Ratalaika Games is on a roll for the past few months with tons of indie releases on consoles. Thanks to them, console players are able to jump into some of the best titles currently available on Steam, and today, we have yet another similar title. Catmaze is a 2018 fairy Metroidvania, developed by RedBlack Spade, which was released initially on Steam only however now, thanks to Ratalaika Games, this amazing title is heading to consoles as well. For this review, we jump into the Nintendo Switch release of Catmaze and explore some really cool environments as we try to bring our mother back from the land of the dead.
Catmaze puts you in the shoes of a young witch named Alesta who is on a quest to bring her mother back to life. After a failed experiment, Alesta loses her mother however she refuses to let her go and is determined to bring her back to her. In the world of Catmaze, cats play a vital role as they are the means to travel between different realms and since Alesta wants to travel to a different realm, she enlists the help of cats as well who form the link between the land of the living and the dead. The two cats are named Yavi and Navi and they are assisting Alesta in her quest. The story of Catmaze is told in the form of a written dialogue between various characters as there are not many cutscenes and audio narration.
Catmaze is played in the form of a 2D Metroidvania and it is a quite decent one at that as well. Metroidvania is not an easy genre to master however Catmaze is not on the hard side and it actually a great title for newcomers to experience this brilliant genre. Sticking true to the Metroidvania concept, the whole world of Catmaze is available to your right from the start however some of the areas are locked behind certain skills, items, and other blockades that you have to find and then use to access these areas to progress in the game. Each of these areas is filled with enemies as well and after clearing out an area, if you return to these areas, the enemies are back. There is no level-up or RPG-like elements in the game but all of the enemies spawn back after you re-visit an area.
At the start of the game, Alesta only has one melee attack Familiar, and you have to use it to progress during the initial areas. The game is not really that hard, so it is not a big issue to clear the starting areas with just one attack. Alesta does not attack the enemies herself rather she finds and uses different animals called Familiars that attack enemies on her command. There are melee Familiars and then there are Ranged Familiars. Both have their own pros and cons, and you will need to balance them to defeat enemies. In Alesta’s inventory, you can equip one melee Familiar and one ranged Familiar. Melee Familiars do not cost you anything but for attacking with the Ranged Familiars, you must have enough MP. As you explore the map more, you will find additional Familiars that you must collect first in order to equip. Some will be missable in the game as well such as the Spider which fell to its death before I reached it because I was too slow.
Apart from attacking, these Familiars help you in different ways as well. Some of their attacks allow you to forge new paths such as the Spider that allows you to hit switches that turn on different platforms to reach hard-to-reach areas and some can freeze enemies in the air turning them into platforms that you can jump on and reach areas which are otherwise unreachable. You can switch between these Familiars on the go so you can mix and match without having to go back to your safe spot or such. Apart from these Familiars, you will also find various amulets in the game which can be equipped for different passive bonuses. To make these amulets more powerful and effective with their bonuses, you power up the amulet by killing enemies and collecting the white dust they leave behind. When charged enough, your amulets will become more powerful and effective. Finally, you have an Items slot as well where you can equip any consumables you purchase or find in the game to use on the go with a touch of a button. Since there are not much of RPG mechanics, there is little to no customization when it comes to gear, armor, etc.
The levels in the game are of great variety and they eventually increase the challenge as well. The later areas in the game come with tougher enemies and a greater number of enemies as well so you really need to be on your A-game to defeat them. Apart from regular enemies, you will also come face-to-face with big bosses that will require a little bit of strategy and careful platforming to defeat them. The enemy design is pretty good as they range from normal enemies including giant mushrooms to creatures inspired by the Slavik lore. You will explore forests, swamps, grasslands, villages, and more as you travel the maps of Catmaze. The level design is pretty decent but there is plenty of backtracking since you will often hit areas that might require a key, an item, or a skill that you currently do not possess in the game.
Sometimes, in unexpected places, you will also encounter various NPCs who will share their stories with you. They might give you a side quest, asking you for a favor, and sometimes you might nab yourself a free item as well to use on your journey. Apart from these random NPCs, there are also some key story characters that you will come across often in the game along with different merchants that will trade with you. The main currency of the game coins so you will spend these coins at these merchants to purchase new items. Catmaze definitely rewards exploration whether it is items, bonus cool things, or random NPCs.
For saving your progress in the game, you will need to find yourself a cat shrine which is located in various spots throughout each level. Here, you can rest, restore your health and MP, and also re-spawn all of the enemies in all of the areas of the game. While you are exploring the levels, you will sometimes find cats leading you to important locations in the game. For example, I often found cats leading me to chests with useful abilities and skill unlocks along with different items required for in-game progression. Cats do play an important role in the game but sadly you cannot control them. All of the cats are AI controlled in the game. The game also gives you a map and diary to keep track of yourself in the world of Catmaze and help you out if you get stuck.
Catmaze is a really good game and offers you plenty of content with its simple design and good gameplay mechanics. For fans of the Metroidvania genre, Catmaze is a really good title, and it has plenty of skills to unlock, new Familiars to find, bosses to defeat, and areas to explore. What I really like about the game is that it is one of the most accessible Metroidvania titles currently on the consoles. With its colorful visuals, low difficulty levels, and easier learning curve, it makes for an excellent title for players who want to start in this genre. Most of the Metroidvanias currently available on consoles are really tough and demanding when it comes to combat and platforming but not this one.
Final Verdict:
Catmaze is filled with brilliant and colorful environments to explore coupled with decent Metroidvania gameplay mechanics. For its console debut, this is really a solid one and if you were looking for something to jump into that offers you a bit of everything when it comes to dungeon-crawling, lots of 2D environments, plenty of cool-looking enemies to beat, and fairly challenging platforming, Catmaze might be the title for you. The game sits exceptionally well on the Nintendo Switch and it should be on your must-play list if you love playing titles like Dead Cells and Hollow Knight.
Final Score: 8.0/10
