Is Paper Mario The Origami King an RPG?

Paper Mario The Origami King has finally arrived on Nintendo Switch, and everyone seems to be asking the same question. Is the game an RPG?

The short answer to that would be “sort of” as while it does have some RPG elements in the game, it plays more like a puzzle adventure game.

For instance.

There is no EXP, and the companions you can get are only useable in certain aspects of the story. While there are things to collect, there isn’t a progression system that you might associate with the RPG formula.

The game is more puzzle heavy with backtracking plenty, but the main focus in this adventure seems to be just that. Adventuring. Going from area to area to complete a set goal to win the game. It’s pretty linear if truth be told.

There also isn’t any sub-quest system or anything really associated with the RPG system other than the weird puzzle turn-based battles and the chance to collect different weapons and items that are stronger than your base pair of gear that ramp up your damage.

So yeah, for those looking for a typical Paper Mario RPG experience, it might be best to look elsewhere.