So I Tried… Ratatan

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time around, the GrinCast took up their instruments to lead our little armies in Ratatan!

What I thought it was

Do you remember Patapon, the PlayStation Portable title where you led an adorable army of little guys to battle with the beat of the drum? Well, if you do, then my expectations for the spiritual successor were pretty much more of the same. With the power of music, we’d direct a small band of diminutive fighters using different combinations of chords for varying commands. A doot-doot-de-doot for attacking, a diddly-doop for a tactical retreat, and so on.

I had heard, however, that the game was a roguelite and featured co-op, both of which were features I had a rough time imagining. I feared the repetitive nature of the former would make the experience tedious, whereas the absolute chaos of the latter would cheapen the melodic joy of this new title.

What it actually is

Ratatan feels very much like a continuation of the Patapon legacy, as all of the building blocks are here: you have a gaggle of little buddies that perform actions based on the combination of doots and deets you play; everyone speaks an upbeat and sing-songey jibber language; and everything is ridiculously cute. However, the game takes the foundation of its predecessor and builds on it, while also taking the idea in a new, procedurally-generated direction.

Yes, Ratatan is indeed a roguelite title, with the main gameplay loop revolving around taking your harmonic army and battling it out through different stages with opponents and rewards based on your choices. You start each run with no upgrades, but as you progress, you can pick up special runes that give your minuscule fighters additional effects or passive boosts. You can also gain meta-resources and money, with the latter being used to buy health-recovery items and more upgrades in shops you may stumble upon mid-run. The former, on the other hand, is used to purchase permanent upgrades or forge new equipment for your warbling warriors in between attempts in a little hub area.

As I mentioned earlier, the game also has the option to invite a few friends over to join your impromptu marching band. Once you’ve gathered your party, you can do some last-minute upgrading and shopping in the hub, after which it’s time to hop into a run!

I’m unsure if the game adds any balancing whenever other players are present, but it was far from easy! Luckily, if one of your friends (or you yourself) gets knocked out, players can come pick each other up at the cost of some of their own health. If everyone is having a mandatory nap, however, the run is over.

Having three people belting musical orders at once could be a bit chaotic and painful for the ear, but the experience as a whole was a fun time! In general, I appreciate how everyone had their own instanced rewards, allowing each member to get something after every victory. However, the system also made picking the next stage a bit awkward, as one player may get a cool upgrade out of one path, whereas another may get one they don’t really need or want.

Will I keep playing

My feelings on Ratatan are a bit mixed. The general loop was very fun, the visuals are appealing, and the co-op was a blast, but I struggled with the combat aspects a bit: I could command my dudes easily enough, but it often felt like I never had enough time to react to my enemies' attacks. I’d see Monsieur Mole readying their huge laser blast, so I’d beebity-boop a song of defence to keep my army safe. However, by the time the news had travelled from my tiny terrors’ ears to their brains, the blast had already wiped out half my forces. This may be a skill issue, I admit!

I think Ratatan is definitely on my To Play pile, but pretty far down the list, as it’s one of those games that you need to be in the right mindset for.