Cat Quest 3 update

Key Takeaways

• Cat Quest 3 brings back the joy of childhood with its attractive presentation and simple journey.
• The game offers a smooth RPG mechanic with deep customization, but the main story may feel shallow.
• Side content and exploration are a real treasure in Cat Quest 3, offering bite-sized quests with fun twists.

It’s impossible to start Cat Quest 3 without a smile on your face. The animation that opens quickly will take you back to watching cartoons on your weekend mornings. That feeling digs its hooks into the depths when you gain control and don’t let go. If there’s one thing Cat Quest 3 excels at, it’s its presentation and commitment to giving you a smooth ride. Every inch of this crime-themed world, from the characters, locations, and enemies, is bright and inviting. Sure, the puns are laid on thick even for my own personal taste, but it all feels in the service of preserving that childlike sense of wonder and adventure.

Cat Quest 3 aims to be as smooth as possible without sacrificing mechanical depth or choice. Unlike most games aimed at children, it does not talk down or follow the player. Instead, it feels like a reinvented RPG that forgoes all bloat and wants to make every moment count. There are some episodes of tedium, and the main story is disappointingly shallow, but there’s a lot of fun to be had navigating these waters.

Price and availability

Cat Quest 3 will be available on August 8 for $20 on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and Steam. It’s a 2D action RPG centered around a cat hunting the North Star in the Purribean.

Set sail for a trip

Enjoy the journey

In this case, your silent cat character sets sail on a nautical themed voyage in search of a mysterious treasure called the North Star that only they can find. And on the hunt is the evil king of Pi-Rat and the various sea captains brought under him. After this was introduced, there are no major or interesting changes in the main structure. You are shown your goal, all the obstacles and bosses in your way, and start working. Since we’re a silent character, there’s no room for any interesting twists or growth, but what we have ends up being dull and pointless. That’s a real shame because everything around that boilerplate plot has so much charm and life to it.

The real treasure in Cat Quest 3 is the side content and exploration.

The real treasure in Cat Quest 3 is the side content and exploration. This archipelago is full of bite-sized sidequests that never fail to please in one way or another. Even if the activities are a little low, a short story or plot twist almost always makes it worth the time. As with any pirate adventure, it’s not the treasure you start looking for that you end up appreciating, but the people you meet and the things you see along the way.

Cat Quest 3 never forces you to do any extra quests or side quests if you don’t want to either. For the most part, the main plot will give you enough information and levels to go from goal to goal and not hit a big wall. The bosses will be stronger this way, and you can miss small stories and little things, but there is no place where you are forced to stop and grind.

Kitty has claws

Not just hack-and-scratch

The combat loop and progression ended up being a pleasant surprise.

A game with the art style and tone of Cat Quest 3 would have you believe that it will reduce its combat and engineering. I was expecting a simple string of attacks, dodges, and some magic to throw based on previous games, but the combat loop and progression ended up being a pleasant surprise.

From jumping, you have a melee weapon, gun, and magic that all have roles and interactions. After shooting all your bullets, you need to switch to melee or magic while it cools down. Once you’ve used your magic, you need to recharge it by landing combos. It creates a satisfying rhythm of cycling through your tools to make the most of your offensive skills.

Unlocking new gear keeps your strategy evolving. Different weapons and armor not only change your base stats but can also change your gameplay. I went with a lightning focused build by equipping gear that increased my lightning damage and a weapon that caused lightning on the last hit of its combo. There are tons of options between weapons, armor, and trinkets, but I never felt like I couldn’t try. Your gear improves by getting duplicates which brings you to your current level, or you can spend cash at the blacksmith. Coins are given out so freely that I have never encountered a situation where I couldn’t pick up a new piece of gear to have the same power due to lack of money.

It’s breathtaking in the excitement one should feel when exploring a dangerous cave or criminal hideout if you know exactly what it’s going to look like before you enter.

While the combat is still fresh, the dungeon design sadly becomes repetitive at first. The cave and the interior all have the same appearance (perhaps in a different color) and the same progression structure. It’s breathtaking in the excitement one should feel when exploring a dangerous cave or criminal hideout if you know exactly what it’s going to look like before you enter.

Should you try Cat Quest 3?

A smooth RPG experience with an obscure story

Cat Quest 3 wastes no time in letting you board your ship and go on a simple pirate adventure. Despite being mostly water, the world here is full of beauty and vitality. If it weren’t for the forgettable main story and the recycled dungeon designs, this wouldn’t be the perfect answer to the current trend of RPG bloat. Even with those flaws, Cat Quest 3 kept me smiling throughout my playthrough. That’s not something many games have done.