XBOX Review | Cat and Ghostly Road

“I don’t know how this cat manages to hold all these items but as it’s a video game, I guess we don’t question the logic.”

A lonely cat in desperate need of support, love, and shelter. In trouble, an artist notices the cat and quickly comes to their aid, taking the cat in to care for and live together. Everything changed and was wonderful until trouble struck one day and the isolated home became a place for an evil spirit to creep out and attack the artist when he least expected it. Finding the artist seriously ill and close to death, the cat must now become the saviour and travel through the dangerous world of ghosts and demons to save him. Yes, the story of Cat and Ghostly Road is a troublesome one that will have you using your special cat vision to uncover secrets and find help in many shapes and formations. As a point-and-click game, you will need to utilise objects in and among your surroundings to progress and get closer to saving the artist and his soul. Developed by BOV Games and published by Sometimes You, Cat and Ghostly Road lets you be the cat who needs to act before it’s too late.

A beautiful setting; tranquil with a bright environment.

Things I liked!

• Point and click | I’m sure many people are familiar with point-and-click titles and Cat and Ghostly Road plays exactly like one. Your focus is to look around the screen of different scenes, find objects of interest, and use them to make your way through different puzzles and barriers in the game. Although the cursor is a little slow, which I speak about later in my review, the game controls are incredibly easy to familiarise yourself with and use. Simple mechanics can sometimes be the more pleasant ones to use and it definitely provided a nice change of pace to some other games I’ve played recently. Just make sure you’re always checking every little section and detail on your screen; missing one thing can make you lose track of everything.

• Wholesome story | Being rescued from the bitterly cold weather, taken in and cared for, only to have your rescuer fall ill must be dreadful for any living being. What makes this story heartfelt is you can save your rescuer, the artist, but you know it won’t be an easy task. Having to encounter distraught animals, secluded ghosts, and evil demons isn’t how anyone envisages their day going but for this cat, there is no choice but to walk the unfamiliar and dangerous route if there is to be any hope of continuing the sublime life you’ve been living with this man. This cat shows courage, bravery, and ounces of affection for the artist, risking its life – it’s your job to make sure the cat makes everything right again.

• Artistic visuals | In the beginning, I wasn’t sold on the art style and detail of Cat and Ghostly Road and although it took me some time, I ended up being enchanted by its beauty. If you think of an East Asia aesthetic and then apply it to a forest, beach, clouds, market etc. – you get an idea of how the game looks. There was a mixture of colour palettes – from bright and colourful in one location to dark and gloomy in another. I would even go as far as to say they could be posters or paintings on your wall because they look beautiful and have a unique atmosphere that radiates from them. Cat and Ghostly Road has been made by a team of two people and they’ve done an exceptional job of bringing the imagery and game together.

• Inventory system | Along the journey, you’ll be able to pick up a range of items which can be stored in your inventory and even combined with other items to make something new. These will need to be used and sometimes given/traded to progress the story thus unlocking new items and areas which are needed to complete the game. I advise you to try combining items regularly as I didn’t think to use this feature often enough and realised the game wants you to be creative with whatever you have at your disposal. Your inventory is easy to access and you can hold multiple items at once. I don’t know how this cat manages to hold all these items but as it’s a video game, I guess we don’t question the logic.

• Special vision | Behind this cat is the spectacular ability to use alternative vision to see the world in an entirely new light. You’ll see ghosts and demons that were non-existent before who will help and point you in the right direction should you become confused or lost on what your objective is. There were many times when I was wondering where or what to do next but often this vision was my saviour. This along with the ability to use hints (use LB) lets you play the game, all be it a little tricky at times, with the freedom to do your own thing with on-point vision being vital to finding your next item or clue to bring you closer to saving the artist from his terrible ordeal with the demon.

Helping others can help you on your way. Not everyone is selfless.

Neither good nor bad

• Audio and soundtrack | As the game is portrayed in an East Asian style, the soundtrack had to match this and to my surprise, the music was calming to listen to and also added to the atmosphere of Cat and Ghostly Road. On the other hand, the sound effects weren’t as impactful or prominent as I would have liked. Given the theme, the overall atmosphere should have been one of the main features but I felt it was lost a little in the gameplay. I was a cat, in unknown territory, just speaking to everyone almost completely unphased. It wasn’t natural and this should have been amplified.

• Game length | Occasionally, I enjoy point-and-click games which is why I was a little upset when my game ended as I wish there would have been more content, puzzles, and story to enhance the game further. A couple of hours is minimal and if more thought/detail could have been applied to the story, thus giving you more objectives to complete to reach the end, Cat and Ghostly Road would have made me far happier. Not everyone will agree but, in my opinion, a longer game with more content would have made a massive difference to my feelings towards the game.

He looks grumpy… Maybe some music will cheer him up. Now, how do I play this thing again? I’m only a cat!

Things I disliked!

• Slow pacing | My gripe with Cat and Ghostly Road was my inability to navigate scenes and move my cursor quicker than the game allowed me. There was no option to run anywhere so I was always causally strolling along when all I wanted to do was use my little paws to get to my destination hastily. As I’ve already mentioned, even moving the cursor felt like I was having to drag it across the screen like it was weighed down. If the game had allowed you to run by binding it to a certain command and added a cursor sensitivity option to alter, this would have made the gameplay far more enjoyable.

• Replayability | After getting all the achievements for Cat and Ghostly Road in my first playthrough, I don’t believe there were any that could have been missed, giving me no real reason to return to play the game again. It’s a shame as I enjoyed the story and what the gameplay had to offer but with no alternative stories or choices to go back for and experience, I can’t see myself returning to Cat and Ghostly Road again.

How long did I play the review before publishing? Around 2 Hours
How long to beat the story? Approximately 1-2 Hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 21/21 OR 1000/1000G
How long to achieve 1000G | Approximately 1-2 Hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Cats and the Other Lives, Whispering Willows, Casual Point & Click Games