first glance.
When the game breaks the 4th wall
A sequel that gleefully knows it's one: the cosmic king and his world are aware the first game was a triumph, and it's the fans themselves — you included — who keep demanding new things to roll up. This mirror held up to the player and their own passion, full of colorful self-mockery, makes the giant ball a love letter both sly and tender.
Is We Love Katamari still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2005 on PS2, Namco's project extends the brilliant idea of Katamari Damacy with a delightful self mockery, since the levels arise from the requests of fans of the previous game. Rolling a sticky ball that gathers everything, from a thimble to a continent, stays a pure tactile joy served by greater situational variety. The naive art direction, the vivid palette and the Japanese pop soundtrack remain inimitable. The short length and the repetition of the central objective are among the rare reservations. A richer and just as joyful sequel, recommended for fans of original game design and offbeat humour.
