Being the asshole cat: Review of Catlateral Damage

This is going to be a little different. I've never reviewed these smaller indy titles and I'm not really sure yet how to go about it, since in a way it isn't really fair to compare them to big releases, I'll probably be a little more generous on the scoring. So I might be refining this more as I review these kinds of games.

Overall score: 3

C

Gameplay: 3
The gameplay is very basic, basic in a Super Mario Brothers kind of way. You walk around, you jump, you can swipe or push with your left or right paw, you can pick stuff up in your mouth, and you can meow. That's pretty much it.

Though there are things you can interact with. You can turn the faucets and showers on, and you can interact with cat toys for power ups. There's nothing around that will hurt you and in Litterbox Mode, there's no timer. There's something actually kind of relaxing about the game in that regard, since there's really nothing to kind of stress you out.

There are two modes, a timed Objective mode where you have to knock over X number of things in a given time limit, and Litterbox mode, which is sort of the sandbox mode where you freely roam the house at your leisure. Both are single player only modes.

The game does have some room for improvement. A few things I would add would be a vault function like in Doom, where the character will climb a ledge when you jump to it. Here you actually have to land on the top of a cabinet. I'm sure we've all seen cats grab the top of a surface with their front paws and kind of kick-off to the top with their back legs. I would have added a few multiplayer modes, a co-op mode where two players have to knock over a certain number of things before the timer runs our, and a vs mode where the players have to knock over the most amount of things. I'd also add the ability to scratch the furniture and have basic scratch marks appear on surfaces that got clawed.

Though the biggest disappointment for me, was the lack of a "create-a-cat" feature where you can customize your own cat. I was really wanting to be able to make a white Manx I had in high school (the titular Salty Manx Cat) in the game. Instead you have a roster of cats you can pick from.

I've used several cats (mostly Catzilla since he looks like my actual cat) and there doesn't seem to be any difference other than cosmetic. Though it seems the payoff is being able to have a bunch of cats to choose from. Unlike Street Fighter, or Mortal Kombat with their huge rosters, there's only so many "talents" you can give to a cat before getting to be "unrealistic".

My actual cat. 

Graphics and visuals: 3
The graphics and visuals are very basic. There's just enough detail for you to tell what something is. Which in this case really isn't a bad thing, it gives the game a kind of cartoonish look.

Along with the simple 3D graphics, there also isn't much in the way of visual bugs. There aren't any glaring visual bugs that could hamper game play or just other wise detract from the experience of being a destructive cat.


Stability: 5
The game does get a perfect score in the area of stability. Haven't had any freezes, crashes, or save issues.


Plot: 0
The plot... well... there isn't one beyond being a bored house cat who decides to make a huge mess of his human's home.  There's no story mode what so ever, the result being that it feels like the game is unfinished, like you just got the trial version that lets you play around with the bonus content.

You might be wondering how you'd make a story about a bored house cat, all they typically do is eat, sleep, crap and on occasion, completely spaz out. I would have gone about making the plot very basic. You're a cat, cat gets bored and figures out how to get out of the house though some puzzle solving, knocking things over the right way to reach the door knob that got left unlocked. Then the next level is the cat roaming the yard and getting out in the street. Then the next getting into a store and messing things up there before they open for business and you get chased out. The next you're in the pound and have to escape from the pound. Then you make your way back home, it's later in the day and you're in the yard and have to get back inside the house though the window you left from earlier.

Taking some inspiration from Valkyria Chronicles, I'd have the plot moved along with still images and text, the animation to cycle to the next one would be like turning a book page, like a children's book.


Music and art style: 4
There's pretty much only one kind a music and it has a very happy kind of tone. Which is perfect for the game since it works to set a playful tone.

Bad cat.

The art style is also very simple and basic, and looks to have some cell shading. As mentioned earlier the game's art style has a very cartoonish look, which is fitting for what the game is. Both as a quirky cat simulator about messing up a house and as an indy title that doesn't have the budget to make something with super realistic graphics.


Final Verdict: Must Buy... if you like cats. 

This cat's an asshole sometimes. 

This is clearly a game made by someone who likes cats, for other people who like cats. Running around just knocking things over would certainly get boring for other people pretty quick. On the same token, you'd be surprised how much time you could lose track of running around as your favorite 4-legged creature.

If there was some kind of story mode and/or multiplayer mode, then this game would likely be a 4, but it's still a fun game to play, if you like the subject matter.


Originally posted Sept. 2, 2016