Ratatan review: The Patapon heir drums its way to version 1.0

Patapon was one of the games I played over and over on the PSP. When I learned that its creator Hiroyuki Kotani was making a spiritual successor with Ratata Arts , I was immediately hooked. After a year in Early Access, Ratatan was released in version 1.0 on October 15, 2026, and I drummed along plenty.

Rhythm meets roguelike

In Ratatan, you control one of the titular Ratatan creatures, who leads a whole horde of small companions, the Cobuns. You give commands to the beat of the music, letting your troop advance, attack or retreat. Unlike in Patapon, you move your Ratatan freely across the battlefield, which adds a lot more action to the whole thing.

On top of that comes a roguelike framework: each run takes you through new sections, you collect upgrades and gradually unlock new Cobuns, weapons and abilities. When everything is on beat and Fever Mode starts, it feels really good. When not, things quickly get hectic, because there’s often a lot going on on screen.

Co-op with up to four players

One of the biggest innovations compared to Patapon is online co-op for up to four players. Ratatan is most fun with friends when everyone drums to the same rhythm and over 100 characters storm through the enemy hordes at once. That’s when a wonderfully chaotic spectacle unfolds.

But that’s also where a weakness lies: especially in co-op, the screen quickly gets cluttered, and it’s hard to keep track of your own Ratatan in the storm of effects. Players have also been complaining about connection problems since release, and online matches require an open or moderate NAT type.

From Early Access to version 1.0

Ratatan was funded via Kickstarter in 2023 and had been playable in Early Access on Steam since September 17, 2025. Version 1.0 was originally supposed to come out in July 2026 but was then delayed to October 15 to improve online stability and fix bugs. Besides PC, the game is now also available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, published by Game Source Entertainment.

Overall, around 82 percent of reviews on Steam are positive. However, the most recent reviews around the release are much more mixed, with many players criticizing technical problems and balancing changes. The team at Ratata Arts still has work to do here.

Graphics, sound and tech

Visually, Ratatan is a real eye-catcher. The colorful 2D animations are lovingly designed, and the locations, from Rataport to jungle to desert, look like they’re from a cartoon. The absolute highlight, though, is the soundtrack by Kemmei Adachi, who already composed the music for Patapon. The songs are instantly catchy, which is of course crucial for a rhythm game.

Technically, on the other hand, the game isn’t quite polished yet. Besides the connection problems in online co-op, there are reports of stutters in big battles and minor bugs. German text is included; there’s hardly any voice-over in the classic sense.