Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

Publisher

Manekoware

Developer

Manekoware

Genre

Action, Platform, Simulation

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

742 MB

Release Date (NA)

Sep 15, 2021

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Official Store

Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered is an upgraded version of 2015’s Catlateral Damage. The game was inspired by the creator’s childhood pet, Nippy, who sadly passed away in 2014 before the game was officially released. The “remeowstered” version not only improves visuals but also adds new materials for players to enjoy. The first-person view to control and “meowneuver” like a cat is entertaining but has some constraint that prevents it being purrrfect.

Fresh Batch of Litter

Remeowstered was rebuilt from the ground up, leaving the original 2015 code behind. Doing this, the development team were able to redesign the game, and the results are positive. The visuals compared to the 2015 version are cleaner and animate smoother. The cat models look more detailed and artistically better in its polygon style.

The touched-up user interface (UI) combined the appropriate areas and made the menu setup easier to navigate in general. For example, every gameplay option is located under one area once the player clicks on “Play!” from the menu screen, whereas before, all the gameplay options were listed on the menu screen from the beginning.

Choosing a feline to play as is visually better, and now players can choose a cat based on their stats. For instance, Kratos the cat has better movement compared to Nippy. However, Nippy has the advantage in terms of jumping and speed. In the end, it doesn’t really matter which cat you choose as it’s based on the player’s visual preference. That said, Fart Cat mostly farts instead of meowing when you press the meow button.

Everybody Wants to be a Cat

You play as a cat but in a first-person view. You’re only able to see what’s in front of you, as well as your paws when swatting and punching. To move around, you can either use the analog stick on your controller or move the controller itself. With the other analog stick, you’ll be able to maneuver your feline character around the room. This includes jumping, crouching, sprinting and, of course, meowing. If you have a cat nearby, be sure to see its reaction when you meow.

The controller’s shoulder buttons and trigger buttons have actions, too. With the trigger buttons, your cat can swat either left or right, depending which side you push. The shoulder buttons perform a similar action, but instead of swatting, your cat is punching, which helps push objects forward. These buttons are laid out simply and work in the way you need to cause havoc. With the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are not there, which is a bummer. It would come in real handy when you activate your power-up swats and punches.

With the original Catlateral Damage, a VR add-on was released to give players a virtual reality experience. That mode isn’t available here, and it’s a missed opportunity for PlayStation and PC players. Hopefully, an add-on will come. While it’s a far-fetched idea, it would be neat to see VR support for Nintendo Labo.

Regardless of how it’s controlled, your cat cannot run on unlimited energy. You’ll have to keep an eye on the energy gauge, which is your timer for how long you can play and destroy. Once it runs out, time is up, and the game tallies up the score on your progress. You can end the level by letting the energy drop, quit/restart level from the menu screen, or jump in the cardboard box. Doing the cardboard box makes your controller vibrate while purring. It’s a neat addition for a cat game.

To keep the playtime going, the level has a few bonuses to help preserve energy. Players can find purple-hued areas for cat naps to restore energy or find food items that can be eaten. Sorry, folks, but pizza isn’t one of those foods. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a bag of catnip hidden. Once you grab a pack, you’ll not only notice your energy gauge is on pause, but your feline friend goes into a haze. Your cat is on high mode, making actions happen slower and covering the screen with a rainbow hue.

Unlock it All!

Players who enjoy unlocking collectables will enjoy Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered. Players can track their activities from what objects they pushed off to how many times you meowed. Some items can be collected to unlock in-game content. For example, collecting cat photos by swatting them to the ground will help you unlock more playable felines. There are 300 photos to find throughout the game. It’ll take some time to find them all to unlock over 20 felines, and if you were wondering, Nippy is the default cat to play as.

It’s not just playable cats you’ll want to unlock. Cat abilities and stats are also unlockable by collecting cat treats. Unrolling toilet paper and digging through kitty litter are a couple examples of how you can find treats. Once you have enough, you’ll be able to increase your stats and gain new abilities such as speed, more energy, and charged swats. That’s meowtastic!

Who Let the Cats Out?

Remeowstered gives players a few modes to play: Goals, Procedural, and Litter Box. The Goals mode is the game’s default mode, where players can topple stuff to complete assigned goals per level. Many of these assigned goals require players to find a set of cat photos, find specific items, and cause a certain amount of damage. While playing, players can unlock new levels to play by revisiting levels and finding a hidden key. There are ten total levels to play, and a good portion of them differ from each other. For example, there’s a museum room to explore and a small marketplace to visit. It’s a fair amount of content.

Unlike the Goal Mode, in the Procedural Mode, goals are auto generated per visit. You’ll never know what you’ll need to do till you start the game. Players can earn more photos quicker to get to that 300 count. With the Litter Box Mode, players can play freely without restrictions. There’s no worrying about a timed energy gauge, and items such as mice and insects respawn. It’s a stress-free way to go all out and complete your toppled object collection.

While playing as a cat is quite amusing, it starts to become repetitive. You’re contained in a restricted area and exploring it won’t take long to do. Most of the action is collecting and reaching goals. After that, it’s just goofing around, and the replay value begins to dip.

The game’s soundtrack isn’t big, and its tone is similar to each other. Each track is mellow and soft with some upbeat depending on which course you play. It would be amusing to see a level that had you constantly on catnip or with multiple bags to find anywhere with a heavy metal track to make things more amusing. Perhaps change the sound effects from a cat’s meow to a lion’s roar? The options are endless.

The Final Swat

Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered lets you play as a cat. What more is there to say, really? It’s a fun and amusing game, and this updated version is the best one, even without VR support. Sharpen those claws, grab a bag of catnip, and have fun!

A PlayStation 5 review code was provided for this review and gameplay footage.