Cat Quest III is the latest game in the Cat Quest series, an indie franchise known for its humor, creativity, and approachability. The new game even lets players sail around the feline fantasy world. We spoke to Desmond Wong, co-founder of The Gentlebros, about the origins of the series, the new ship mechanics, and how co-op has changed in the third Cat Quest.
Co-Optimus: Thanks for taking the time to visit our hidden compound for this purrfectly in-person interview. First, could you tell us a little about your experience in game development and some of your favorite non-RPG games?
Desmond: I’ve been in the games industry for more than 15 years. Originally from Koei Tecmo, I was fortunate to have the chance to work on games like Dynasty Warriors and Fatal Frame. When I started The Gentlebros, we worked on titles ranging all the way from PC/Console titles to mobile ones, so in a sense the team has had experience working on almost everything!
Personally, some of my favorite non-RPG games are action games like Devil May Cry and God of War (although GOW has been getting more and more RPG-ish in recent years). The Metal Gear games were also incredibly influential on my life, and [they] inspired me to make games.
Presently, I’ve really been enjoying Kunitsu-Gami (what a great game and blend of genres!), and the regular weekly Helldivin’ session with my friends!
Desmond Wong of The Gentlebros
Co-Optimus: What are some of your favorite classic and modern RPGs?
Desmond: I grew up playing the classic Final Fantasy games (FF1-12). FF8 was my first ever RPG, and although the game has its issues, it will always have a special place in my heart. The older Elder Scrolls games (Oblivion and Morrowind) are also high up on my list, and I will never forget the many nights where I chose to forgo sleep for just one more quest.
I feel modern RPGs lack the heart that older ones had, but there are still many gems to be had for sure. I consider the From Software Souls games as RPGs, and those are probably the best ones we’ve had this generation. Other notable mentions that I’ve enjoyed in recent years are Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 and Mass Effect!
Co-Optimus: Can you tell us about The Gentlebros and your role at the studio?
Desmond: The Gentlebros is a development studio based in Singapore. We’re 8 people strong from a diverse background of experience and skill set. My role in the studio is directing the art and game design. I also handle the business relations and management of the company!
Co-Optimus: The Gentlebros has made three Cat Quest games so far. How did the idea for the series come about?
Desmond: The very first prototype was not even an RPG; Cat Quest started as a dancing game where the idea was that one player would copy the dance moves of the other (a Copycat in a sense). Suffice it to say, it wasn’t very fun, and we pivoted a few times trying out other genres. It wasn’t until the team had the idea of basing a game entirely on an ‘overworld’ setting (like the older Final Fantasy games), that the Cat Quest we know today started to take form. Coupled with the fact that there wasn’t any “Cat RPGs” yet back then, we knew we could create something special.
Co-Optimus: Are the stories and worlds of the Cat Quest games connected in any way?
Desmond: Yes, every Cat Quest game is part of the same universe and world. Because of this there are recurring characters that appear in every Cat Quest game. The central villain of the Cat Quest series is also an omnipresent force that is manipulating events in each game as well.
That being said, each Cat Quest game is a unique, standalone story that does not require any prior knowledge of previous titles.
Co-Optimus: Looking at Cat Quest III, how long was the game in development, and were you able to reuse much of the code and tools from Cat Quest II?
Desmond: Development of Cat Quest III started in earnest about 2 years ago. Before that, the team was in pre-production for about a year. All in all, I would say Cat Quest III took about three years to develop.
Because we wanted to create an experience that felt fresh and new, rather than reusing code from Cat Quest II, we opted to reference that and rewrite the game instead. This allowed us to reevaluate every mechanic from the ground up to see how they could be streamlined and improved.
Co-Optimus: Can you tell us about the premise and story of Cat Quest III?
Desmond: Cat Quest III takes place in the Purribean, a part of the world far from Felingard (where the previous two games took place). The Purribean is a largely lawless land filled with pirates and catventurers seeking their fortune.
Legend also tells of how the North Star itself fell from the heavens, and anyone who could find it would have their deepest desires fulfilled. For decades, pirates have searched for this treasure but to no avail.
Our story begins when Captain Cappey finds a baby kitten with the power to seek out this legendary treasure, thus starting a quest of epic purrportions~!
Co-Optimus: Cat Quest II‘s big addition over the original game was 2-player local co-op. Does Cat Quest III bring any big new features to the table?
Desmond: The biggest new addition in Cat Quest III is a pirate ship that players can use to sail around and do battle in the Purribean! The pirate ship is smooth and easy to control, making it feel different from ships in other games. In addition to that, we’ve revamped almost every mechanic and system in Cat Quest III, so everything feels tighter and fresh again.
Co-Optimus: RPGs typically feature vast worlds to explore. How has the map changed in the new game?
Desmond: With the addition of a ship, the world in Cat Quest III had to be much bigger to accommodate something that could cover such big distances so easily. We also had to take a slightly different approach to designing the world; instead of a single large landmass like in previous games, the Purribean is made up of smaller landmasses tied together by the ocean.
Additionally, one of the new design goals was to make exploration much more open so the entire world is available to players right from the beginning. This necessitated a rethink of how we spaced out our quests and the visual feedback we needed to give players on the difficulty of specific regions in the world.
Co-Optimus: What is combat like in Cat Quest III?
Desmond: Cat Quest III is a real-time action game where combat is tight and responsive. Players have a single attack button, and four hotkeys for the many spells in the game. In addition, Cat Quest III allows players to swap between a melee and long ranged weapon at any time for greater options in battle.
Another new addition is how we’ve approached designing equipment this time; almost every weapon does something unique, and although the general controls remain simple, the things players can do change quite drastically depending on the gear equipped. This allows us to add a huge amount of depth while still keeping the game simple to understand.
Co-Optimus: What is co-op like in Cat Quest III, and has anything about the cooperative experience changed in this installment?
Desmond: Cat Quest III offers a completely seamless drop-in drop-out experience. At any time, players can enable co-op mode at any save point (which we call Rest Beakons), and a second cat will instantly drop in.
This differs from Cat Quest II because the second cat is no longer controlled by an AI if players choose to play the single-player mode. We had a lot of feedback from fans that they wanted a true single-player experience, and we’re happy to be able to offer that this time!
Co-Optimus: Speaking of co-op, both players share the same ship as they navigate the seas. How did you decide on this approach to sailing in co-op?
Desmond: Both players can control the ship equally, and the game will accept the input from both players to hilarious effect. This was completely intentional as we were inspired by Overcooked and how every player could control the van as it roamed the overworld.
Ultimately, we realized it was more fun to allow players to organically assign roles to themselves (one player is the ‘Captain’ while the other is the ‘Furst Mate’) rather than the game forcing it.
Co-Optimus: Cat Quest III is coming to all the major consoles as well as Steam. In fact, the Steam version is already verified for Steam Deck, Valve’s portable gaming device. Did you have to do anything special to get the game (or previous installments) running well on Steam Deck?
Desmond: Besides making sure the game runs well and looks great on the Steam Deck (the text is big enough to read, etc.), there was nothing special we had to do. Valve has a great system already going with very little extra development needed.
Co-Optimus: Finally, is there anything you’re proud of about Cat Quest III that we haven’t already touched on?
Desmond: I think the team is very proud of the level of variety and openness in Cat Quest III. In terms of sheer depth and things to do, this is the biggest and deepest game we’ve ever created. There are also many secrets tucked away for players to find, and some are so hidden we don’t think a regular player will ever find them!
We’re super excited for people to experience the full game come August 8th!
Cat Quest III will arrive on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam on Thursday, August 8, which is National Cat Day. The digital version will sell for $19.99. Physical versions for PlayStation 5 and Switch are available to preorder for $29.99 on Amazon. We’ll have a full co-op review soon!