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Video games haven't always aimed for realism like some of today's games do. Nowadays, we see games featuring real Hollywood actors who provide voice and motion capture, making them look like interactive movies. Remember, for example, Cyberpunk 2077, with Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba in prominent roles that made this game ridiculously realistic?
Well, this wasn't always the case; many years ago, games were there to entertain us without aiming for realistic presentation or anything of the sort. This is mostly because today's technology allows developers to make incredibly realistic games with graphics that can make a game look very lifelike.
Luckily, there are still people who appreciate old-school games and the developers who want to make them, and Cat Quest 3 is exactly that: a game that looks like those made three decades ago where the fan factor rides shotgun while everything else simply takes the back seat.
Story
The story of Cat Quest 3 is as straightforward as the game itself. From the first look and initial impressions when you start playing, it's clear what kind of story to expect.
The entire narrative revolves around the adventure of a cat who arrives in the Purribbeans (the cat version of the Caribbean, obviously). Through a series of strange and interesting events, our hero cat meets Captain Cappey, the ghost of a pirate cat who used to roam these coasts in his previous life.
Captain Cappey guides our little hero through pirate adventures on this beautiful archipelago, which is inhabited by cats, mice, rats, pigs, and other creatures that can only be seen in some children's cartoons or the colouring books for the youngest among us.
The main objective of our nameless hero will be to find a special treasure hidden in the Purribbeans called the North Star. As everyone hints from the very beginning, only he is capable of finding this treasure due to his special lineage and the special company he keeps—Captain Cappey.
I’ll warn you upfront not to expect any sophistication from Cat Quest 3's story, as the game isn't designed with that in mind. The story mainly serves to provide context for your actions and to tie the game together. Think of the story as akin to the plot of children’s cartoons like Peppa Pig or Dora the Explorer, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect.
As I mentioned in my preview of the game, what I don't like about the story is the excessive use of cat references. Almost every other term is altered to resemble cat-speak; no matter what the characters are discussing, it is always used. For example, they say "purrfect" instead of "perfect" and "Purribbean" instead of "Caribbean." While it's cute at first, it becomes overused and even frustrating over time.
The characters are cute and interesting, often comical in a strange, childish way. Interacting with them is mostly enjoyable and full of surprising experiences. For example, everyone tries to belittle our hero when they first meet him, but their reactions once they discover his true strength are very interesting and sometimes hilarious.
As I said earlier, not much is to be expected from Cat Quest 3's story, and if you approach this little game with that in mind and with the scale of expectations set that low, you won't be disappointed; you might even enjoy some of it, to be honest.
Gameplay
Gameplay-wise, Cat Quest 3 can be characterised as a very serious RPG in the disguise of a children's game. When I say very serious, I mean an RPG with all the mechanics you can expect from any other RPG out there, only visually. It plays like a board game with everything overly minimalistic, while the characters are way too big for the playgrounds.
The gameplay takes place inside two environments: open-world maps that look just like that—the maps, and dungeons designed in 2D fashion featuring levels and sublevels.
Once you enter the game, its map is immediately at your disposal and it will actually be your playground, meaning you'll play the game, fight the enemies, and talk to the NPCs straight on the map. This view of the game will be sort of isometric with a fixed camera, while inside the dungeons is a classic 2D view, reminiscent of old games like Super Mario.
In terms of combat, Cat Quest 3 is not the most sophisticated game in the world, but it has a certain charm, I must say. It features two types of attacks: melee attack and range attack, and you can switch between those two mid-combat and combine them for the optimal combat experience.
Apart from melee and ranged weapons, our hero can cast magic spells too, which makes him/her a very special cat indeed. There are different sorts of magic to use in Cat Quest 3, like fire, frost, shock, and more, and all of them are upgradable and very fun to use. Magic casting can and will be a game-changer very often during combat encounters.
Regarding weapons, you'll be using swords and pistols, and there's a huge number of them to be found and earned throughout the gameplay. Every weapon can be upgraded in the manner of a true RPG, so you'll have to choose carefully which one to use because each weapon has different perks.
Apart from the on-foot gameplay, you'll command a pirate ship too and engage in naval battles, although those battles are overly simplified and consist only of firing cannons and sinking ships. At any given moment, you'll be able to jump off the ship and continue over the map on foot, and each time you enter the water, the hero will put a lifeline on and swim.
From time to time, you'll fight bosses, and those battles are nothing special, to be honest; they're just like regular enemies but with their own health bar. Sometimes, you'll be able to lure bosses close to the shore, jump on the ship and easily dispose of them with cannons, and you can do this strategy on regular enemies too, so in terms of combat, I'd say it's not so bad, but it definitely could be better.
When it comes to exploration, you'll have pretty much the freedom to explore at your own leisure, finding many chests and solving treasure maps and puzzles, and the final result is almost always the same: a piece of equipment.
Speaking of equipment, apart from weapons, you'll be able to find and wear all sorts of hats and body armour, as well as trinkets that will improve your stats in battle. Like all other equipment, those wearables are found all over the world inside chests and as rewards for finished quests.
All-in-all, Cat Quest 3 can be fun when it comes to gameplay, but again, do not expect some Souls-level combat and exploration brilliance; this is simply not that kind of game. However, given the fact that this is an indie title, the level of entertainment it provides is more than justified.
Graphics and Sounds
Cat Quest 3 is a very cute game, and I guarantee you'll fall in love with it at first sight. The entire graphical experience is reminiscent of a beautiful cartoon featuring very charming and cute little characters that look like small toys.
Most of the game is played on a map that looks like the one seen on board games. This entire map looks beautiful and very colourful. Dungeons and caves look beautiful as well, and the graphical presentation in general is very charming, vivid, and cartoonish.
The biggest issue, in my opinion, regarding visual presentation is the lack of diversity in level design. Even though the map is huge and you'll be visiting a lot of in-game locations, all of them look very alike. Every location, with the exception of several dungeons, is the same, and you have a feeling that you're in the same place all the time.
However, from a technical point of view, do not expect some sophisticated graphics with all the modern graphic settings because, in the PC version, there are no graphic options to be changed apart from the resolution and the option to toggle full screen. Those options were present during the preview period and I thought something would change in the final version, but sadly, it all stayed the same
The sounds and soundtrack are very "piraty," like in any other game with a pirate theme. Those popular pirate songs and shanties will play all the time in the background, and I'd even say that those songs and melodies are a bit overused, especially because the soundtrack is the only sound you'll be hearing, due to the lack of any dialogue in the game.
All the dialogues are covered over the speech bubbles, where the main character is totally mute and Captain Cappey is speaking in his/her place. The other sounds are really nothing special, and they serve their purpose well.
Regarding performance, the game runs very smoothly even on older PCs, so you should have zero problems running it. As was the case with the preview version of the game, the final version is good as well; nothing really changed. Not even a single crash or anything of the sort occurred, so regarding this, the game is pretty okay.
Conclusion
Cat Quest 3 is a charming little RPG that can be a lot of fun, provided you do not expect anything serious out of the game. The charming graphics, good RPG elements, and occasional humoristic dialogues can be very satisfying to some point.
However, be prepared for a game with a childish story, limited variety in design, and an oversimplified combat system. If you believe these strengths and weaknesses suit your preferences, then give Cat Quest 3 a try—you won't regret it. However, if you prefer a game with a more serious theme, I recommend spending your money elsewhere.
The Good
Charming graphics- Good RPG elements
- Fun magic casting and combat
- Humorous dialogues
The Bad
Childish story- Overuse of cat references
- Lack of level design diversity
- Oversimplified combat system
