While we live in a time where 100 hour sprawling epics exist full of deep story moments, mind blowing visuals and life-changing music, I still believe there’s a place for the simpler experiences and less involved narratives that still manage to be fun to experience. This is what I remember thinking when I played through the original Cat Quest last year. That said, it was only a matter of time before I started on the sequel.
Cat Quest II drops you into the kingdoms of Felingard and the Lupus Empire, two neighboring lands locked in a long, silly, and very pun-filled war. You play as an unlikely pair, a cat and a dog who were former rulers, who must put aside their differences, reclaim their thrones, and restore peace to the realm. The journey takes you across bright overworlds, enemy-packed dungeons, and two distinct kingdoms filled with quirky NPCs who guide (and sometimes mislead) you through your quest. The story never aims for any sort of emotional depth, though it leans hard into charm, camaraderie, and the joy of watching a cat and dog become best pals through battle.
Cute, Colorful, and Packed With Puns (For Better or Worse)
Starting off with what we can see and hear, Cat Quest II’s visual style remains one of its biggest strengths. Everything is bright, clean, and smoothly animated, giving the world a friendly pop that borders on a “cozy game” if you weren’t fighting monsters and casting spells every minute or so. The expanded world is larger and more varied than the original. There’s more to see and more dungeons to conquer, though a lot of the new stuff can start to feel relative in terms of structure and design.
Musically, the soundtrack brings back several themes from Cat Quest I. Initially this felt like a shortcut, but the game cleverly expands and remixes familiar tracks, creating a welcome sense of continuity rather than recycling. It ends up feeling like a playful callback instead of a corner cut and I appreciated that the more I played.
The humor, however, is a mixed bag yet again. The cat puns have multiplied, and now dog puns join the party. As a dog person, I assumed I’d appreciate the new canine flavor. However, even then, the constant barrage of wordplay can veer from “charming” to “eye-rolling” pretty quick depending on your tolerance. For me, I was about done with the puns an hour or so into the game’s run time. I will admit, the tone stays cute without being overtly childish, but it definitely leans into its own silliness.
Fast, Fun and Addictive... Until the Repetition Sets In
Combat remains the focal point of Cat Quest II, and it’s just as fun as the first game. The dodge-and-strike rhythm is responsive and satisfying, making the game easy to pick up for quick sessions. Spells play a much bigger role this time, adding welcome variety and allowing for different combat styles. Shrines across the world unlock new magic, and with the ability to bind spells to specific shoulder buttons, it’s easy to tailor your loadout. You can mix defensive and offensive magic or specialize heavily in one direction. Your cat and dog hero are on the screen together, so you can outfit them both with specific gear or spells which gives you great freedom when it comes to building loadouts and playstyles.
The gear system is expanded as well, with far more weapons and armor to collect. Different builds feel distinct. When I played through the game, I made it a point to turn both my dog and cat into physical powerhouses, but you could make one a tank and the other a healer, or one focused on offensive magic and the other on speed. It’s a simple, yet diverse system.
Speaking of, the game heavily encourages co-op play with its drop-in/drop-out structure. Even without trying co-op yourself, it’s clear that this game was designed to be played with two humans. In single player, whoever you aren’t controlling is controlled by the game’s AI and while it doesn’t take damage (mercifully) so you don’t have to constantly look out for it, it doesn’t attack with your level of aggression, making the solo flow feel slightly unbalanced. Still, switching between characters on the fly and assigning their roles independently works well enough.
On the flip side, the game’s simplicity eventually becomes its weakness. Around the halfway mark for me, repetition set in. Combat encounters begin to blur together. Side quests reuse the same “fetch this” or “fight that” templates with little narrative reward. Dungeons, while plentiful, fall into recognizable patterns. Cat Quest II offers breadth, but not depth. It’s more of an entry-level ARPG than a complex or layered experience.
That said, this simplicity works in its favor for short game sessions. I spend most of my time playing on the handheld PlayStation Portal, and it felt natural. The game’s loop is tailor-made for quick 15–20 minute bursts. Grab a quest, clear a dungeon, earn some XP, rinse, repeat. I may be talking down on the game a bit here, but I’ll admit, turning off your brain and grinding for loot is oddly enjoyable even when the experience becomes predictable.
A Bigger, Brighter Sequel That Plays It Safe
Cat Quest II is very much Cat Quest with a new hat. It’s bigger, smoother, slightly deeper, but unmistakably the same core experience. It’s accessible, light-hearted, and mechanically satisfying, even if there isn't anything truly revolutionary happening. The expanded magic system, dual-character play, and drop-in/drop-out co-op support give it the feel of a true sequel, but the repetitive quest design and shallow narrative keep it from becoming more than a simple experience.
But that’s not really a bad thing. If you want a cute, responsive, low-stress action RPG, especially one you can play with a pal, Cat Quest II is absolutely worth diving into. But if you’re looking for a more complex or emotionally memorable journey, this game isn’t what you’re looking for. Cat Quest II knows what it is and what it wants to be for you. And honestly, for an experience built on cats, dogs, and constant puns, maybe that’s exactly the point.
Curious about the first Cat Quest? Check out my video review!
Cat Quest: The Puuurfect Action RPG You Haven't Played!
I stumbled across Cat Quest one day and through it looked interesting. Until I played it... What followed was a whimsical journey full of monsters, loot and... cats! Check out my in-depth review of Cat Quest. Who knows? Maybe it'll scratch your itch for a competent Action RPG. Greetings - 0:00 Intro...
"Lupine Empire" from Cat Quest II (zminusone, 2019). Downloaded via KHInsider. All rights belong to zminusone.