Captain Cat by developer Digital Tentacle, who allowed me to play in advance, could possibly be missed if you don’t poke around enough through the indie world. Casual gaming just got more comfortable and Captain Cat is a perfect fit for consoles
Captain Cat is our protagonist in this adventure. This cat is a seaworthy fisher-cat who has set out to show the sea what he has. Some of the fish have been putting garbage, and other random things, on hooks to trick other fishermen, so Captain Cat has set out to put an end to the trickery. The mission is quite simple, and there really isn’t a need for more plot than that.
On a tiny little boat, Captain Cat sits with his handy hook. The hook, however, is the weapon he uses to fish. By dropping the anchor and correctly directing it, things like treasure, and of course fish, are sure to be had. Seems pretty simple at first considering this game is a one-button puzzle game.
Directing the anchor can be a little tricky. From a child’s perspective, this could be a little challenging but otherwise, the task is pretty smooth to get through. Hitting your button once drops the anchor. Hitting the same button again directs where the anchor goes until you reach the fish. The anchor does have some directional lines for assistance but the most challenging part to fishing this way, is trying to be the fastest and most accurate.
At the end of each level, the score is calculated by coins, knots and time. If you collect all of the treasure, use the least amount of directions, and are the fastest, then you get a higher score. This can be compared to the three stars you might get in the game Candy Crush (some people really want those stars). As the levels progress, more obstacles such as snapping eels and black holes get added.
Artistically, the levels appear to be the same background and color, which is fine since you don’t need to focus on anything else. The actual art of the characters is well done and I would have liked to see more skits as the levels progress. Since the characters aren’t meant to make a lot of movement then there isn’t a need to change anything. The music is uplifting and the failure tones are spot on. There is no mistimed noises and voice acting isn’t needed, but it all has turned out just fine. I think this game would be a lot harder as a mobile game.
So here’s what I think overall. Captain Cat is a simple puzzle game that is great for kids and anyone that enjoys casual gaming. The obstacles are more challenging than I expected (those eels) and the whole environment to the game is exactly what it needs to be. I plan to keep playing until I run out of levels because I know eventually something will hold me up and give me the incentive to keep playing.
7.5/10
Available on Switch, Xbox and IOS
Product Received for Free
