Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre: Action RPG, Indie, Cat/Rat/Dog-filled Game, Pirates

Singapore indie company The Gentle Bros has a good thing going with its action RPG series Cat Quest. The first two games bedazzled indie game fans with its charming art style, simple-yet-meaty action RPG gameplay where you hit things and get awesome loot to go further through bigger challenges, and check out the all-ages comedy writing featuring a ton of cat/dog/animal puns.

What does the third game offer in terms of new features? A pirate theme and a ship you can steer in the overworld. 20 minutes in, and Cat Quest III is already a superior made-in-Singapore pirate game than Skull & Bones. And that game had way more than 7 people working on it!

High Seas Havoc

In Cat Quest III, you play as a Seeker who enters the golden age of cat/dog/rat piracy as you find the whereabouts of the North Star to find the ultimate treasure. Along the way, you have to deal with the many high seas enemies and baddies like the Pi-Rat King and his rat army, and Meowtallika and his shocking company of sea highwaycats. The game is presented in a charming 2D fashion where you explore the overworld, traverse through the vast sea with your own pirate ship, and clear out short dungeons set in caves, towers, and castles.

If this is your first Cat Quest game, you’ll have a blast at how simple and intuitive the controls are. Your cat pirate is nimble and flexible as a cat should be, and the pirate ship controls great. Cruising through the huge sea feels like a breeze and is speedy as it needs to be, and jumping in and out of land is painless. Your cat can also cross bodies of water with a float, but can’t attack, so getting to your ship or on dry land is imperative if you don’t want to end up a sitting duck in the heat of combat against rats, mage cats, and pigs.

Speaking of which, the fighting in-game is simple-yet-meaty enough to warrant repeated playthroughs. Combat is real-time; you attack with either melee or ranged attacks, as well as cast spells for more elemental damage (or heal), and can even dodge attacks. Some weapons you get like the shield puts you in a defense stance after an attack so you can take hits and send them back. Other weapons give you special dodge properties, and extra artifacts can be tacked onto your cat pirate for additional passives and buffs.

The story quests and side missions (there are plenty of the latter) will keep giving you weapons and items that can change up your playstyle. You’ll get enough money completing these to buff up your equipment, since leveling up in-game only raises the equipment and item level cap for upgrading purposes. There’s even a bounty board system where killing major bosses on the game world will net you more money and special items just to power up your fierce feline further.

Personally, I went with the Orion sword that lets me teleport close to enemies with the first attack like a Devil May Cry/Bayonetta character, and a ranged wand that shoots out a slow but multi-hitting diamond projectile that tracks after the third swing. Coupled with artifacts that speed up my attacks the more I hit enemies, and one that gives me the ability to shoot out lightning after the last hit of a melee weapon combo, and I already have made a build that will make my enemies howl in pain. At least in the first playthrough, for Cat Quest III offers New Game Plus options where enemies double up in levels and the loot is plentiful.

In fact, this sequel’s New Game Plus mode can go up to +9 with a cap of Level 999, meaning tons of replayability if you want max-level loot. I’m already done with my first playthrough which is about 5 hours, so to have this prospect of taking my equipment and cat pirate to Disgaea-levels of powerlevel absurdity is a huge treat for hardcore players.

If this isn’t your first rodeo with the Gentlebros Cat game series, here are a few highlights: the pirate ship adds a lot with the exploration and overworld combat bits, there are special 2D levels like the concert boss fight, co-op play is optional from the get-go, the Infinity Tower is bigger and badder than ever, a massive soundtrack than before, and Mew Game (new game with hardcore modifiers) will only be available at a later time once Cat Quest III is out. Otherwise, this sequel is pretty much more of the same action RPG goodness but with enough new trappings and features to make it stand out.

Purrfect Playtime?

While simple in design, Cat Quest III offers quite a bit of a challenge for the first few hours until you find a favourite weapon or spell (or two) you can cheese with, like with the Orion Sword and lightning build I made up and hour-and-a-half in. And if you spend an extra hour or so just doing sidequests, you’ll be at a good enough level to take on the later challenges with ease.

Also, there isn’t much fast travel options if you’re REALLY in a hurry despite how speedy the game is, and there’s quite a bit of backtracking you have to do if you need to spend all that extra gold for levelling up really bad, like a catnip addict looking for their next fix.

Still, this doesn’t discount the fun factor and charm the game embodies. Plus, the added New Game Plus mode, the Infinity Tower challenge, and Mew mode modifiers where you can make the game harder for yourself (like no leveling up or no upgrading equipment) will definitely sate challenge buffs everywhere.

Simply put, Cat Quest III offers a lot for both casual and hardcore action RPG fans who want a bit of open-world on an indie game scale, a good chunk of feel-good equipment-based fighting and spellcasting, and a whole lotta cute. Just prepare to read through a barrage of animal puns in the story.

Pros

• Simple-yet-gratifying action RPG gameplay with tons of new loot to level up.
• Ship combat and exploration adds more fun & speed to mostly-land trekking bits.
• Cute & fitting aesthetics.
• Post-game content is plentiful after the 5-hour first playthrough.
• Lots of cat/dog/rat/animal jokes & puns.

Cons

• Lots of cat/dog/rat/animal jokes & puns.
• Story equipment and items can make the first playthrough trivial in the second half.

Final Score: 90/100

Review copy provided by publisher.