Cat Quest III Review – Pawsitively Puntastic

For full transparency, let it be known that this review was not performed under feline duress. My fiancée’s tabby Persian might have been nudging, pawing, and holding my monitor hostage while waiting for his routine 20-minute butt-slaps, but that had no bearing on my verdict for Cat Quest 3. It only affected my completion time– though in my defense, my fiancée’s cat likes me better.

With that out of the way, Cat Quest 3 is not just the best Cat Quest ever, but also the best cat game right now. It’s a more ambitious take on the Cat Quest series. The developers’ hard work and dedication have resulted in an engaging and stress-free action RPG. More importantly, it’s a game that knows what it wants to be without the pretensions all too common in modern gaming these days.

What’s New, Pussy Cat?

Cat Quest 3 shakes up its very own setting by venturing off into the far seas. You’re thrust into the pirate-infested waves of the “Purribean” archipelago whereas its predecessors were mostly landlocked medieval fantasy adventures. Here, you play as the ever-charismatic orange cat protagonist who is– this time, a pirate in search of the North Star treasure. And it just so happens that every other pirate lord wants it as well.

The story is your run-of-the-mill One Piece clone, but I’d argue that that premise works better in a video game. Cat Quest 3 does it with better pacing than its prime inspiration.

It was also a great excuse for Cat Quest 3 to introduce a new gameplay mechanic involving ships and naval combat. If anything, it felt more like Pillars of Eternity 2 all over again with its fresh high-seas spin to shake up a series formula. Likewise, Cat Quest 3 is an RPG at heart, and it’s not just any RPG…

The Most Refreshing RPG of 2024 So Far

Prior to playing Cat Quest 3, I was getting my soul repeatedly crushed in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Shortly after, I began questioning the purpose of my existence in The First Descendant with its exorbitant grind. After that, I was just about ready to ruin my life trying to get the perfect post-apocalypse base in Once Human.

While these were good or great games, some of them crossed the boundaries when it came to the definition of video games. Oftentimes, you even have to treat them like a second job due to the poor tutorial and information overload that requires Excel sheets. Cat Quest 3 then came along and reminded just how fun gaming can be again, because it knows how to be a game.

It does have RPG mechanics, but the game’s systems are well-explained. There’s little to no friction in the general gameplay and learning it. You set sail, explore islands or caves, and find treasure. Eventually, that leads to finding the greatest treasure of them all, the fabled North Star. Everything is displayed from mostly a top-down, isometric perspective with some 2D zoom-ins for dungeons and boss fights.

The Cat Quest series’ signature 2.5D art style also makes a comeback here in its simple yet effective charm.

Curiosity Rewarded the Cat

Cat Quest 3‘s approach to its overall quest structure, however, is more non-linear and comparable to Elden Ring but less vague. There are no pesky objective markers telling you where to go. You’re free to explore the Purribean at your leisure or pace. Treasure-hunting is thus more impactful and more meaningful, which is perfect since the map is brimming with secrets and puzzles.

There are some indications such as starry roadsigns or a gallery of bounty posters that serve as a loose progression guide. But overall, Cat Quest 3‘s quest system is commendably horizontal and rewards exploration. Poetically enough, the game incentivizes cat-like curiosity, and in an open-world environment done right.

I was even surprised at how big the map was for a game that barely occupies 800 MB of storage space. Meanwhile, the side quests are lengthy enough to have their own identity– they aren’t low-effort fetch quests. The game also gives you enough agency and actual roleplaying in a way that puts most AAA RPGs to shame.

Deep Enough for Cats Yet Shallow Enough for Kittens

By “shallow,” I mean it’s easy enough for even younger or more casual gamers to pick up and play. You won’t find the heavy number crunching min-maxing present in ARPGs like Diablo 4. Cat Quest 3 likes to keep its systems simple enough to avoid frustrating its players.

There are different weapon types and guns, all of which you can use without limitations. But the elements and armor combinations allow for tailored playstyles that even hardcore RPG power gamers might find pleasing (especially those who love to abuse mechanics and exploits). What makes it work better is that you can also play it with your kids or casual gamer buddies. They won’t feel lost.

Speaking of which, the co-op implementation in Cat Quest 3 is stellar. There are certain nodes scattered throughout the game map and in dungeons, allowing a ‘Player 2’ to just hop on in a couch co-op mode (shared screen) and help you. That’s regardless of where you are in the story. Even backseat gamers won’t feel left out in this game– just give them a controller and tell them to join to shut them up.

A Hairball Short of Purrfection

If there is one tangle of dry, shedding hair in Cat Quest 3‘s otherwise silky fur, it’s that most of its rewarding and urgent sections are hidden in dungeons. That would’ve been smoother if only dungeon backtracking wasn’t a constant in the game.

Dungeons are thankfully short, but the downtime and dead air caused by backtracking was still noticeable, especially in contrast to the overworld that’s flowing with endless wonders and opportunities in every direction.

Sound design, apart from the majestic music, is understandably not that intriguing. There are no voice-overs to make the characters more memorable (although they still are, to be fair). Spell and combat sound effects also seem somewhat lacking. I could have used more bombastic audio cues for some of the game’s boss attacks or even some of my spells.

Additionally, I found certain control schemes clunky. The game has a dedicated button for switching weapons, which I thought was unnecessary; there were only two weapon types in the game (ranged and melee). That switch weapon button should’ve been the ranged fire button instead.

Still, none of these minor gripes or nitpicks detract from the fun I had with the game. They can’t distract me from the fact that I got to dress my cat in heavy metal rocker armor with a lightning-electric guitar axe halfway through the game. Hint: it’s quite an overpowered armor and weapon set.

X Marks the Spot

Cat Quest 3 knows what kind of game it is, what it wants to be, and even its limitations. So despite finding a good open-world loop, it doesn’t overextend its strengths just to artificially bloat up the game’s length.

For RPG standards, the game might be a bit short at 10+ hours, but it’s packed with interesting activities and proper density. Besides, there’s always New Game Plus once you’ve completed your first run. The game also has different endings, depending on how you progress. There’s also a bigger promise of future for the series– something Cat Quest 3 keeps hinting at as it builds up its lore with every iteration.

And you will want to play it again, either with your favorite cat person or just to see which booty you’ve omitted for plundering. Cat Quest 3 is an unexpected treat, one that’s easier to treasure than some of the recent bigger games.