Introduction
Basic information
Developer Name: The Gentlebros
Full Name: Cat Quest II
Release Date: 2019 (PS5 via backward compatibility)
Released on: PS5 (BC), PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Cross Play: Not applicable (local co-op and single-player with AI partner)
Initial thoughts
We were overly interested in playing this co-op game together. Within the first hour, the loop clicked: one of us drew aggro and controlled space with melee and shields while the other weaved in spells, DoTs, and bursts. Gear drops continually nudged us to swap roles, so cooperation felt fluid rather than scripted.
Story and setting
Plot overview
A buoyant fable about a feline king and a canine king uniting rival realms. It’s a road trip of short quests, dungeon crawls, and boss dust-ups wrapped in wordplay that somehow stays cute rather than cloying.
World building and immersion
Archetypal leads, but animation sells personality. The cat’s regal swagger against the dog’s eager bounce. Side characters add texture with one-line gags that double as lightweight lore.
Character development
Co-op amplifies emotional beats: rescues, reunions, and final pushes land better when you both clutch the controller during low-HP scrambles. It’s cozy rather than dramatic, which fits the tone.
Emotional impact
Overworld biomes feel distinct (plains, tundra, volcanic ridges), and towns act as cheerful pit stops. The map is dense with optional caves and trials; you’re never more than a few steps from a detour that rewards curiosity.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story, and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 8
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
Snappy real-time action: dodge-rolls with generous I-frames, melee weapons with clear arcs, and a spell system that rewards timing. Mana regenerates on hits, encouraging proactive play and co-op combos (freeze → shatter, oil → fire, stun → burst).
Difficulty and balance
Baseline accessibility is high; optional dungeons and higher-level zones add teeth. The game rarely hard-gates, if you wander into a tough cave, it lets you try, learn patterns, and come back stronger rather than scolding you.
Pacing of the game
Perfect for two players: compact dungeons, fast travel nodes, and frequent upgrades. Even short sessions feel productive, while longer runs become satisfying region clears.
Innovation and uniqueness
The dual-monarch setup isn’t just flavor; many gear sets and spells interlock in ways that make two-player synergy feel designed, not incidental.
Controls and user interface
Tight movement, forgiving roll windows, and readable enemy telegraphs. Quick-swap for spells and tidy menus minimize downtime. Shared-screen framing keeps both players visible even in hectic arenas.
Microtransactions
None. Progression is earned through play, not purchases.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing, and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 8.8.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
Storybook clarity: bold silhouettes, saturated colors, and animations that telegraph states (charging, casting, stunned) at a glance, ideal for couch co-op readability.
Technical performances
On PS5 (BC), performance is stable with very short loads and smooth combat even during heavy spell spam. Rumble is standard and unobtrusive.
Environment and design uniqueness
Biomes have visual identity and distinct enemy mixes that gently push you toward different tools (ice in deserts, fire in tundra, etc.), keeping builds fresh.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 8.5.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
Buoyant overworld themes and triumphant dungeon stingers that lift momentum without tiring the ear. Boss cues ramp tension effectively.
Sound effects quality
Crisp hit sounds, clean spell tells, and helpful audio warnings for enemy wind-ups, useful when the screen is busy.
Voice Acting
None, beyond expressive text and creature noises, which suits the fairy-tale presentation.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 8.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
A full campaign plus a generous lattice of optional caves, trials, and secrets. The map steadily fills with icons that make one more discovery irresistible.
Extra Content
Post-game cleanup and revisiting high-level caves with new builds. Mix-and-match gear sets to discover fresh synergies (tank + burn, slow + crit, DoT + lifesteal).
Replay value
High for co-op pairs: swap roles on a second run, chase 100%, or challenge yourselves with under-leveled routes and minimalist gear. Whatever floats your boat!
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Cat Quest 2 with an 8.3.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
Add scalable difficulty modifiers (enemy speed, damage, elite affixes) for a bespoke NG+.
Introduce timed arena rush or boss gauntlets tuned for two-player coordination.
More late-game set bonuses that trigger on cooperative actions (e.g., combo finishers).
Comparisons
Think Zelda-lite exploration blended with Diablo-lite timing. Leaner than a full ARPG, friendlier than a hardcore roguelite. For couples’ co-op, it sits comfortably alongside titles like Overcooked and It Takes Two as a lower-stress, higher-smile option.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
My wife and I enjoyed cruising through every cave and collecting gear, upgrading, and the story was amazing! Our favorite flow: I’d freeze a pack, she’d swap to a heavy weapon for shatter crits, then we’d roll through the follow-up AoE. The gear treadmill never felt grindy; it felt like steady encouragement to try a new duet.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Cat Quest 2, I give it a personal rating of 9.
Last words
Pros
- Seamless couch co-op designed into every system
- Responsive dodge-rolls with readable enemy telegraphs
- Mana-on-hit loop encourages coordinated aggression
- Spell elements that combine naturally for team plays
- Gear sets that meaningfully shift roles and strategies
- Compact dungeons ideal for short sessions
- Fast travel, clear questing, and minimal downtime
- Bright, readable art with excellent combat clarity
- Stable performance and snappy loading on PS5 (BC)
- Zero microtransactions; progression feels earned
- Optional tougher caves for skill checks
- Friendly, pun-laden writing that supports the tone
- Simple, effective UI and quick-swap spell wheels
- Great after-work game for couples or families
Cons
- Story is pleasant but light; few dramatic crescendos
- Camera can feel tight with multiple big AoEs on screen
- Build depth is intentionally streamlined vs. full ARPGs
- Some late-game boss patterns repeat with minor variations
Cat Quest II is a model of approachable co-op design: generous with rewards, respectful of your time, and constantly encouraging teamwork. If you want a cheerful campaign that you can truly play together, this is an easy recommendation on PS5.
FINAL RATING
8.5
Please let me know what you think of Cat Quest 2 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review. I hope to see you in the next review!
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Do you love cats? Do you love going on quests? Well do I have the game for you. Also the strats variety are pretty good as well.
There are indeed a lot of builds in this game!
i had first one game, so with that review point i could take this one too 🙂
You should try out the sequel as well!
I played the first one, which I really enjoyed. I’m glad to see that the second one is just as good.
Yes, we should review part three as well!
CAT QUEST!!!!! Btw you should revisit the game in singleplayer, it can be uniquely different to the co-op experience. Instead of there being a cat and a dog playing together, you can swap between playing as a cat or dog which basically means that can swap to another build on the fly during combat. I’m not sure if there’s enough complexities for ARPG build for it to be worth spending lots of time on it but I thought it was a neat way of differentiating solo play.
Thats nice, i liked some games that lets such changes/swaps on fly (Home Sheep Home 2, Pyre and some other). Good for both single player and co-op.
I had no idea how different it would be in single player. Who knows, I might try it one day.
I agree that having difficulty options would make the game even better.
I believe as of now there is only new game+
Funnily enough, I never looked into this game before the Screenshot of the Week. I only saw the Steam/Epic thumbnails and thought I wouldn’t be interested in the game at all. Now it looks at least a bit interesting! Also, I never noticed there was a dog on the title art, lol.
It is indeed a dog; you might want to give it a whirl!
This game sounds like it’s a blast in co-op! Great review as always! 🙂
It was indeed a blast!
It’s a game with a low difficulty level that I can recommend to all kinds of people!
I remember it being a really fun game!
It was a very fun game!
From the review, I can see that this game is built with coop in mind, and it sounds like a lot of fun when the combo works. However, as the lone wolf I am, I will need to solo it when I get to try this game.
There is a single player mode as well.
I need to try part 3. I agree with almost all, camera could have been better and story is just okay. Gameplay is great for me! So addicting and fast, I love it.
The gameplay is indeed great!
I havent played the first game yet, but it might come off my backlog sooner
You should try the game!
The game looks overall wonderful, and you mentioned it is perfect for two players, good that they upgraded from 1 by adding co-op, now I only need someone to play it with. 🙂
I hope you can find someone to play this game with!
Nice arts and CATS 🙂 Great that you enjoyed your co-op play, in this mode Cat Quest is probably best? I read previously review of Cat Quest 3 and from what i remember CQ2 i in some cases more deep. Anyway i prefer more in depth games then CQ but for co-op it can be no doubt great fun.
I think we also have to review Cat Quest 3 in the future then!
I love the Cat Quest games. I enjoyed the first one, but Cat Quest 2 really improved upon pretty much every thing from the first one (and Cat Quest 3 was just as good).
Cat Quest 2 indeed improved a lot!
One of my friends loves cats. She has to try this game!
Tell her about it!
Sounds like coop is really good implemented in this one!
Sounds fun.
It is indeed a lot of fun!
uh, another game that looks really cool and is still sitting in my library untouched. time to get it out. we do love a good coop 😀
Who doesn’t love a good co-op?
It’s nice to have a good game like this to play in coop
Yes, it is indeed a fun game to co-op!
Looks to be a fun co-op experience! 🙂
A fun co-op experience is the best!
OK, so this seems like a nearly perfect co-op game, but there’s one thing lacking in it – ONLINE co-op. That shared-screen co-op can be hard to play on when lots of things happen on the screen, like you mentioned, and the camera tries to follow both players, during which you can lose your character, lol.
In any case, looks like a very cool game, and glad you had lots of fun with it together. 😀
I am truly not a fan of online co-op, lol. Just give me plain old fashioned couch co-op. Most annoying when the game is built for two but only has online co-op.
I saw the third one on Steam, which came out a few months ago and got good reviews. This one looks really good too. I need to check out the first one…
Begin with the first game, the stories are linked together!
I’ll definitely have to try this! Looks super adorable and funny! It seems like a perfect balance of lighthearted and complex for all kinds of gaming styles!
You can play in a lot of ways!
So more lore depth while being a bit more dark, would alone take this game over a 9? Wow, thats a really good game already then!
I hope you will try this game one day!
I like this game and review. Maybe I will buy trilogy of Cat Quest
maybe you should!
I like this game and review. Maybe I will buy trilogy of Cat Quest .
Charming visuals and smooth co-op make it an easy game to enjoy, even if the story stays on the lighter side. I played the first one but not the second or third. Hopefully someday
I think you will enjoy it!