Some game franchises feel handmade for certain audiences, and when that happens, a single title\ can appeal to so many audiences but mostly for who it is made for. Cat Quest III is tailor-made for fans of cats (not the feature film released in 2019), action RPGs, pirates and glorious puns. The Gentlebros brings their third installment of the Cat Quest franchise exactly seven years from the release of the first title, and Cat Quest III improves on virtually everything from the first two titles while giving the game a massive glow-up with general gameplay and graphics that will have even the hardiest of sailors purring in delight at the onslaught of puns.
Cat Quest III inserts you behind the whiskers of a given name, ‘Catagonist,’ who remains silent throughout the runtime of the title. You’re Link from The Legend of Zelda, except a cat. Cat Quest III pits players against the vast islands of the Purribbean, hostile waters where (like most other Action RPGs) everything wants to kill you.
Your main quest sets you in the direction of the North Star Treasure, and Captain Cappey — your floating, ghostly, cat head-without-a-body sidekick — gives you hints and clues on where to sail next. In the open seas, there are many adversaries to contend with, but the most vicious of these is the cat, rat, and pirate puns that will onslaught you at every turn. I mean, every turn.
“Cat Quest III is tailor-made for fans of cats, action RPGs, pirates, and glorious puns.”
It’s clear The Gentlebros had an excellent time writing the third title. The dialogue is loaded with sharp quips and puns galore, and this is especially thrilling when they stretch to make certain words fit. It still somehow works in the grand scheme of things. Charming names like Meowtallika and Pi-rat King feel organic and although it is slightly cheesy, it allows Cat Quest III to ooze character and personality. The Gentlebros doesn’t take itself too seriously where dialogue is concerned, and it is a breath of fresh air.
Hilariously enough, Cat Quest III takes place on a 2D flat earth map, a tongue-in-cheek reference to how people of pirate times — around when the English East India Company started their global rule — thought the world was flat, and it works well. The whole world can be explored from the get-go, and there is a swath of islands scattered around the Purribbean for players to pillage and loot. There is no level-scaling in Cat Quest III, so I had to hit each island in order to continue forth for the North Star Treasure and beef up my furry protagonist in accordance.
The musical score is excellent in Cat Quest III, and not just the sweet tunes inspired by pirate sea shanties, the general sound effects and crashing of the waves on the world map, mixed with parrot save points squawking at you, and hazards littering the landscape, the Purribbean is a living breathing world. Thankfully, this quest isn’t on par with huge titles with 200+ hours of gameplay, such as the other pirate adventure, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
“Cat Quest III pits players against the vast islands of the Purribbean, hostile waters where everything wants to kill you.”
Cat Quest III gives you the helm of your own vessel with the quickness, and it is neatly packaged in a ~12-hour adventure. Not every game needs to last forever, and thankfully this one knows when to call for the curtain. The Gentlebros included new game+ for those who wish to continue the adventure.
I was able to equip numerous types of weapons during my travels, each with a different set of moves. My favourites were the equippable claw weapons; watching the little animated protagonist try his best to slash combos is a sight to behold every time I let loose with a combo. Also, it is important to remember that upgrading your armour is essential for survival.
Many hazards litter the seas, and there are some seriously strong enemies right out of the gate. It’s notable that The Gentlebros doesn’t handcuff you to one direction. Fans of titles like Dark Souls (or the latest Souls-Like to launch, Bleak Faith: Forsaken) will be excited to know you can fight the harder enemies and get walloped in one shot. Doing the harder dungeons first will make Cat Quest III feel like Cat Souls or Elden String, it works but it could feel frustrating.
Combat is surprisingly deep for such basic controls. The standard action RPG fare is here: light attacks, special attacks, ranged attacks, dodging, blocking, etc. Combining all of these will determine your mastery of the Purribbean, and the balance of the title has been directed towards building your character with effects that complement each other. The combination of two accessories, the Warrior’s Braid and the Boar’s Tusk, allows you to automatically dodge enemies and deal extra damage while dodging, giving you three new ways to attack enemies. These experiments are encouraged, and finding ones that work well is a triumph.
“Combat is surprisingly deep for such basic controls, combining all of these will determine your mastery of the Purribbean.”
Sailing the Purribbean is also great fun. Your boat can drift, and with enough practice, you can melt the harder enemies without getting touched. There are harder boss fights that litter the landscape, where your mettle will be tested, some of which contain mechanics like running away for a whole dungeon (think Crash Bandicoot’s Boulder Dash) just to confront the monster at the end. Dungeons are scattered everywhere, and there are even some smart Easter Eggs The Gentlebros included to have inside jokes with the player. Speaking of Dark Souls, instead of Patches, Cat Quest III deploys Patchy, a feline that may also throw you into a pit without reason.
The strongest part of Cat Quest III is its inclusion of local co-op. You can take a friend on the adventure with you —second controller willing—without needing an extra console or screen. The inclusion of local co-op is a fantastic one, as exploring all of the puns, dungeons, and triumphing over bosses just feels better when working with a friend. Local co-op rules and The Gentlebros are incredible for allowing players to tag someone in.
Cat Quest III is a strong testament to games being produced for a certain audience. Cat Quest III is clearly made with a caring hand by developers who not only want to make Cat Quest, but want to play Cat Quest, which shows in all of the love poured into the writing and art style that permeates the Purribbean. Aside from combat becoming a little bit of a nuisance to the more damage-sponge-like enemies and a story that seems to exist just to make the main questline make sense, Cat Quest III is a triumph for fans of action RPGs, cats and everything in between.
