Patapon is an interesting game. It's hard to describe and hard to categorize. The best that I can manage is that it's a: Real-Time Strategy, Rythm, Role Playing Game.
You are the Patapon God, and with your mystical drum, you will guide the Patapons to victory against their enemies, ensure that hunting is good and plentiful, and guiding them to their Promised Land. That's where the Rtyhm game section comes in, as you give them orders to attack, retreat, advance, and defend through the drum beats, AKA, the face buttons. Your soldiers gain new weapons and armor from your fallen enemies or through synthesising them with materials you that you find.
Music is a major part of the game, obviously. With the beat of the level you are in, you must give your troops their orders, wait for them to repeat your order as they carry it out, and then it's your turn again. Keep the rythm going and you get Fever mode, where your Patapons move faster, hit harder, and throw farther. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather, as winds blowing against you will not help your arrows go far, but rain will hide your scent from any animals you hunt. You soon gain access to miracles that you can preform, such as making it rain so the ground is cool and won't burn your followers, and even change the direction of the wind, allowing your arrows to go farther. And, perhaps rather importantly, the music is quite catchy. I often found myself humming the game's tunes hours after I had stopped playing.
The art style is... different, but in a good way. It is simple and the characters are all well animated. I found the Patapons to be charming, what with their cyclopean selves, and the lines that they spout when in battle are funny, though their word bubbles do pass by pretty quick. The music mini-games are fun, and tie into the main game with new items and such, so there's always a reason to go back to the singing tree and stuff.
Levels are challenging, with the songs changing with every new stage, and new hiccups that your enemies toss in your direction, along with environmental challenges to take into account.
My only gripe is that there is no pause feature in the midst of battle. I suppose that's okay, since pausing will throw off your rythm and ruin whatever streak you had going. But, seriously, once battle begins, it needs your undivided attention, as Fever mode is a boone to your progression.
It's not a game for everyone, but if you have an interest in strategy games, or RPGs, or even rythm games, then this might be for you. And at 19.99 as the full asking price, this is certainly a lot of game for the buck.Get more detail about
Patapon.
