[blog] TheAutisticGamer's Behemoth Backlog

In all honesty, I was kind of the same way. I grew up on Sonic 1 and 2 (with a hint of 3D Blast), but my knowledge of the series beyond that point was quite limited. All I knew was that a lot of people made fun of Sonic '06, Shadow '05 and Forces. But earlier this year, I took the plunge and tried out Sonic Adventure... and it all clicked. Sonic as a series is incredibly unique. There really isn't anything like it. Reviewing the games for my own blog has made me realize what makes these games special: The momentum-based platforming. Sonic is nothing like Mario because of its focus on exploration and earning your speed. By playing well, you are rewarded with speed, but there are always easier, slower paths for players who aren't skilled enough or players who make mistakes. Sonic in the marketing is all about speed, but at the end of the day, speed is not just handed to you (usually). You have to earn your speed! That's what makes Sonic such a special series. And that's what makes it frustrating when some games mess it up.

I love Sonic because there is nothing in gaming that makes me feel so free. The speed is something you have to earn, not something you just get. And that encourages replays. But when you get that perfect run, nailing every single jump, taking the optimal and perfect route through each level for the fastest time and that glorious A-rank with NOTHING stopping you and your skill... It's a special feeling. A lot of people don't realize that this is what Sonic is about, and once you do, you gain a greater appreciation for the series.

I know I rambled a bit there, but I'm just really glad that more and more people are starting to appreciate Sonic as a series. And although I may disagree with your Generations review, I'm super glad you're liking the series, and i'm interested to hear what you have to say about Colors. That's a good one! It's a very different kind of Sonic Game. But it does have a stellar (pun intended) soundtrack. Tropical Resort Act 1 is a song I listen to every day when I'm getting ready for school, lmao.

I'm looking forward to your further reviews, Sonic or otherwise!

Cat Quest II
System: PC
Developer: The Gentlebros
Publisher: Kepler Interactive
Genre: Action RPG, Fantasy, Animals



A while ago I talked about Cat Quest, a fun satirical take on the RPG Genre that parodied genre and game cliches while taking place in the 2.5D World of Felingard. It was quick, snappy, short and did enough right to be one of the more memorable experiences of the year. And I'm pleased to say for the sequel, Cat Quest II is a GIGANTIC improvement over everything Cat Quest I did. Not only does it improve the base things such as art style, gameplay, graphics and controls, but even adds new ideas and takes bold new steps to becoming a series that is certainly worth talking about.

This sequel ends up taking away the satirical edge of the first game in favor of a more serious (but still oftentimes funny and lighthearted) epic adventure that now spans two continents. This sequel showcases our two new heroes, two former kings (one a dog the other a cat) who are tasked with taking down the tyrannical kings who rule both their lands and reclaim their throne and stop the war. You'll get help from Kirry, the royal spirit adviser, plus returning faces like Kit Cat, who is much more well developed in terms of characterization, plus new faces like Hotto Doggo, a cheeky parody of martial arts warriors and skilled weapons blacksmith. There's other characters along the way, but these will be the main characters you're teamed up with to fight off Lioner and Wolfen, the two kings raging a war against the lands.

There's tons of gigantic improvements that make the first game seem a bit dated in comparison. One of the main things you'll notice right away is that character speed and controls are much more faster. This is because when you walk a while, the characters you control will start sprinting which is a very welcomed addition considering Cat Quest I's speed was rather slow at worst. There's been many improvements as well in terms of upgrading weapons and armor. Now you don't have to worry trying to find the same item over and over again to level up or buying chests in hopes of getting an upgrade. Now, you can go to Kit Cat or Hotto Doggo's place to upgrade them. My gripe however is that they specialize in one or the other, so I hope you like travelling continents because you're going to be doing that A LOT.

As for gameplay, character building is very simple. You control the two characters and build them to your liking. I made the dog the buffing offensive type, while I made the cat the defensive spellcasting short who chugged health and mana restoration for their magic. You can play it local coop where one person controls one character and the other the next, but I must admit there's something very addictive about Cat Quest's design with building your characters by yourself. It feels rewarding when you have the right equipment and you've leveled up your weapons and armor to make the build you have more sustainable during the rest of the game. Otherwise, gameplay is quicker, much nicer and feels more polished in terms of spellcasting, movement and combat compared to the first game. There's also loads of dungeons that are worth pursuing and the good thing as well is there is more variety in terms of dungeon layout and challenges you'll face especially in many of the ruins you'll find in this game.

Graphics have also seen a boost. Not just in variety, but in terms of better looking more distinct NPCs as well, not to mention the Cat looks so much better than in the first game. The first was apparently a mobile game first and then moved to consoles later. However, the Gentlebros obviously took a Console/PC approach first and so the game looks like the budget was increased somewhat. The lands of Felingard and The Lupus Empire look very distinct, from Felingard's grassy land and high mountains, to the more Persian desert areas of giant skeletons and isolated villages of the Empire. The music, one of my favorite things from the previous game is just as good if not better than Cat Quest I. You get more variety in terms of music and ambient tracks and the main march that starts the game off is fantastic and a great way to get players hyped for what they're about to play. Trust me, if you loved Cat Quest I's music, there's no denying you'll love Cat Quest II's soundtrack as well.

I won't spoil the story, but there's a big twist at the end of the second act that blew my mind. Seriously, play it blind and you'll be absolutely blown away by it. As said, the story is more epic, but there's still loads of comedy in the game. There's certainly funny moments, and then there are tragic ones, heartbreaking ones and somewhat serious ones that give the game more depth from it's predecessor. The side quests are great as well and yep, another side quest at the very end game showcases a dragon helping you figure out something in the quest you're on. Dragons are friends! Not fodder!... despite the fact you kill tons of Wyverns in this game. Overall, it feels much better designed considering I got to Level 100 by the end, so I could have gone to do a lot of post game dungeon crawling if I wanted to since all the dungeons were very high level at this point. So there's barely any post game grinding required. Well, to be honest, before the epilogue, it's basically post game all the way through unless you want to just see the ending.

There's not much bad stuff to say. But I will say Kirry is nowhere near as an interesting character as Spirry was. Spirry was kind of a surrogate for the player's thoughts, commenting, quipping and joking about all the cliches, tropes and odd things that happen during the game. Kirry does get some depth in terms of his character, but he is nowhere near as interesting because most of the time he's in the background and only relegated to main quest duties. And SPOILERS: It is revealed that there are parallel universes/multiverses in this game, which considering how dated and frustrating multiverses as a story gimmick is, it makes the game feel a bit cheaper knowing that this world we're in doesn't feel like it matters when there are so many others to boot, despite the game's villains saying how important this timeline is or whatever. It's not the game's fault per se, it obviously didn't know that Marvel and Everything Everywhere All At Once was going to do this gimmick, but now I just have to roll my eyes.The only time when a multiverse actually seemed to work for me is in Serious Sam 4 and Siberian Mayhem, where it feels that not only do we get to see a glimpse of the many Sams throughout the series, but it's science fiction setting also makes it fit. Sam feels like he gets to have a fighting chance in every timeline and it makes the player think about previous games as their own multiverses as well. And since the conflict is so dramatically HUGE in the game and does involve things like Time Traveling, which fits with the gimmick, it feels like every parallel universe that is in peril because of Mental MATTERS in the end where in Cat Quest II, it just feels like something they threw at the wall hoping it would stick and it ends up sliding down slowly when you realize this doesn't really work considering it's setting and the scope of it's conflict (which for real, is MUCH smaller than a monstrous alien being attacking Earth's colonies in every single universe) as well as the fact this game I think takes place ONE THOUSAND YEARS after it just leaves you questioning the situation all together. I know the main actual villain is specifically a god, but to be honest he feels rather puny considering he feels like a character "Put On A Bus" as TV Tropes calls it where he's in the game very little.(Which to be honest, is much funnier than my term for it "Steele Syndrome")

Anyways, that's enough about that.

The point is, Cat Quest II is fantastic. It improves pretty much every single aspect from the first game and makes for an excellent overall epic adventure that will delight fans of the first and is a perfect start for newcomers to the series. It's a much bigger, bolder game with better graphics and art style, improved controls, better design and an addictive gameplay loop and awesome story that is certainly one I'd highly recommend. It's certainly going down as a GOTY Contender for the games I've played this year. I'll hopefully talk about Cat Quest III soon, so be on the lookout for that!

Rating: 9/10

PROS:

-Music is even better than in the first game
-Graphics have seen a major improvement to NPCs and Characters and the world is more distinctive than the last game
-Added things like a blocking spell and the ability to upgrade weapons and armor from shops, making character building better
-Character building is addictive even in single player and is easy despite having two characters to use
-Controls are much faster and more fluent thanks to increased movement speed giving the game a faster pace
-Story and characterization is all around excellent and heads in a welcome new direction
-Gameplay loop is very addictive
-Design is much better in terms of progression and dungeons
-Mind blowing twist that will rock your socks off by the end of the second act

CONS:

-Kirry nowhere as interesting a character as Spirry was
-You have to go to two separate shops to upgrade either armor or weapons in two different lands, making trips between continents feel like a slog
-Multiverse as part of the story feels dated and oftentimes frustrating thinking it over

-TheAutisticGamer