The meowment Cat Quest loaded, I was pawsitive I was in for a grrreat time.
Okay, got that out of my system we can move along now. If there is anything that the internet doesn’t get bored of it’s cats. I can’t exactly explain it, but an obsession that goes back to Egyptian times can’t necessarily be overrated. Cats invading video games isn’t exactly new either, with games such as Cat Goes Fishing, Catlateral Damage, Fort Meow and many more. Maybe I have been fortunate, but I have enjoyed them all and never been left with a fishy taste in my mouth. When I heard about Cat Quest, an open world RPG, I knew I had to check it out.
Needless to say guys, its pretty pawsome.(I swear that’s the last one.)
Right off the bat, I do recommend Cat Quest. Not just because its adorable and over the top, akin to something like Slime Rancher. I recommend it because I genuinely had a blast and couldn’t stop playing the game until it was all over. If Cat Quest accomplishes anything, it is that it is super simple and fun to play. This game is going to attract a wide age group and its got something for all of them.
Simple combat, spells, loot, side quests, a huge over-world map and don’t forget cats!
As soon as you start the game and get past some story tidbits, the first thing I noticed was this huge vivid over-world map. Felingard is the name of this huge continent and you will explore all of it. This map isn’t just a means of getting from place to place. This map is the game. Monsters, towns, and events play out on this screen or one of the fifty two dungeons. You begin your epic quest to defeat a mysterious figure named Drakosh and his dragons.
The combat itself is all real time from an isometric view. The beautiful part is that the combat is super simple but manages to stay complex enough to keep you on your toes. You can slash with your equipped weapon, dodge roll, or cast one of the many spells in the game. This is one game I highly recommend you play with a controller. The enemies telegraph their attacks with either a red circle or symbol to represent a spell they are about to cast. Some enemies are faster than others and using different spells/tactics to overcome them is required.
The problem I found with Cat Quest’s combat is that it tends to have extremes. The combat is either far too easy or you’re going to die very fast. It never quite hits that sweet spot in the middle. Cat Quest does however have a good pace as the dungeons themselves range from level 1 to 99. If you find it to be too easy then just hop into a dungeon five or six levels higher than you and feel the pain. The dungeons themselves are rather simplistic in design and more about combat and loot.
Loot in this game I felt a bit divided on. Cat Quest has a stat system with the usual suspects, e.g. health, magic, damage, armor. You can mix and match armor pieces to create your own play style. If you don’t like physical attacks, then wear magic armor. Some armors even go to extremes giving huge benefits to one stat and taking away from others. Also some armors just suck in general, guess they are there to keep the game challenging maybe? The problem lies in Golden Chests.
Sometime in the middle of the game you will get access to these beauties. Golden chests contain rare loot. These rare items can break the game quite easily. I stumbled upon an item called Courage that gave me vast amounts of health. This item made bosses seem like they were tickling me and I just stood there whacking away at them. Now I could’ve not used that item, true, but I didn’t know any better. Plus if it’s in the game, why not use it? Cat Quest respects your time as a player and for that I appreciate it. However, the game’s combat just loses some of its enjoyment once you gain access to these golden chests. It’s like the game gave up and handed me the win.
That isn’t to say I didn’t love the combat in Cat Quest, I just wanted the last boss to actually be a challenge instead of dead in five seconds. I think the combat system had great potential to keep things fresh and fun all the way until the end. Cat Quest didn’t need to hand me the keys to the kingdom, proverbially.
Side quests and story galore.
One of the main highlights of Cat Quest is by far is its dialogue/story. Side quests are filled to the brim with cat puns, and hilarity. There are times where I found myself genuinely laughing and that isn’t an easy task for a game when it comes to me. On top of that, there is actually a pretty intense lore here that I found myself being wrapped up in as the game progressed. Drakoth’s story and the birth of the Dragonbloods is very interesting and far from what I expected.
The story isn’t one dimensional, despite appearing that way. The reason behind dragons tearing up the place is rather sad. When I finally reached the end of my “Cat Quest” I was left with far more questions than answers. Which also left me with a bit of a gripe. The end feels like it’s baiting for a sequel or DLC. While I don’t want to give any spoilers, Cat Quest comes to a climax with a threat looming, but the game just ends abruptly. It felt odd. Queen’s Bay an area that has one quest and no follow ups, more or less confirms this suspicion. Then again, more Cat Quest is hardly a bad thing.
In all, the side-quests were fun and enjoyable. They brought a life and personality to the world that left me wanting more. I can’t wait to see the Mice Pirates and the Lupus Empire. There was one side quest though that annoyed me to no end. One which had you traveling back and forth from opposite ends of the continent. Silly Chef cats.
This is probably pretty obvious but Cat Quest looks great and adorable.
Another obvious statement is that Cat Quest is very family friendly and pleasing to the eyes. This game is candy wrapped up in kittens. One fear I had was that the huge over world map would be one tone but Cat Quest does manage to keep things varied. You will venture on islands, snow caps, plagued lands and more. The art is very well done and mixes seamlessly with the combat and magic effects.
The monsters, and sprites themselves are cute and I couldn’t help but chuckle when I put a big metal helmet on my cat. Item design is one area that I was also impressed with. It added plenty of personality on its own. An area that didn’t hit the mark for me was the menus. They were very bare-bones. Cat Quest is also available on mobile devices, and it shows in the menus especially.
The music and sound effects are as equally pleasing to the ears as the graphics are to the eyes. Every time I heard a meow when I got hit, it made me smile. There were times people nearby thought an actual cat was meowing, if that tells you anything. The music is as fun and adventurous as is required for this type of game. You can expect an orchestral soundtrack and if you keep moving in the game, no one track over stays its welcome.
I guess you could say I had a purrfect time.
Sorry I lied, I couldn’t help meowself.
I finished the game out at about nine hours and that was getting all the current Steam Achievements. Including all the outfits, and clearing all the dungeons. You’re looking at anywhere between six to ten hours total playtime. The game doesn’t have much in the way of replay. There is no new game+ and it’s basically a get done and go type of deal. Keep an eye out though for future DLC or an update. Aside from the achievements across all platforms, there are also Steam Cards. Obviously that’s computer only.
To wrap up, I found Cat Quest to be a highly enjoyable popcorn style game. You eat it, you love it, it’s bad for you chances are, but hey life is short and there is cats. It’s not going to rock the boat for innovation or expand your mind on new levels of philosophy. What it is going to do is give plenty of entertainment that you or your kid can enjoy together. I personally think it’s a good homage to the ARPG genre and worthy of your attention. Did I mention the cats?
Meow!
Developer: The Gentlebros
Publisher: PQube Limited
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