Right here’s the pitch. “What if Blade Runner, however kitties?”
I do know what you’re considering. “About freaking time!”
Cat’s Request is a point-and-click journey set in a near-future world. Town streets are forged in darkness and lit by neon, the place a lone wanderer (Ash) is in a rush to avoid wasting his trustworthy assistant (Root).
Root is a pc program, and desperately wants a physique. The issue is that Ash is lifeless broke, and everybody who might assist him is, moderately unhelpfully, caught behind a sequence of locks and puzzles that require a really particular set of objects to be utilized.
Sure, it’s a type of > USE GOLDFISH ON JANITOR’S HAT video games, the place you’re meant to run round to different areas, choosing up objects and interacting with weirdos to seek out out what they want in order that they’ll open the door to different areas. It’s a nonlinear recreation the place the exploration and trial-and-error software of objects is the purpose.
The world of Cat’s Request is intriguing, and I’m not joking after I say that it’s the Neo-noir of William Gibson blended with I Can Haz Cheeseburger. Every little thing is tinged with an Asian taste, and the glowing lights undertaking a world that superior to the purpose of holograms to promote eating places, then gave up.
The issue is that all the things that strikes is animated like a cellular recreation, with just one or two expressions. Stroll or run, and it’s only a matter of two character frames transferring at totally different speeds. Name for a flying taxi, and it’s a nonetheless picture of the automobile touchdown, then your character fades out. That is hardly a knock towards Cat’s Request specifically, because it looks like most video games have adopted this fashion, I’m simply not a fan of it.
You’ll spend a number of time retracing your steps in Cat’s Request (as you do with a number of level and click on video games), attempting to determine which objects work with what characters. One other twist is that you simply’re in a position to change management to Root, who can work together with computer systems (typically) to mean you can hack into methods to search for anomalies.
The design of Cat’s Request, each its look and ranges, is enjoyable sufficient to maintain you off-balance. The noir temper is often spoiled by ridiculous quests to become profitable by cleansing up a bar, recording music, and searching for recipes (aren’t I alleged to be a gritty detective?), in addition to off-the-wall components like touring by house to reap satellites.
Ultimately although, it’s type of arduous to care about what’s taking place. Discovering bizarre methods to make use of objects is at all times a very good time in point-and-click adventures, however the goals all felt extra like a grocery listing than a very powerful mission in these characters’ lives.
And hold a walkthrough open; it’ll be helpful for declaring objects within the background with which you didn’t know you’ll be able to work together.