PC REVIEW | Copycat

Home is not about where you live, but where you are needed most. Spoonful of Wonder created an immersive indie adventure game about the responsibilities of pet ownership. By delving into the character of an adopted cat and following the emotional journey of coming into a home with precarious circumstances, the developer succeeds multiple times in hitting whoever is playing, right in the feels.

The game looks and feels like a short film and it plays like a Telltale game. Not a big shocker then that Screen Australia was, in one way or another, involved in the process. Maybe somebody in your vicinity is thinking of adopting or buying a pet? Let them play Copycat for a day to have them notice the impact of their decision and possibly love or appreciate their future family member even more. If you are looking for a slow, atmospheric and psychologically moving game, then absolutely get your paws on this one.

Both Galia and Thomas reviewed Copycat. As such, we will present their opinions side by side where possible.

Things I liked!

Story

• Galia | Top of the list for me, was the overall story. Well-written, emotional and with some twists and turns that kept things interesting. The way you are able to connect with the characters over a short period of time, resulted in some tearjerker moments.
• Thomas | I enjoyed the story but in a different way to Galia. I only really connected with Dawn, the cat, but what made it stand out for me was that the game got me angry at the humans in a way I don’t often get riled up. I’m pretty content with the outcome, but I think there are some narrative bumps in the road to getting there.

Sound

• Galia | The music and sound design are impeccable. Really the whole atmosphere and point of view (from the cat) creates an immersive cinematic experience.
• Thomas | The atmosphere of Copycat is beautifully guided by some outstanding sound design. Various instrumental tracks accompany you every step of the way, ranging from tranquil indoor tunes to adventurous melodies when you’re tapping into your wilder side.

Dream Sequences

• Galia | The psychedelic art in the dreams and memories of the cat you are playing gives an original and creative contrast to the gameplay of day-to-day life.
• Thomas | The dream sequences were a nice touch to the whole story, allowing you to tap into the wilder side of Dawn as she lets her inner wild cat loose. It gives Copycat more space to diversify its gameplay. These are also used really well to display some of Dawn’s inner psyche during some of the more emotionally taxing moments.

Pacing

• Galia | The game decides the pace and you do not, you cannot, other than choosing to run, let things go faster. You have to let the story unfold exactly how the maker intended. This, to me, gives a calming and meditative quality, you are forced to slow down.

Mixed & disliked!

Pacing

• Thomas | For the three-ish hours that copycat is long it enjoys a reasonably good pace. The story really starts off slow and careful, kind of like how Dawn tries to get comfortable with her surroundings and new family. Only to speed up quite a bit when things hit the proverbial fan. If you’re likely to put the game down at any time, it will likely be the early game segments. Should you make it through in one sitting, you get a nice achievement for it though.

Dialogue & Humor

• Galia | Personally, the dialogues and humor came across a little bit cheesy to me at times.The dialogues of the humans felt less believable than the inner monologue of the cat. Maybe this was a director’s or writer’s choice to separate both worlds and create contrast, but that might be a little bit too meta.
• Thomas | Something that got stale really fast to me was the narrator and his attempts at humour. Often playing the straight man as we try to hunt or find ourselves in more or less any situation that isn’t voice acted by another character. Others might not mind him as much however.

Challenge

• Galia | Copycat could have been a little bit more challenging, whether or not you could hit those marks in gameplay, it does not have any effect on the game and the choices you make do not really influence the story. This to me is a pity and a missed opportunity for an even more immersive game.

Bad Kitty

• Thomas | Another thing that really ground my gears is how you’re forced into doing certain things, even if you as the player don’t want to do them. These mainly pertain to doing bad things like scratching and knocking stuff over when you could just… not do these things.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 6 hours
How long to beat the story? 3 hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 12/22
You’ll love this game if you like these | Life is Strange, The Wolf Among Us, Paws, Endling

CONCLUSION

Galia | 65/100 – Copycat really was an emotional roller coaster and kind of tough in the way that some emotional movies are hard to watch.The second half of the game picked up the pace and delivered a beautiful ending, but it took some time to get there. I wonder if the creative duo of Spoonful of Wonder (Samantha Cable and Kostia Liakhov, look how cute they are, btw) should also make short and/or animated movies in upcoming projects, because I would love to see that happening.

Thomas | 70/100 – Copycat takes you for a ride as a cat that has to deal with the consequences of some human’s poor life choices. You’re along for the ride as Dawn makes the most out of any situation she finds herself in. A competent story spruced up with the occasional minigame makes for an overall enjoyable time for anyone who love to get their heartstrings tugged at or is just really into cats. If you are one of these people, this might be 15 euros well spent.