There are few games I don’t play that I regret missing out on, yet I can’t seem to bring myself to play them even when I own them. One of those games for me is the original Cat Quest, which was charming every time I saw it in screenshots or trailers. I’m not sure why I never booted it up, but having now played its sequel, I may need to jump backwards and see why the hairballs are being coughed up in the first place.

Cat Quest II is an absolute joy to play, and something I wasn’t expecting even though I had seen gameplay multiple times prior. It’s an action RPG that allows you to explore to your heart’s content, assuming your skills are up to par. And quite honestly, as long as you’re watching the telegraphed attacks and dodging as necessary, taking on dungeons and enemies that are well above your level shouldn’t be an issue. Doing so can net gear that will be beneficial, although it’ll also make the story even more of a breeze than it is.

Having not played the first, I don’t have much to base it on, but I’d imagine it’s more of the same based on what I recall of seeing the first. The over-world looks very similar, with puns every way you look. The combat is simple, with melee and magic weapons being options for both potential characters (cat or dog), as well as spells to utilize. The inclusion of local co-op is new, and a welcome addition for anyone looking to go questing on this pet sized adventure with a friend. I appreciate the way that equipment is improved, either buying upgrades or acquiring the item again via treasure chests, which increases the item’s stats.

Interestingly, you can explore some dungeons ahead of time and loot them without any sort of danger, as there’s no inhabitants until the main or side quest associated with that level spawns them. This may be patched out by the time you’re reading this, but it was in the game post launch. I will say that having more incentive to explore outside of quests would’ve been nice, but I understand that designing things that many people won’t see if they’re not directed there can feel like a waste of time. That’s not to say there aren’t optional dungeons with treasure, but none of it came off feeling like something new and exciting.

The story is admittedly a bit silly, but I’m not sure what else you’d expect from a game that centers on cats and dogs. Something I’m appreciative of nowadays that I used to hate is the brevity of the experience. When I was younger, the bigger a game was the better. Now I can’t be bothered with things that require 100 hours of my time (yes, I played and beat Persona 5, but only because I was away from my family for several weeks). So when I see an RPG that takes less than ten hours to complete, I’m all for it. The game doesn’t overstay its welcome, and is something that I can see myself playing again with my daughter when she’s old enough to enjoy it.

I did have a few problems while I was playing the game, one of these being more personal preference. I used to love referential humor – just a few years ago I thought it was great in things like Stick It to the Man. However, as it became more prevalent and the internet’s tastes changed, I noticed how hollow it really is. The jokes have the potential of falling flat due to not being timely, or because the player is not familiar with the source material. Not everyone needs to get a joke (adult jokes in children’s content, for example), but relying on references to other things comes off as obnoxious to me these days. I would also have liked to see more variation in some dungeon designs, as these got repetitive early on into the game. The menu system was also a bit obtuse and something I tended to avoid unless I absolutely needed to change gear.

Cat Quest II is a game that takes a great concept and adds onto it with the likes of multiplayer. It’s not the deepest aRPG experience you can find, nor is it the best, but it’s certainly a unique and fun experience that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

8 out of 10

Pros

• Local Co-op
• Beautiful Art Direction
• Skill Based Fun

Cons

• Some Referential Humor
• Dungeon Layouts
• UI

Cat Quest II was developed by The Gentlebros and published by PQube. It is available on Mobile, NS, PC, PS4, and X1. The game was provided to us for review on PS4. If you’d like to see more of Cat Quest II, check out the publisher’s site.

 

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