The upcoming launch of Cat Quest 3 solidifies this because the definitive period for cats in video video games. From titles similar to Stray, Little Kitty Huge Metropolis, and 9 Sols, evidently avid gamers can’t get sufficient of of those lovely furry little pawtagonists. As a self-professed cat lover with two magnificent ginger tabbies myself, I’m all for it.
After all, The Gentlebros have been fur-crazy since their first Cat Quest recreation was launched in 2017. Now, seven years later, Cat Quest 3 will mark the third entry within the developer’s feline-inclined motion RPG sequence. After sinking a handful of hours into the preview construct, I can safely say you don’t want to like cats to dig this recreation. It seems prefer it has sufficient going for it to please any fan of whimsical motion adventures.
As with each different entry, Cat Quest 3 is an indie motion RPG, impressed by Torchlight and Zelda. Having by no means performed a Cat Quest recreation earlier than, getting acquainted wasn’t a difficulty because it’s pretty easy to choose up. This time round pirates are added into the fold. You’re taking the reigns of a cutesy swashbuckling purrivateer as you search the seven seas for a legendary treasure.
Proper from the get-go, you might be handled to a splendidly animated opening cutscene which units the scene. After your ship is destroyed at sea, our younger hero is saved by an lovely blue cat ghost, Captain Cappey. Right away you end up on an island prepared to seek out the famed North Star treasure.
That’s all of the backstory you get, and fairly frankly, it’s all I really want. Simply from the few hours I bought to play, it’s clear this isn’t probably the most refined story on the market. However that’s okay. It serves extra as a set dressing for the sport’s whimsical and colourful tone.
That is most obvious in Cat Quest 3’s incessant use of cat puns. Virtually the whole lot is a cat pun on this recreation; it’s chock-full of them. It pervades the whole lot, from places, to characters, and even dialogue. It could possibly induce the odd cringe and eye roll occasionally.
As chances are you’ll inform from this preview, I admire a very good pun with the very best of them. Nevertheless, even I discovered it a bit tiresome after some time. It’s one thing followers of the sequence will undoubtedly be aware of (and certain love), but it surely’s price flagging for many who might have a low tolerance for such issues. Both approach, the story and plot in Cat Quest 3 appear primarily to serve the actual meat and potatoes of the sport: its exploration.
Exploration is the place Cat Quest 3 actually shines. First off, the whole lot is beautiful to have a look at. As with the earlier Cat Quest video games, it has a delightfully vibrant and colourful visible type. It expertly merges the two.5D motion of Cult of the Lamb with the distinctive character fashions of Paper Mario. The textures and draw distances are additionally one thing to behold. They appear to be an enchancment on earlier iterations within the sequence. It’s a pleasure to see the brilliant visuals pop on the display screen.
This vibrant backdrop serves the sport’s exploration splendidly. In line with its pirate theme, Cat Quest 3 introduces ship traversal to the sequence. It’s a very good factor, too, because the map is stuffed with small islands to discover. Fortunately, you may embark and disembark out of your ship at a whim.
Ship gameplay is surprisingly speedy. You simply hop straight on and might zoom and zip shortly to the place you should go. It’s a good way of getting round as you discover the islands, caves, dungeons, and puzzles that litter the map. There’s a pleasant combine between ship and on-foot traversal, supplying you with a deeper sense of freedom as you get about.
Every island additionally has a specific amount of treasure to find. It’s all tracked in your map with a inexperienced checkmark after discovering the whole lot, which my inside completionist is grateful for. It’s also possible to play the complete recreation in co-op, which makes the exploration much more enjoyable. In the end, there appears to be a formidable quantity of content material on supply. It makes me very intrigued to expertise extra when the complete recreation drops in August.
Whereas swashbuckling your approach by way of Cat Quest 3’s vibrant world, you’ll be getting in loads of battles and skirmishes with pesky pi-rat enemies. As an motion RPG, the sport options real-time fight with melee, ranged, and magic assaults. Initially, the melee fight feels a little bit lackluster, as you initially solely get a fundamental slashing transfer and a dodge roll. It feels high-quality and serves its goal, but it surely’s undoubtedly not as fascinating as a extra animation-based fight system that you simply’d discover in Darkish Souls or the more moderen No Relaxation for the Depraved. Nevertheless, with the Cat Quest 3’s a lot youthful viewers, maybe that is for the very best.
Whereas finishing aspect quests, dungeons, and caves, you’ll find higher gear, weapons, and trinkets. As you acquire higher tools, the fight begins to open up a bit extra. Melee weapons behave in another way relying on their sort, whereas spells add a pleasant little bit of selection whenever you wish to do some injury from afar. Maybe probably the most fascinating gear sort is Cat Quest 3’s trinkets. These every grant a particular capability and likewise increase your essential stats. They appear like a great way so as to add selection to your construct. It makes probably the most sense in co-op whenever you’re working to enrich one another’s talent units.
Speaking of stats, Cat Quest 3 has well being, assault, magic, and armor stats that you could improve with gear and by leveling up from finishing quests and defeating enemies. Your ship even has its personal stats, with weapons and upgrades you may change out on the fly. It’s too early to inform how all of this can coalesce to serve the sport as an entire, however I did take pleasure in my time experimenting with its motion RPG parts to this point. I hope to see extra construct selection and kinds at launch.
All in all, I loved my restricted time with Cat Quest 3. Whereas it doesn’t supply probably the most refined story or advanced fight system, it left me excited to sail the open seas of the Purribean. By far, my favourite side of the sport is its rewarding exploration and lovely and delightfully whimsical feline-inspired visuals (regardless of stepping into a bit heavy with the cat puns). The RPG-esque stats system and potential for fascinating gear depart me intrigued by the sorts of builds I can create as I get deeper into the sport. I’ll have to attend and see the way it will all come collectively when Cat Quest 3 formally releases in August.