Sometimes a game comes along that doesn’t blow your socks off but you still have a great time with it, especially when sharing that experience with someone you’re close to. For me that was recently Cat Quest II an action RPG that was released on September 24th, 2019 and was developed by The Gentlebros and published by PQube.
Cat Quest II is a game I’d recommend as a cooperative experience when introducing someone to gaming, especially if they’re a pet lover. Find out if Cat Quest II is the right shared experience for you and your special someone by reading my review below.
The Setting for Cat Quest II
The game takes place in a medieval fantasy setting where you play as two kings, a cat and a dog, who have forgotten their memory but are tasked with saving the kingdom from the evil Lioner and Wolfen who are each leading opposing sides of a civil war of cats vs dogs. The world is filled with classic medieval fantasy archetypes that each have a unique spin on them. There’s the collection of mages who happen to all be cats with their faces obscured, the wise and cool dog who is a legendary weapons blacksmith, and a variety of knight and peasant characters across both species. There were also a ton cat and dog puns that were thrown into the game that I greatly enjoyed with an example being the two kings being addressed as “your meow-jesty”. There are a bunch of other silly pet puns but I appreciate the world building the developers went for by making the characters you interact with speak in a certain way. I could easily see how some might find this cringey but I found it endearing. Unfortunately for other pet lovers, there are no other animal types other than cats or dogs. Maybe in a future iteration The Gentle Bros will feature more pet types.
Players can travel across a vibrant open world full of bright colors that instantly pop off the screen. Cat Quest II goes for a cutesy aesthetic making it more approachable for younger audiences or someone who may be newer to gaming. The vibrant environments are filled with small towns and cities where players must fight various foes, complete quests, and shop around to build out the two playable kings the best way they see fit. One disappointment I wanted to call out was that the appearance of the two playable characters cannot be altered. This seems like a missed opportunity as I’m sure many pet owners would have loved to recreate their pets. Even a simple color swap would have been great but unfortunately, that is not the case.
I do truly feel that Cat Quest II has an interesting take on the medieval fantasy genre with it’s focus on cute house pets. The game is instantly eye catching and has a decent set up for a story but I found myself being unimpressed by the gameplay.
The Gameplay of Cat Quest II
Players progress in Cat Quest II by completing main quests with connected story components to them but can also level up further via side quests if they get into a bind. The quests don’t stand out in any particular way as they usually lead to a combat encounter. Sometimes a quest focuses on certain types of enemies or locating and returning items but they usually end the same way, in a fight. As mentioned above, Cat Quest II can be played both solo or cooperatively and players can customize their play style with the different armor, weapons, abilities, and magic they pick up
When it comes to playstyle customization, you can build either of the two kings in whatever way you feel will lead to a satisfactory experience. If you want to blast enemies from afar with magic you can gear up with magic focused robes, hats, and wands. If you want to get up close and personal with your enemies then you can lean into a more melee focus with gear and weapons that can range from hitting slow and hard to hitting really fast and landing more critical hits. You’ll also have access to secondary magic regardless of playstyle that can provide a variety of combat utility such as healing, acting as an area of effect attack, or even providing buffs. Along with this secondary magic, you’ll gain additional abilities that allow you to explore the world in different ways or even enact new types of combat like having a dodge roll that does damage to an enemy.
As you explore in the Cat Quest II you’ll learn that many of the towns and cities are surrounded by dungeons that lead to various rewards. Some dungeons led to intense boss fight challenges that might require taking down a few waves of before leading up to the big boss. While others required players solving tricky puzzles. I enjoyed the puzzle focused dungeons a bit more since they broke up the monotony of every quest leading to a fight.
It is very evident that Cat Quest II is a game that was created for the young at heart due to its simple gameplay. This can be seen as both a pro and a con.
The pro is that the game can be picked up and shared with someone very easily. There are a few combat systems a player will need to learn but they’re very easy to follow thanks to the plentiful amount of tutorials the game provides. The con comes from playing this game solo. The gameplay can get very repetitive if you’re playing by yourself as you’ll find yourself doing basically the same task over and over again. The simplicity can be a pro for an inexperienced gamer but if you’re looking for rich systems and deep gameplay I would look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
Overall I had a decent time with Cat Quest II. It doesn’t have a super deep story or gameplay that pushes the gaming industry forward but I still had a great time playing it cooperatively. If you’re looking for a game to play with a friend or loved one that’s beginner-friendly and makes for a great experience then check out Cat Quest II.
Cat Quest II is available on PC via Steam and GOG.com, on console via PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, and on mobile via the Apple Arcade Store.
