Initial release date: August 8, 2024
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Series:Â Cat Quest
Developer:Â The Gentlebros
Genres: Role-playing video game, Adventure game, Indie game, Shooter game, Fighting game, Adventure
Publisher:Â Kepler Interactive
Engine:Â Unity
The first two Cat Quest titles were whimsical action role-playing games with an adventure game feel. Spells, swordplay, and the opportunity to bring a friend along for the fight were all part of these bright and airy adventures. Players were free to explore at their own speed thanks to the flexible, open-ended structure. Encased in a charming and fuzzy packaging, there were dungeons, towns, and formidable enemies to be encountered.
It appears that the kittens have exhausted the possibilities of the idea after two adventures in a medieval fantasy setting. In the third adventure, kingdoms and knights are swapped out for swashbuckling in the Purribean, complete with a devil may care attitude and a saline air blowing in your whiskers.
Can these kitties still provide more in a third adventure including ship-to-ship combat and gunplay set in an archipelago? How many puns can be in a single game, and what’s the deal with all these rats? Check it out in our review of Cat Quest III!
The plot of Cat Quest III is quite free-form and unrestricted. In broad strokes, the story is about a floating glowing little boy named Cappy raising an orphaned kitten with an enigmatic mark on his head.
The orphan grows up to be an explorer and learns he is meant for big things, but our heroes are never far behind a huge sea rat that looks like Immortan Joe and leads the pi-rats.
Character motivations and intricate plot details are not wasted in Cat Quest III. All that matters is getting to the riches before the pi-rats do, all the while exploring and robbing. You are dropped into a sizable open world with an expansive ocean, dotted with islands and side diversions, as soon as the game starts.
Other than pointing the way forward in the plot through signs, there is very little to no handholding. The hero starts with a ship that can travel to any of the four main zones, and the majority of side tasks are accessible right away.
Daring cats, however, have to exercise caution because this is an RPG, which means that high-level, deadly foes will be hiding in the farthest corners of the beginning region. Occasionally, renegade high-level ships may also stray near the launch pad.
Because of the nonlinear design of the planet, you can walk and fight your way past a blockade and dock the ship on one side of an island. Cat Quest III never wastes players’ time by encouraging them to explore and try various strategies. It also makes it simple to keep track of how much treasure is still to be found.
Anyone brave enough to approach directly might end themselves facing an army of ships or facing off against a feral wild boar. Thankfully, fighting is quick and forceful. The hero can avoid roll, magic, melee attack, and gun attack when moving at a walking pace. The saying “the gear makes the cat” is something to think about.
Every weapon has unique features and gimmicks that drastically alter the experience of combat. When a shield weapon is equipped, players can play defense, perfect guarding against all strikes and, with the right moment, negating all damage.
The claws can strike in a large radius quickly, but at the expense of reach. Even while certain weapons feature long combos and aerial assaults, switching up your mid-battle strategy allows for more varied fighting.
In addition, the hero has 360-degree shooting range and can wield weapons. Similar to the melee attack options, each gun has a distinct feel, set of characteristics, and method of operation. Guns of all kinds, including machine guns and shotguns, require time to reload after taking out a few rats.
Magic is the third pillar of on-foot combat; it is the most versatile and potent, but its application in combat is limited. Although you can carry numerous spells assigned to the triggers, the hero can always reconnect melee and ranged strikes to replenish their magic charges.
Typically elemental, the magic can be an AOE, self-buff, trap, or missile-like projectile. Since sleeping at the save parrot is the only other means to regain HP, a healing spell is required.
The action is easily seen in its entirety because fighting happens quickly and is heard from a distance. With all the ducking and sidestepping, Cat Quest III takes on characteristics of a bullet hell while facing up against numerous ranged opponents.
Equippable charms, which bestow passive improvements that can change the hero’s combo or add attack qualities to evading, are another way that fighting is adaptable. These are but a handful of the numerous possibilities and ways to create the ideal cat.
In Cat Quest III, things don’t always go as planned. Unfortunately, because ship-to-ship combat consists of the player clumsily circling enemy boats while firing the main and secondary guns, it is not as well-tuned.
In order to get a few shots on their opponent, players will typically strive to stay out of their line of sight. Sadly, other than getting stronger ship weapons and shortening cooldowns, the gameplay little changes during these times.
Dreams of grand maritime conflicts are not fulfilled by ship-to-ship fighting; rather, it is a means to an end. It is possible to add certain improvements, such as the ability to crash into other ships, but it is rarely a rewarding experience. It seems more like an afterthought put in to differentiate this game from the others and provide context for its release. Although it needs additional polish and tweaking, it is usable.
The characters feature smooth animation and endearing designs, and the art direction is excellent. Remarkably, every piece of equippable gear has a distinct graphical representation that shows up on the player character. This is a nice touch that most games don’t provide.
Aside from the anthropomorphic designs, not much has been done with the cat theming. Nowhere is there a “hang in there, baby” or litter box joke.
Although the artwork is rather beautiful, it sometimes has a generic pirate feel. This also holds true for the text, which has an internet-like tone. The writing and language in Cat Quest III ought to have been funnier, and it ought to have leaned more toward a salty pirate accent, much to how Felvidek’s writing became more hilarious by adhering to historical terminology and speech patterns.
With famous “yar-har-har” musical patterns, the music is breezy and bright, reminiscent of what you could hear when standing in line to board The Pirates of Caribbean. Although it falls short of the swarthy heights of Donkey Kong Country 2, it succeeds in putting you in the mood of a pirate adventure.
The local two-player cooperative gameplay in Cat Quest III is by far the most well-considered addition. You may play the full game with a friend or member of your family, and like with most things in life, it’s more enjoyable when you do it together. It’s so good that it’s surprising Nintendo hasn’t tried making a Zelda mainline game that allows a second player to join in at any moment.
The second player mostly helps with battle and exploration and is not required to commit entirely. There is no pressure to play with others in order to take advantage of all that Cat Quest III has to offer because the puzzles are easy enough to do on your own and the game is meant to be played solo. This is the perfect game to play with kids or less skilled players.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 80%
Story – 75%
Aesthetics – 85%
Content – 78%
Accessibility – 77%
Value – 82%
Overall Rating – 79%
Good
Summary: A lighthearted and enjoyable action-adventure game, Cat Quest III features beautiful graphics and an expansive area that can be explored with a friend. Cat Quest III is a fun game for kids and fans of Lego games alike, and even though the ship fighting is a little odd, the gameplay is light enough to make it enjoyable.