Paper Mario: The Origami King Review

Paper Mario: The Origami King is the latest installment in the Paper Mario franchise, which has changed drastically over the last few years. What was once a celebrated RPG series has now switched to focus on action-adventure elements. While there are still role-playing parts in the title, they now take a back seat.

To be frank, the series has a lot of work to do when it comes to winning fans back. The last few outings have been fairly disappointing, so Nintendo has to get it right this time. Fortunately, Paper Mario: The Origami King is a great step in the right direction to re-establishing the franchise.

Story

A great story is not something that people traditionally associate with Mario games. The narrative in this series usually just serves as a sort of structure to build the gameplay around and provide a setting. At first glance, Paper Mario: The Origami King might seem like it follows this concept. The titular king has created an army of soldiers and is determined to turn the entire Mushroom Kingdom into origami. Mario, and by extension the player, have to do their best to stop the villain in his tracks and rescue Princess Peach.

While the overall plot is a bit on the thin side, the writing is certainly not. Paper Mario: The Origami King is witty and surprisingly deep. You’ll often come across great jokes and even some humorous remarks about the gaming industry as a whole. A couple of the best scenes are even a bit more adult-orientated, meaning younger kids might not get the reference. It’s unusual to genuinely have funny moments that make you laugh in games but this title manages it consistently. Playing through Paper Mario: The Origami King, which can last quite a long time, never feels stale because of this. The writing keeps everything chugging along and gives
the action a sense of purpose.

Yet, the best part of the story is without a doubt the characters. The plot becomes irrelevant for the most part but the different characters you meet are always worth exploring. It doesn’t matter whether they are new introductions to the franchise or long-established individuals that fans will be familiar with. In either case, each interaction is likely to leave some sort of impression on you. There’s even the odd emotional moment, with Paper Mario: The Origami King constantly giving you insight into the various characters.