A controversial, but intriguing addition to the Paper Mario series. This was the first step away from the traditional turn-based combat of the first two games into a platformer/RPG hybrid that can be isolating for fans of one genre over the other. The gameplay is fun but lacks impact, platforming is solid but narrows what can be done with level design, basically not good enough to be mainline platformer perfection, but still serviceable. The real star of the show is the story which is shockingly heartfelt and engaging to the player. The game is not afraid to be silly but knows when to dial it back to make story revelations the most impactful. This is likely the darkest and most story-heavy game in the Mario series, and it does not disappoint. I found myself emotional at various points in the game, further helped by a fantastic musical score to punch up the scenes for the most impact.
All in all, it is fun, but lacks the uniqueness of the previous entries. Largely, play for the story, as without it, there is not much to make this game particularly memorable. The story is worth it, especially for those who go in blind.