The spiritual successor to Patapon, Ratatan, is a strategic and addictive title based on rhythmic action. Let's get addicted to the depth created by roguelite elements [BitSummit the 13th]

 

The indie game festival "BitSummit the 13th" will be held at Miyako Messe in Kyoto from July 18 ~ July 20, 2025. In this article, we will introduce "Ratatan".

A trap hidden behind a simple and fun basic system. It's too cute a problem

Since it is a new work sent by the creator of "Patapon", "Ratatan』。 The level of attention is also reflected in the numbers, and in the crowdfunding campaign that began in August 2023, the initial goal was 20 million yen, but in reality, more than 200 million yen was collected, more than 10 times that amount, and it became a hot topic here as well.

The basic system of the game is similar to "Patapon", in which a character controlled by a player called Ratatan plays rhythm commands, and a minion called Kobun takes action according to them. Rhythm commands are not difficult, and the effect changes depending on which button you hit and at what timing.

In "Patapon", there were many commands that combined multiple buttons, but in "Ratatatan", it can be said that it is also characterized by commands that use only one button.

All you have to do is press one button in time with the rhythm, so your hands don't flutter. There is also an action element, so this design is nice.

The biggest difference from "Patapon" is that there is a character (Ratatan) that the player controls directly. "Patapon" used to input commands according to the rhythm and control everything by doing so, but there are beings who operate separately from the rhythm commands.

Since the Kobuns seem to act mainly on the Ratatan, it is important to know where you (the Ratatan) are, especially in the command to gather and line up the Kobuns and the others under you. In addition, Ratatan himself has a set of HP, so it is important to have the skill of an action game in which you enter commands while avoiding enemy attacks.

Listening to the rhythm, watching the position of the coven and the actions of the enemies, and entering the right commands and dodging enemy attacks may seem like a pretty hectic game, but it's not. When you actually play the game, the enemy attacks are not so harsh, and the rhythm is easy to hear. You can memorize the rhythm with your body, and you can enter commands with just one button in a rhythmic manner, so your hands are surprisingly quiet.

However, this does not mean that the difficulty level is low, which is the interesting part of this game. I'll explain more about this later, but since strategy is more important than action elements, I felt that it was a pretty gritty action game.

You have to keep a close eye on the enemy's movements! While you are distracted by other things, the cobun may be browned. I'm sorry, ...... Cobbin.

There are also pitfalls in this game in unexpected places. Ratatan, Kobun, and the enemy are too cute. In the early stages of the game, you will be dazzled by their appearance and dialogue, and you will be able to take damage.

I was fascinated by the speech bubbles that suddenly appeared. Cobuns, isn't the word choice too cute?

But I can still forgive him. Because it's cute.

Roguelike elements

This game had a strong image of a rhythm command × action game, but it also has a roguelite taste. It's prepared, or rather, this is quite important (I think)!

In "Ratatan", a part is inserted in the middle of the stage to acquire items at the break of the battle. And among the candidates for the item to be obtained, a card with skill information called "Lata Karta" may appear.

The content of this latakarta is very varied, with a wide range of effects and attributes, such as "poisoning enemies when hit" or "periodically generating explosions around the ratatan". In terms of play, what kind of "Lata Karta" you choose to acquire will be a major turning point.

Also, what kind of "Lata Karta" you can get on the stage is completely random. Each time you take on the challenge, you can get a different playing experience.

Each Ratatan has its own personality, and the way you fight will change depending on what kind of troops you organize, so choosing a "Ratakarta" that suits your playstyle will be the key to conquering the stage.

Ratatans that could be selected in the demo version. Not only do they look good, but they also have different abilities.

You can create your own rhythm squad by training and formation.

You can also change the weapon you use before taking on the stage. Each Ratatan has its own personality, and each of them has a different set of strengths, so changing the weapons that Kobun has according to the personality of the Ratatan will be a key point in the strategy.

By the way, there are 8 types of weapons that can be equipped on Cobun. In the final version, there will be eight ratatans, so there will be quite a few combinations, and the formation seems to be deep.

There is also a system that allows you to consume items collected in stages and items obtained as quest rewards to strengthen Kobun and Ratatan. It's unclear how much the upper limit of the training element is set, but there is no doubt that if you continue to focus on organization and reinforcement, you will be able to play for a considerable amount of time.

Although we were not able to experience it in this demo version, this game will also implement multiplayer for up to four players. It's fun just to imagine everyone getting together and taking on the stage with a lot of fun! There are some things to worry about, such as the multiplayer specifications, but we'll have to wait for more information on this.

Addictive gritty rhythm action that will keep you wanting to play even when the game is over

Finally, I would like to summarize the overall review.

As I mentioned at the beginning, if you are fascinated by the cuteness of Ratatan and Kobun, you will definitely be damaged. However, even if you subtract that, I felt that the difficulty of the game was set well.

If the enemy makes a preliminary move to attack, you need to miss the Ratatan as well as the Cobun or your resources will be depleted. However, in order to escape Kobun, you must first let Ratatan escape and gather Kobun there, or send a Rhythm Command of Defense (Guard) before attacking to prepare for damage.

Also, in order to make the most of the formation of Kobun and the "Latakarta" that he has obtained, it is necessary to think about his stance properly. Rather than simple action, the organization and the roguelite element of "Ratakarta" create a sense of strategy, and the battles in "Ratatan" are quite deep and chewy.

However, this does not mean that it is unreasonable, and the fun of playing with the rhythm gently envelops everything, which is a major feature of this work. It's a fun game to touch, so even those who aren't good at trial and error will be able to continue playing. It's not surprising that a situation arises in which you find yourself playing endlessly, and it felt like an addictive game.

The release timing of Early Access has been postponed, but it is still a work that is highly anticipated. If you want to play as soon as it becomes available, register it on your wish list!