Dogs And Cats Living Together, Mass Hysteria: An Undercat Review

By Al

Players: 1-2
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

Today we'll be looking at a game that mixes action platforming and stealth gameplay in a way that I don't think I've ever seen before. Undercat is a new game that comes to us by way of developer Sparky Tail Games, and publisher OverGamez. It's out now on just about every major platform, and we're going to be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version in this review. Choosing a side in the war between the animals is no easy task, so let's cut the intro short, and get right into it!

Undercat takes place in a very Zootopia-style world where all animals have signed a peace pact, and live in harmony in a great city known as The Citadel. This long-running peace is cut short when the Cats decide that they want all power for themselves. Soon all animals realize that they have to either side with the Cats, or face expulsion from The Citadel. Being forced to live outside of the City is almost certainly a death sentence, but there are those who seek to restore the previous peace. Placed into this crazy scene is Chips, a dog who joined The Resistance and vows to stop the Cats by any means. He's also the character you'll be playing as. The Resistance may be small, but they have the skills to get the job done. More important than skills, they have a plan. They slowly work their way into the city, picking up any defectors along the way, and work to dismantle the Cat supremacy one task at a time. Now I'd be lying if I said I understood the story more than what I've already said, as there isn't a whole lot of it told to the player in-game. Instead of long cutscenes, there's an opening animation that sets things up, and from there you get a handful of scenes between levels. I actually don't even know the names of most of the characters. The main Cat Leader, the dog that acts as Player Two, or even the other animals that make up The Resistance might as well be nameless. Though I do think the game could've done a better job relaying this information by simply attaching names to speech bubbles, I applaud the developers for giving us such a well-developed story in the first place. This could've very easily been a Cats vs. Dogs platformer with no story sequences at all, but instead we get a story that drew me enough that I tried in vain to learn more about it online. Unfortunately, nothing short of restarting the game and paying more attention the second time around will help in that regard. Anyway, none of that is all that important in the grand scheme of things, so let's move the discussion towards gameplay.

Usually when I have trouble discussing gameplay, it's because a game doesn't have much of it to begin with. That's pretty much the exact opposite of the problem I have with Undercat, as there is so much here that I don't really know where to begin. Looking at screenshots you might assume that Undercat is some sort of action platformer, and you'd partially be right, but it arguably plays more like a stealth game than anything else. Each level is one big open area that you're able to tackle in a non-linear way. Each stage has a goal that's laid out in the beginning, and these usually involve getting a certain number of items, rescuing an NPC, or defeating a specific boss or enemy. How you reach those goals is up to you, but you also have to make your way back to the exit once you've completed them. By default you have three lives, and getting hit by anything takes at least one heart away. Certain attacks, and most especially bombs, can one-hit kill you, but thankfully these are relatively rare. Besides using a bomb yourself, enemies can't actually be killed. Chips has no direct attack on his own, and his main form of defense is grabbing enemies or items. You're only able to pick up an enemy to stop them, or stun them for a bit by hitting them with a thrown object. Thrown objects can be boxes or items, or even other enemies as well. Since you don't have a proper direct attack, sneaking up on enemies is often necessary. This is where the stealth elements come into play. You're able to hide in bushes or trash piles, and you can even use some boxes for cover in a very Metal Gear sort of way. Since you can't kill enemies outright, you'll more often than not be forced to collect them all (by throwing them of course) into an unused part of the level. This keeps them out of your hair, but also makes that area all but inaccessible. While that covers a lot of the basics, there's a few advanced gameplay mechanics that warrant further discussion.

I have to admit right off the bat that I found Undercat to be very hard during much of my early playthrough, and that was because I didn't properly understand the stealth mechanics. Thankfully the game is very accessible, and you're able to load yourself up with ten lives at any time via the options menu. I used this a bit more than I care to admit, but I eventually learned the proper way to play the game by the end of my time with it. Hiding and attacking when the opportunity presents itself is very key to successfully completing any challenge. Some locks require the use of specific enemies to open them. The in-game reason for this has to do with facial recognition locks, but I also think this is the developer's way of giving a reason as to why you're not able to kill enemies outright. Also, because the levels are big open spaces with various goals, getting lost can be quite easy. Thankfully you can crouch and sniff out secrets or hidden items at any time. This is an important skill to remember, as it pretty much eliminates any of those "Where do I go next?" type moments. There's also coins, a series of collectables, and health pick-ups, throughout the game. Health pick-ups are self-explanatory, and the collectables are pretty much only for completionist purposes, but the coins are a bit more important. Undercat doesn't have a lives system, and each time you die, you respawn at the last checkpoint minus a few coins for the trouble. Besides acting as a sort of lives system (Though not really since you still respawn if you have 0 coins.), you can also use these coins to buy items at the Resistance HQ that you can use in the stages themselves. These items are used for healing, attacking, or even to put all nearby enemies to sleep. I rarely used these in my playthough, but they really can help out in some of the game's tougher sections. And that's pretty much it, you go through what are essentially three sets of levels, and make your way to the Cat's inner sanctum. Lastly, while there are boss battles to be had, I think those are best experienced on one's own, so I won't get too much into them here.

Even though I really enjoyed Undercat once I got into it, I couldn't help but feel that some parts of the game felt very cheap and unforgiving. Some traps, like spikes and crushing pillars, are hard to dodge thanks to the game's floaty controls. Everything just feels slippery, and it's one of those things that's hard to describe unless you're playing the game yourself. I guess I could say that it feels like every level has a sort of light ice mechanic to them, but that doesn't properly describe the issues I had with the controls. While you do have full control of Chips, including where he jumps and lands, the margin of error for landing in a safe place always felt extremely tight. Then there's enemy placement that just feels like it's meant to be cruel for the sake of being cruel. There were entire sections I felt that I either had to turn on ten lives, or bring in another player, in order to beat them. I guess that's where item usage could've saved the day, but it can be frustrating fighting the same sections over and over again, especially if you manage to place enemies in an area you know is going to be detrimental to you later on if you're forced to respawn. Don't think I'm not going to mention that you can't kill enemies again, because that's the also the single most annoying aspect of the game. I don't care if it's for in-game face recognition, or simply the developers trying to make the game more family friendly, but I hated the fact that taking out enemies was always a temporary thing. If Super Mario games can get away with permanently killing enemies, so can Undercat. Though I have more than a few complaints with how the gameplay works here, I have to say that I truly enjoyed the game for the most part. I don't think I've played a game that mixes puzzle-solving, action platforming, and stealth gameplay in quite this way. I guess it makes sense that some hiccups would happen along the way when you have such an eclectic mix of genres, but I don't think I can be faulted for wishing the game stuck its landing.

Even though I just ranted about a few negatives, I want to move on to one of the places where Undercat really shines: Its visuals. The game uses pixel-based graphics that not only look amazing, but are also smoothly animated. There's a lot of variety in both friendly and enemy character designs, and there's a uniqueness to just about every level. I think the latter is most impressive, as the game really doesn't have a very broad setting to work with. Even the Player Two dog, whose name I don't know, has a certain "Luigi"-like feel to him that made me want to play the game as him instead of Chips. I also have to point out that I never experienced anything crazy slowdown-wise on the Switch, even though the gameplay got very intense at times. There were a few parts of the game, mainly when playing multiplayer, when the camera zoomed really far out displaying practically all of the level, and I was impressed by how well the game still played. I was expecting my Switch to start fighting for its life at that point, but I'm pleased to note that it didn't in the least. I guess I can complain about the fact that the icons showing which enemy is needed for the facial recognition locks can be rather small and fuzzy, but that's literally me trying to find something bad. Obviously the graphics aren't going to push the hardware limits of any of the platforms that this game is on, but they really pull off a retro look that manages to have a lot of modern touches, and not every game out there can say that.

Musically, Undercat features a soundtrack that is mostly filled with upbeat tunes that sound decidedly retro. There weren't any tracks that particularly stuck out to me, nor can I truly recall any as of this writing, but the music accentuated the game well, and there wasn't a single piece of music that felt out of place. Sound effects fared just as well too, with everything feeling more than a little cartoon-y. One minor gripe though would have to be the game's lack of voice acting in any form. I often complain about smaller titles not featuring voice acting, as its inclusion can sometimes push a game over the edge into greatness. Even when a game doesn't feature it, I always appreciate the inclusion of various typing sounds, or even Animal Crossing-esque nonsense syllables. Undercat features none of these, and it's probably the biggest missed opportunity I've seen in a game so far. The game's world is so colorful, vibrant, and full of life, and having no voice acting in any form just feels off. I know I'm harping on something that I'm sure was outside of the development budget and schedule, but I truly think it would've helped out a lot here presentation-wise. Anyway, I won't let that affect my score, but it is the one thing I felt was lacking from the game besides the controls.

No matter how you cut it, Undercat is a rather short game. Most players will probably be able to clear it in a couple of hours their first time through. Obtaining all the collectables and sidequests will take a bit longer, but that sort of completionist stuff will only add another hour or so, probably less if you turn on ten lives. While I do feel that the core game offers more than enough content to justify its price, the inclusion of multiplayer is what really helps extends the life of this game beyond simply beating the Story Mode. Every single aspect of Undercat can be played with two players, from the main game to a series of versus stages. The multiplayer stages take the form of racing, or completing a set number of tasks before your opponent. They're rather simple in execution, but I had a lot of fun with them, and I can see them being tossed into a game night's rotation. There are also a lot of levels that are unique to these multiplayer versus sections too, so they're worth checking out at least once if you want to see everything the game has to offer. Besides those levels, a second player can join in at any time during the main game. This makes certain levels far easier to complete, but players can also use this to essentially create additional versus levels on a much bigger scale. I should mention that the multiplayer is local-only, but I don't think this type of game would've worked very well with online multiplayer anyway. Even though I was more than satisfied with the main game, the multiplayer is what's going to make sure that I keep this game around for quite a while yet.

Though I can't help but feel that the current $14.99 asking price seems just a tad high ($9.99 would've been a much easier sell in my opinion), I do think that Undercat deserves the fullest of recommendations. I had a lot of fun with the single player story mode, and the game opens up completely once you find a friend willing to take on the role of Player Two. I hope that we get some sort of follow-up to this game in the future, as there were a lot of aspects to the game, such as the Metal Gear-esque stealth mechanics, that I feel can be expanded upon. Grab it on whatever platform you can, and thank me later. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some cats I need to shake down for coins!

Check Out Undercat on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/undercat-switch/

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Story: A-
Gameplay: B+
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A-
Value: B

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ A unique mix of action platforming, puzzle solving, and stealth gameplay.
+ Though told in a way that leaves me wondering who everyone is, the story is far more vibrant than one expects to find in a game like this.
+ Graphics and music are both on point, and it runs perfectly on the Switch even when there's a lot going on in-game.
+ The ability to raise triple your health, and to use in-game items, makes Undercat accessible to players of all skill levels.
+ Multiplayer adds another layer to the game, and while the main game benefits from it, the multiplayer levels are what will bring players back.

Cons:
- The controls can feel very floaty and slippery.
- Could've really benefited from some type of voice acting.
- Some stages feel needlessly difficult due to enemy and hazard placement.
- The fact that you can't attack enemies directly, or kill them even, makes for an occasionally frustrating experience.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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I feel like this is just me going home.

#Undercat