Home / Reviews /Cat Quest 3 review – Déja mew ByKim Snaith 6 August 20246 August 2024
Does there need to be three Cat Quest games in the world? I’m inclined to say no. It’s not that I’ve not enjoyed Cat Quest 3 — it may be the best of the series, actually. But the differences between Cat Quests 1, 2 and 3 are so nominal they could — should — have all been the same game. But hey, if you love the Cat Quest formula, you’re in for a meowvellous time. Otherwise, you might just end up with a case of déja mew. Sorry.
Cat Quest 3 casts you as a cat (really!) on a quest (well I never!) to take down the terrifying pirate king. You’re a sort-of pirate yourself this time around, but it doesn’t change up the gameplay a great deal. If you’ve played either of the previous Cat Quest games before, you’ll be able to hit the ground running: it’s a cutesy open world RPG that sees you exploring an overworld, taking down enemies and collecting loot from numerous dungeons.
There is one key difference in Cat Quest 3, though: this time, you have a ship. It makes island hopping rather more delightful and, when aboard your ship, you can fire cannons galore, sinking enemy ships or firing at tough enemies on land. needless to say, it’s a nice addition. It has a slightly nicer art style, too: we’ve always liked how the Cat Quest games look, but this time around it’s all just a little bit more detailed. It’s impossible not to fall in love with its visuals, honestly.
One thing that hasn’t changed much at all is Cat Quest 3’s combat. You can have a melee and a ranged weapon equipped at any one time, and the push of a button will switch between them. You also have a number of magical spells at your disposal, allowing you to mix and match attacks depending on who you’re up against.
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I can’t say that combat requires any real skill, however; it’s almost impossible to dodge and parry in the way that the game feels like it wants you to. Instead, it’s easier to simply hammer away at enemies from a distance. You never lose any real progress when you die, but it can be frustrating when you find yourself stuck between several enemies who are all laying into you. On normal difficulty, your health can get sucked away very easily.
Combat can be a bit of a pain, then, but exploring the world of Cat Quest 3 is something of a joy. There are dozens of islands here, each one with its own secrets to discover. You’ll find other characters who have a side quest for you, there are puzzles to solve and hidden treasure chests to uncover, usually with some alluring goodies inside.
Loot is a key part of the Cat Quest experience: you’ll find body armour, weapons, headwear and more, all with various perks. Some simply raise your damage and health points, but others might offer you a bonus, like extra frozen damage, or resistance to lightning damage. It allows you to play around with builds and while you’re not going to get anything as deep as the likes of Diablo here, it’s nice to feel like your character is completely unique.
It’s been five years since Cat Quest 2 released, and so there’s a very good chance that you’re ready for some more cat-flavoured adventuring. Cat Quest 3 certainly doesn’t disappoint in that it offers more of the same, albeit slightly bigger and better this time around. But if you’ve recently played one of the previous entries, ennui is likely to set in, simply due to the fact that there’s nothing truly revolutionary here.
This review of Cat Quest 3 is based on the PS5 version of the game, via a code provided by the publisher. It’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Cat Quest 3 review — GameSpew's score
Cat Quest 3 review — GameSpew's score 7 10 0 1Cat Quest 3’s selling point is also one of its biggest detractors, depending how you feel about the series: it’s simply more of the same. It looks fantastic, and exploring its cutesy world is a joy, but the addition of sailing a ship isn’t enough to make this stand out from its predecessors.Cat Quest 3’s selling point is also one of its biggest detractors, depending how you feel about the series: it’s simply more of the same. It looks fantastic, and exploring its cutesy world is a joy, but the addition of sailing a ship isn’t enough to make this stand out from its predecessors. Total Score
We like…
- It looks beautiful
- The freedom to explore is great
- Some great puzzles
We don't like…
- Combat can be a bit messy
- There's not enough to distinguish it from the previous Cat Quest games
