Oh to be in the mind of Keita Takahashi. I love me some 'Katamari Damacy' and thought 'Noby Noby Boy' was a weird albeit memorable experiment. Takahashi's wonderful imagination once again permeates from every second of Wattam, yet another weird game only this time revolving around holding hands, pooping and blowing anthropomorphised objects up with a magic hat. It sounds bizarre (it is!) but the sheer wackiness and affable charm of befriending sushi, a toilet and even a lawn mower is the attraction here.
Gameplay wise it's fairly basic yet experimental and is really just a sandbox for friendly kabooms! You switch characters, hold hands in a really finicky way and repeat until the world is restored. Fortunately it's not a long game so the freshness stays for the majority of the experience but I just wish Takahashi would put my ingenuity into the mechanic of his games like he did with 'Katamari' in order to have that addictive innovation while keeping the kawaii Japanese aesthetic.
Gameplay wise it's fairly basic yet experimental and is really just a sandbox for friendly kabooms! You switch characters, hold hands in a really finicky way and repeat until the world is restored. Fortunately it's not a long game so the freshness stays for the majority of the experience but I just wish Takahashi would put my ingenuity into the mechanic of his games like he did with 'Katamari' in order to have that addictive innovation while keeping the kawaii Japanese aesthetic.
Fun little game!
Wattam is a very sweet game made by the director of Katamari Damacy, Keita Takahashi. Like his previous works it is a very silly experience overflowing with love for people with a tinge of melancholy. There is a very kind and philosophical undertone to Takahashi's games that I have always admired, and Wattam is not really any different in that regard. His games are as fun as they are human and i had a very good time playing through the story of this funny box-shaped mayor.
The game itself has a lot of problems on steam specifically though.... im playing on a steamdeck and the storybook cutscenes just kept skipping themselves for some reason. Others reported frequent crashing, which never happened to me but the framerate became pretty bad at some points.
The way the game controls isnt the best too.... you choose your character with a cursor that moves in 3D space, and as there are about 80 people you can choose to be, you end up struggling to pick out the one you want. Things also feel quite clunky and floaty in a way that becomes a hindrance when you need to do something. Moving ships between islands also feels clunky and i dread doing it sometimes.
The save system saves per chapter, which is a shame because if you dont fully complete a segment and have to leave, you'll be required to do everything all over again. I had two glitches which required me to restart and redo my progress which always sucks the air out of an experience.
But i still wish more people would play this game... i love all the wattams with their different abilities and personalities. Theres even different descriptions for each individual character so a lot of love went into making everyone feel happy and alive. Which character you play as also determines what the music sounds like; the soundtrack is fantastic and the dynamic music seems like it took a long time to create.
This game is really fun and heartwarming, so i would recommend it to anyone looking for a short silly time... but dont expect to get all the steam achievements, theyre a little bit much.... kaboom.
The game itself has a lot of problems on steam specifically though.... im playing on a steamdeck and the storybook cutscenes just kept skipping themselves for some reason. Others reported frequent crashing, which never happened to me but the framerate became pretty bad at some points.
The way the game controls isnt the best too.... you choose your character with a cursor that moves in 3D space, and as there are about 80 people you can choose to be, you end up struggling to pick out the one you want. Things also feel quite clunky and floaty in a way that becomes a hindrance when you need to do something. Moving ships between islands also feels clunky and i dread doing it sometimes.
The save system saves per chapter, which is a shame because if you dont fully complete a segment and have to leave, you'll be required to do everything all over again. I had two glitches which required me to restart and redo my progress which always sucks the air out of an experience.
But i still wish more people would play this game... i love all the wattams with their different abilities and personalities. Theres even different descriptions for each individual character so a lot of love went into making everyone feel happy and alive. Which character you play as also determines what the music sounds like; the soundtrack is fantastic and the dynamic music seems like it took a long time to create.
This game is really fun and heartwarming, so i would recommend it to anyone looking for a short silly time... but dont expect to get all the steam achievements, theyre a little bit much.... kaboom.
This game kinda stinks but I have an unhealthy parasocial relationship with Keita Takahashi so I physically can't give it less than two stars.
It's not that I think we are friends. I just think we would be friends under the right circumstances.
It's not that I think we are friends. I just think we would be friends under the right circumstances.
Perfect for what it is, docked a little for some crazy performance issues at times. Made me and my friends cry with it's sweetness.
Very cute and such but the game is not very complicated. It is easy to play but more than one playthrough is a waste of time.
This game is a masterpiece. Well, at least the beginning tutorial is.