Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The Gentlebros have done it again with yet another spectacular Cat Quest game. It's an action RPG that follows two cats who set out on an epic adventure through the Purribean, searching for The North Star Treasure. Along the way, you get to take on fearsome foes, pillage caves, and upgrade your gear. Let's not forget that in the previous games, there was no combat on the high seas because taking on Pi-rats only happens in the Purribean!
Gameplay
Cat Quest III: Pirates of the Purribean is the latest installment of a
masterful series that I've had the pleasure of playing. It is filled with
hilarious and cute puns, engaging gameplay, tons of booty to plunder, and
secrets aplenty. We begin our journey with Captain Cappey, our strange ghostly
companion, who helps us piece together the goings on in the Purribean. Our
first goal is to find The North Star Treasure because we are Seekers. And we
will be granted all of our wishes if we successfully find it. Though many
before us ventured out to find the treasure, none were successful.
It is obvious that the Cat Quest series has several nods to pop culture
references. So, the game having a giant bathroom duck confuses me, but it is
what it is. (Unless, of course, one of the devs dislikes them and wants them
to perish...?) Anyways, the other references cracked me up. On one of the
islands is a love struck starfish which was an oddly charming find that I
enjoyed pursuing. Further north is the Lonely Isle which couldn't possibly be
a reference to the group, could it? Of course, having to face off against
Meowtallika cracks me up to high heavens. I also can't help but think about
the song titled "Captain Kidd" by the Great Big Sea. (That's a Canadian band,
by the way. Look them up!) Anyways, these cute references mixed with the
amusing punny story gets me every time - and I'm usually not big on puns.
Now like in the previous game, Cat Quest III has local co-op play. Thus, my
significant other and I have had several hours of fun on the high seas. We
absolutely love to play these games together. I find this particularly
rewarding because where I lack in skill, he makes up for. And with our
combined skills and observations, we've knocked out the caves and solved some
clever secrets. It's truly a blast.
Although the game contains some staples like the ability to use magic, quick
swapping between gear, and finding secrets, there is an element to the
narrative that strikes me. There is a collective of entities that will
occasionally guide you on your journey. This group feels a little like an all
seeing eye who will communicate with you at key points in the story. Not only
do these people give you some useful information, albeit a bit cryptic, but
they give you items to help in the epic quest to find the North Star Treasure.
Even though the story is not as long as the previous one, it's a
fantastic game that has made me smile and laugh and utter a couple of 'awws'
too.
Graphics and Controls
Cat Quest III is incredibly cute and vibrant. The graphics style is clean and
easy to discern details even if they are hidden. Additionally, both of the
cats (if you play in multiplayer) are unique to each other. Although, even
with the distinction in fur color and armor choices, it can be easy to lose
track of which character you are. While on the topic of armor, each piece is
visually striking as they have a specific color palette that indicates what
element is being enhanced. For example, the arcane set focuses on the use of
spells, so the gear pieces are quite pink. Another armor set is colored in
blue to indicate the synergy with ice abilities. You get the idea.
Looking at the 2.5D world on a macro scale, the scenery lends itself to a
fantasy world that doesn't overdo any element. The mountains may not be highly
detailed, but they are tall enough to prevent movement in certain places. In
fact, the graphics are done so well that I've not seen any graphic issues like
screen tearing. This is also useful because you can't simply glitch your way
into strange crevices. (If there are any, my SO would have found them. Trust
me. I don't know how he does it.)
Cat Quest III is one of those games that is best played on a controller. I
highly recommend this as well. Due to its graphical nature where you don't
have free camera movement, being able to move your analog stick around quickly
- like during ship battles - goes a long way to maintaining your survival.
Since the games have always been marketed towards controller gameplay, the
simplistic UI is designed with console players in mind. The screen is not
littered with too much information or complicated combinations. Playing the
game is as easy as grabbing your favorite beverage on a hot summer day. The
controls are not difficult to pick up and the UI is clean. Combine those with
the cute questlines and amusing dialogue, and you have a recipe for a family
friendly game that everyone will love.
Combat
An integral element to the Cat Quest series, or any RPG, is the combat system.
This is where RPGs can sometimes stand out or they can fall over, particularly
from difficulty scaling. Now, the combat itself doesn't need to be
spectacular, but it does have to be balanced in some way. What I found about
the combat in Cat Quest III is a solid combat system with the ability to
switch out your spells and armor as you please. If your companion isn't
playing for a session, you don't lose the ability to use their armor and
spells if needed. In this way, the combat has a ton of flexibility as you
aren't pigeon-holed into a class.
That said, when fighting some of the larger bosses, you may find yourself
changing weapons and/or armor sets in order to succeed. As such, certain
bosses may require you to change up your combat style to progress. This is
important to know because I, unfortunately, am terrible with the shield. It's
a weapon that I don't do well with. Should you find this to be the case
with another combination, try switching things up. And if you don't want to do
that, your companion can always pick up a controller and join you during your
time of need!
You have the option of using daggers, blunderbusses, staves, or shields to
attack other Pi-rats and bosses. There are spells you can use to defeat your
opponents as well, each bound to a single button. All of your combat abilities
are enhanced by using trinkets that you find along the way. As I run with the
machine gun, I use the armor that gives me extra recharge speed with my
bullets and additional damage. Since I dodge a fair amount, I also use a trinket that deals a small amount of damage to an enemy when I dodge through them.
As we are in the Purribean, we have ship to ship combat as well. It is not all
that sophisticated of a system but adds to the appeal of the game. There is no
customization of your ship other than enhancements you find during your
adventures. You have several options when it comes to cannon speed or longer
range or more damage dealt per shot. The ship also has a health bar which you
will have to keep an eye on. In the event that you take too much damage, you
can run over to a rest 'beakon' (which is comically a parrot) to heal you and
your ship to full. Should you take more than you can handle, you have the
ability to sit inside a ship reticle to repair it. This is particularly useful
if you get hurt on the river spikes.
It can take a bit of getting used to the ship combat because the cannon's
range is not great and it can be interesting to get the right angle of attack,
especially if you end up against a couple of ships or stuck in a narrow space.
The ship battles certainly don't make or break the game, but having a vessel
adds an easier way to move around the map. Personally, I enjoy this
addition.
Overall, while the combat system has less options for weapons than its
predecessor, it still allows you to synergize your gear together in a way that
makes the combat easily approachable.
Furrtastic Final Thoughts
In a move that should shock no one, I adore Cat Quest titles. And this particular game I happen to love even more than the previous ones. To quote The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising, "Everything is better with pirates." Besides, the idea of taking on Meowtallika and Cathulhu makes my grin extend from ear to ear. Another great aspect of the game is the choose your own story path that you find on the Lovepurr Island. Even pirates have hearts, you know!
Anyways, from the art style to the entertaining story, Cat Quest III is a
wonderful title that earns a 10 out of 10. There are no graphics flaws or
issues with gameplay that I've found. Plus, it's easy to get into as there are
tons of save points aptly named 'rest beakons'. It also helps that the puns
are cute and you have more movement capabilities with having your own
ship. Basically I'm saying don't sleep on this title! It may not be the
longest game series you'll ever play, but if you don't come out smiling, then
I don't know what will. Cat Quest III is amazing!
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