I haven’t played either of the two previous Cat Quest games when I sat down to play Cat Quest III. I had wanted to; I had them downloaded on my console, but I just needed to get around to it. Weirdly, I had such a good time with Cat Quest III that I looped back to the first game and played the first game and its sequel after this threequel. I went from a Cat Quest novice to an expert in a very short time, which is why I now feel qualified to say this is the best game in the series so far, and I loved seeing how ideas are built upon and expanded in each game to end up where we are in Cat Quest III.
If you haven’t played one of the Cat Quest games before, it falls into a genre I like to call “RPG, but for adults with jobs.” This is to say, it’s an excellent 10-hour game to complete everything, and it ticks the boxes of levelling up, unlocking gear, finding loot and feeling like you’ve completed a considerable RPG experience. And, of course, the game has cats, cat puns, and more cat puns. And hey, if you love cat puns, boy, does this game have some cat puns for you. If you hate cat puns, you’ll have a pawful time here.
In Cat Quest III, you travel to the Purribean, an ocean and collection of islands where several different high-sea gangs, including the ‘Pi-rats,’ operate. Everyone is looking for the ‘North Star Treasure,’ which is an artifact that grants you your biggest desire or something like that. And then there’s another connective story that feels weirdly meta but, as I discovered, is a continuing thread from the past two games. All of these felt very capital f for fine. The story in Cat Quest III is very much a way to get from one pun to another, and when I went back through the past two games, this is a common thing. I don’t mind at all, though, especially in a game like this, where I’m more interested in zoning out and enjoying the gameplay loop and visuals than getting invested in any narrative.
One of the highlights of Cat Quest III is the diverse and well-designed characters you encounter. These characters not only add depth to the narrative but also serve as key points for upgrading your gear or progressing to the next quest. Most quests involve eliminating enemies in a specific area, which is the most enjoyable part of the game.
Looping back to the first game, post-Cat Quest III, I could see how its gameplay, even as simple as it is, was addictive and grabbed players. Enough to draw in an audience and spawn a sequel, and now another one. It’s basic enough with babies’ mix of basic attack and a dodge roll, but it feels good, and with numbers popping off enemies and them dropping exp-orbs and gold, it’s scratching the right side of the post in my brain. With Cat Quest III, the simplicity is still here but with some small tweaks, as you now can press a button to change between a ranged and close combat weapon on the fly, and the amount of spells you have access to has been slightly slimmed down from Cat Quest III, and it genuinely feels the best of all the games.
Players who enjoyed the co-op elements in Cat Quest II will be happy to hear you can fully play this game with a friend in couch co-op, but the narrative no longer has a focus on two characters, where the second player picks up a character that AI is controller otherwise.
Another significant addition and focal point for Cat Quest III is the naval combat, which lets you take to the open seas and battle on your own pirate ship. Much like the core combat, it’s basic enough, with canon fire and some special attacks unlocked as you progress and level up throughout the game. The biggest naval battles in the game can involve taking on an optional boss in the form of a rubbery duckey that shoots laser beams. Most of the time, you can just boost past ships if you don’t want to stop to take them on, but much like you COULD do that if you wanted to most enemies in the game, the feeling of destroying the ships just feels good to not stop to destroy everything as you see it.
There’s a tone of secrets to find in the world, like in the previous two games, and I’m still missing a couple of items holding me back from the Platinum Trophy as of writing. exploring the world and finding the hidden things yourself is much like the previous games, a joy. However, Cat Quest III gets bonus points as it’s easily the most enjoyable game to watch out of the three with its bright visuals and design, making it look like you’re playing out a fantasy adventure on top of the map. It’s the new angled design that adds something special to this one; however, with a nearly proper third-person view, getting away from the isometric nature of the previous games means you can see more things in the distance at all times. You’re left thinking, “What’s on that island over there?” And there’s only ever one way to find out.
(Review code provided to Explosion Network.
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