While RPG games are a dime a dozen these days, one that’s entirely focused on a cat isn’t. That’s where The GentleBros’ Cat Quest 3 comes in. The third chapter in this meow-tastic adventure, we managed to get the devs to talk about the game, what’s coming after and more.
Speaking to MP1st is Desmond Wong, one of the co-founders of The GentleBros, and in the development of Cat Quest 3, served as the director for game design, and also its art direction.
The GentleBros Cat Quest 3 Interview:
MP1st: Can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about your role in the development of Cat Quest 3?
A: My name is Desmond Wong, and I am one of the co-founders of The Gentlebros. For development, I lead the team in art direction and game design!
MP1st: How large is The Gentlebros team working on Cat Quest 3, and how long has the game been in development?
A: The full development team started with five, but we’ve grown to eight people by the end of production. All in all, the total development time was around three years!
MP1st: With the previous Cat Quest games being fantasy RPG-themed, why did you decide to take a drastic turn and set it on a pirate background?
A: After introducing both cats and dogs in Cat Quest 1 & 2 respectively, we wanted the next animal to be rats! Because of that, it would have been such a missed opportunity if we didn’t make them pi-rats… and naturally the pirate theme was born!
MP1st: What features would you say are the highlight of this pirate adventure, and what do they add to the gameplay of the previous chapters?
A: The biggest new addition is a fully controllable pirate ship! Players can hop in and out of this ship seamlessly at any time, and even get into epic naval sea battles on them.
Now with the ship, gameplay has evolved in a way that allows players to start a battle with the ship to soften up enemies, jump out and finish the battle on foot. The ship becomes a new tool in the player’s arsenal giving more options in battle.
Furthermore, exploration is also enhanced as the ship allows players to explore the entire world with much greater freedom than before!
MP1st: Sailing and ship combat is something players will be doing a lot in Cat Quest 3. What were the main challenges for you in getting the feel right for this feature?
A: The biggest challenge with ship combat was balancing accessibility, fun and skill required from player.
First and foremost, we wanted the ship to feel more like a speedboat rather than a heavy, lumbering lump of wood. This meant that the turning radius is really quick, the acceleration is fast, and we even added a boost ability to make it feel even more arcadey and fun.
Secondly, we had to find the right balance of accessibility and skill when controlling the ship. In the first iteration, the ship could auto-target everything around it, and this made combat too easy and mundane. We decided to only allow the ship to target enemies in front of it, and combat became much more engaging as players had to consider both position and facing direction when facing enemies.
MP1st: Did you ever consider using a different camera perspective for the third game, and what do you feel is special enough to keep it instead of a more traditional third-person or isometric perspective?
A: We actually tweaked the camera angle a lot for the third game. With a much lower angle, players can now see much further than ever before, making exploration much more engaging.
MP1st: How long does it take for a player to finish the campaign, and what are the incentives to restart the adventure?
A: The main quest would take most players about 10 hours, while a 100% completionist playthrough would take about 15-20 hours!
Since the game has multiple endings and even a New Game + setting, players are hugely incentivized to get the full story and get stronger and stronger with each new playthrough!
MP1st: Cat Quest 3 is playable in local coop mode, but there is no native online coop mode. Why is this feature not included in the game?
A: We really like the couch co-op experience because there is a certain charm about it that is missing from online co-op. Many members of the Gentlebros team grew up inviting friends over for Street Fighter and Halo LAN matches. These were all great experiences that had the human touch, and we want people to feel this when playing a Cat Quest game too.
MP1st: Cat Quest 2 featured dual heroes, a cat, and a dog; why was it decided to go back to just one character rather than featuring another dog companion?
A: We wanted the dog companion to be a distinct and unique feature of Cat Quest 2, which is why we decided to bring the central theme of cats back for Cat Quest 3 (it is a cat’s quest after all).
This isn’t to say there aren’t dogs in Cat Quest 3! Many important NPCs and characters are still dogs, and they all help to make the world richer and more varied!
MP1st: Speaking of dogs, it seems like a no-brainer to do a Dog Quest spinoff. Has the team potentially discussed this? Or is everyone over there strictly a cat person?
A: Cat Quest 2 has already explored quite a bit of the dog kingdom, which is why the team hasn’t had any plans to make a fully-fledged Dog Quest. This is not to say that I don’t think we’ll ever consider it… it’s just not on our current roadmap yet!
MP1st: Looking back at the original Cat Quest and how the series has grown to be the success that it is today, did the team ever envision the series running for how long it has? Is there an end plan for the franchise, now that Pandora’s box has been opened into going with different fantasies, or does the studio plan on making Cat Quest games as there’s a story to tell?
A: When we started the Cat Quest series, we had already planned for nine Cat Quest games (because cats have nine lives). Back then, it wasn’t clear if we could get a chance to make a sequel, but now that the series has fans, we’d love to see the story to its end.
MP1st: The big obvious is how each game ends with being part of a larger story, with the third game being teased throughout as the “last” part before we get what is called the “Catpocalypse.” Do you think it’s safe to say the next game will finally tell the story of that? Are there any hints of what we can expect from it? I picture Mad Max, but with cats, “wink, wink.”
A: Yes, the next mainline Cat Quest game will be about the Apawcalypse. Before that though, we want to make a new game in a different genre before we come back to the Cat Quest series.
As for hints to what the next Cat Quest game will be about, why would we want to spoil the surprise! 😉
MP1st: What would you say has been your favorite moment in the series thus far? What about development and such in general?
A: I think our favorite moment has been watching players’ reactions to the Cat Quest games! We have such pawsome fans, and their excitement really motivates us to make as good a game as we can!
MP1st: To finalize, are you considering other themes for a potential Cat Quest 4? More seriously, do you have any plans for the series that you can share with us? Can we expect a bigger and perhaps much different take going into the next game, or a few?
A: : We really don’t want to spoil the surprise, but like with the pirate theme for Cat Quest 3, we think people will be pleasantly surprised by what we do next!
Cat Quest 3 is out now for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. You can read our review of the game here.
