Is Cat Quest II Fur-tastic or Melan-collie?
Cat Quest II is a 2D open-world action-RPG set in a fantasy realm of cats and dogs. Under threat from a continuing war between the cats of Felingard and the advancing dogs of the Lupus Empire, Cat Quest II tells the tail of two kings, brought together against their will, on a paw-some journey to reclaim their thrones.
The original Cat Quest was a surprise hit and proved popular with me and my partner, so I was overjoyed when I heard not only was there to be a sequel, but this one offered two player co-op, something we’ve both craved since the first game. But how does it hold up?
Cat Quest II lets you play as a cat and a dog this time around, which changes the nature of the game dramatically, especially in combat. I found myself using a magic staff and barrier spells while my partner would go in for the kill up and personal. The great thing is that it’s all upto you which play style you want, though you can’t equip the same magic spells, so you’ll need to come to an agreement with your fellow player.
The first game was great but was short compared to its sequel, with a much larger map to explore and dozens of dungeons to beat, as well as an interesting story and full of humour with its animal puns in dialogue and names of weapons/locations. Luckily the game has placed locations called Kingmarkers which act as fast travel locations between different areas of the maps, which cuts down a lot of the backtracking.
Clothing, weapons and spells can all be upgraded with cash earned, but you can also get upgrades in treasure chests, so it’s always worth exploring each dungeon to the fullest. It’s not a huge leap in design from the original, but why change what worked so well in the past? Combat feels slightly more fluid and having a partner alongside you definitely makes the experience easier, but also much more enjoyable. I hope if there’s a third game then co-op be a definite must as it’s easily been the most fun me and my partner have had playing co-op in a long, long time.
Visually, the game is even more charming than the original with its art style and overworld looking like a map with names of towns scrawled across them. The soundtrack is also well done, and the framerate is steady throughout with minimal loading.
The Verdict
Cat Quest II is a superb sequel that surpasses the original in every conceivable way. It’s easily one of the best co-op experiences out there and once again, a surprise hit. If you loved the original, you owe yourself to get your paws on this!