Cat Quest

Developer: The Gentlebros  | Publisher: PQube Limited | Release Date: 2017 | Genre: Action / Adventure / Indie / RPG | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Cat Quest opens with a pair of feline siblings on a small boat cruising the ocean on a fishing trip. However, this tranquil excursion is interrupted by the appearance of an evil cat named Drakoth. Wasting no time, Drakoth kidnaps your sister and wrecks your boat, leaving you stranded in the world of Felingard. Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom. Our furry vengeance seeker discovers that he might be a Dragonblood, giving him the ability to destroy dragons. This is quite handy as Felingard appears to have a dragon infestation, and plenty of the scaly reptiles are standing between you and Drakoth. In addition, you soon meet up with a helpful companion ghost named Spirry, who joins you on your quest.

Aside from the fact that it is set in a world of cats, RPG fans should be very familiar with the premise of Cat Quest. Starting as an ill-equipped weakling, it is your job to slay monsters, grab loot, buy better equipment, and level up until your warrior stands a better chance of taking down the final boss. However, Cat Quest does all of this in such a charming and addictive manner that it is hard not to get sucked in, even if the formula is nothing new. Your time in Cat Quest will be split between wandering around the seamless overworld map, completing quests, and entering the numerous dungeons to clear out the monsters and grab the loot. The world of Felingrad is quite large, and later in the game, when you gain abilities like walking on water and flying, it opens up even more. Yet, despite the size of the map, Cat Quest feels more manageable than some role-playing games, as everything is very streamlined.

Quests can be completed in a matter of minutes, and you can only do one side quest at a time, so you never become bogged down with an unwieldy quest log. There’s no need to worry about lugging around an inventory full of junk, as finding duplicate equipment simply levels up items. This means that even weapons or armor you discover early in the game can remain helpful if you keep finding duplicates, which isn’t often seen in the genre. Wandering close to dungeons also displays their recommended levels to ensure you never stumble into anything you can’t handle. Of course, nothing stops you from tackling more difficult areas if you are looking for a bigger challenge.

The streamlined nature of Cat Quest is visible everywhere. For example, traditional role-playing games tend to have an overhead map for exploration and separate screens for towns. This often means finding a town and then finding an inn, going inside, talking to the owner, paying a fee, resting until healed, leaving the inn, and finally leaving the town to continue your quest. Not so in Cat Quest; towns are accessed from the overworld map, and everything necessary can be accessed immediately.

So, if you want to rest, walk up to an inn and press a button to cause your cat to plop down and snooze right in front of it. Looking for a side quest? Just walk up to the notice board, press a button to read what is available, and then choose whether you are interested or not. It is very intuitive, and making your way around the map never feels like a chore. New spells can be bought or upgraded from the mage towers that dot the map, and completing quests rewards you with gold and experience points.

Cat Quest is viewed from an isometric overhead perspective, which, coupled with the detailed 2D visuals, gives the game a lot of charm. The cat designs are simply adorable, and seeing how the look of your kitty changes depending on the weapons and armor you equip is a treat. Enemy designs are just as great, and you’ll be facing off against chubby, one-eyed, purple bats, spiky hedgehogs, fiery foxes, ghosts, and many other imaginative foes. Dragons also frequently appear, ranging from small ones barely bigger than the feline protagonist to large ones that tower over him. Of course, all these foes would have been a big nuisance if the combat hadn’t been up to scratch, but this is another area where Cat Quest excels. Instead of the random encounters and turn-based battles that are typically found in the genre, Cat Quest features enemies that are visible and real-time combat. During combat, you can use one button for your melee attack and another to another to perform a dodge roll. Up to four buttons can also be assigned to your magical attacks, but these require mana to use. Mana can only be replenished by scoring melee attacks on enemies, so you must get your paws dirty in combat. Luckily, the radius of enemy attacks or magical spells is displayed briefly before they are performed, so you have enough time for evasive maneuvers. The result is that combat never feels like a chore, and you are never left staring into space while simply spamming your most powerful spell or attack.

Although Cat Quest is perfectly playable using a keyboard and mouse, using a controller felt more intuitive. Slashing away at a foe before rolling out of reach and letting loose a powerful spell quickly becomes second nature, and the streamlined menus mean that everything from equipping weapons and armor to assigning spells can be done quickly. The responsive controls and action-packed combat ensure that Cat Quest never becomes as tedious or repetitive as similar titles. The game doesn’t feature any speech for the characters but makes up for this with some nice sound effects and music that never becomes annoying. The music has a very nostalgic sound and, while catchy, never becomes intrusive or annoying.

Anyone looking for a lighthearted RPG experience overflowing with cat puns and an addictive, just-one-more-go feel should not miss out on Cat Quest. Role-playing games tend to be a massive commitment in time and effort, but Cat Quest offers a streamlined experience while still covering all the essentials. It is the type of game where you can complete a quest or two in the time it would have taken to rest, declutter your inventory, and restock your party. Although there are better choices than this if you are in the mood for an RPG with a lot of depth and a gripping storyline, it is hard not to be charmed by Cat Quest.