Game Review: Beef Cat Ultra

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox One, XBox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

I got into the Vampire Survivors really late, and only started playing around Christmas of last year. Just like countless gamers before me, I found myself addicted to the gameplay loop, and sought out other games like it. That search has brought me to Beef Cat Ultra, a survivors-like game that's out now on just about every major platform. We're going to be taking a look at it on the Nintendo Switch here, though I'm sure it's the same across all of its versions. There's really no need for further intro, so let's just get to the review!

Much to my surprise, Beef Cat Ultra features a story. Then again it's one that's so silly, that I wonder if it's even worth going over. The game takes place in the world of Beeflandia, and our hero is a cat named Beef Cat. He and his buddies lived a calm life until a certain Big Guy brought an end to all of the peace and tranquility they were enjoying. That is his exact name by the way, this game features a main villain named "Big Guy". Beef Cat then goes on a journey to stop Big Guy and his henchmen, and he collects his other animal friends along the way. I'd be lying if I said the plot wasn't worth a chuckle or two, but I also wondered why it was there at all. Maybe it was added as an afterthought, since most of the plot is told to you via text-only screens. It really won't get in the way of things if you don't feel like bothering with it at all, and it's a nice touch for those who care about such things. As I said earlier, I'm just surprised it's there at all.

Beef Cat Ultra is a survivors-type game, but one that breaks up its gameplay into smaller chunks. Beef Cat attacks automatically, and enemies will come at him at a constant rate. Each level has their own obstacles, and helpful items spawn in along with the enemies. Instead of surviving through a single level with bonus objectives scattered throughout, like you would in a standard survivors game, Beef Cat Ultra gives you level-based challenges that you can complete in about 3-5 minutes. These individual stages have goals like reaching the exit, defeating a certain number of a particular enemy type, or even the standard survival mode. Completing each stage gives you coins, and you use these to unlock more of the overworld map that acts as your main hub. Losing a level doesn't net you any rewards, though you do get to keep any money you've picked up. Opening up more of the overworld map means more stages to complete, and this pattern continues until you reach the boss of the current world. The boss stages function like any other stage, but you'll have to also defeat whichever of Big Guy's minions call that area home. Beating a boss lets you move on to the next world, and that pretty much lays out the gameplay loop.

If Beef Cat Ultra only offered level-based survivors-type gameplay, I'd be all in, but it has several quirks that are sure to appeal to fans of the genre. The overworld map itself gives the player a lot of choices, as you don't actually have to beat every level in a world to move on. Since you only need a specific number of coins to continue, you can simply skip levels that you don't like. Think of the stars in Super Mario 64, and you have an idea of how level progression works here. Another aspect that keeps this game unique is how it handles character growth. Beef Cat's skills reset to their base form after each stage, but you can power him up very quickly if you know what to do. Instead of simply relying on level ups to become more powerful, the game throws in item mechanics that give the game a sort of action RPG feel. Level ups will grant you bonuses like an increase in attack, a wider pickup radius, or more health, but you'll need to hunt down items if you want to have a more attacks at your disposal. Weapons, powerups, and other items are all scattered about, so you'll also have to wander around if you want to survive longer than a minute or two. Those used to camping in a small area until they win are in for a shock here, as some exploration is required no matter how small the task at hand is. These changes to the standard survivors-type formula can take a bit of getting used to, but I came to appreciate they added to the overall experience.

There's actually a bit more to the overworld map that I should cover before moving on. I mentioned earlier that Beef Cat has friends, and you can recruit said friends by visiting their houses. These houses are often placed behind gates that you'll need coins to pass, but adding them to your roster is a simple matter of picking them their spot on the map. These other characters all have different starting weapons, with some being better suited to certain level types over others. I didn't mention it earlier, but the game has several unique weapons. Beef Cat starts with a fish on a string, and other weapons include eggs that hatch enemies, bombs that take out several enemies at once via a timer, and weapons that can attack from long range. Any weapon can be picked up in-game by any character, but you can guarantee getting one by selecting the character that starts with it. Besides changing up the gameplay, there's also an indicator that shows you which characters have completed certain levels. This means that completionists will have their work cut out for them if they want to go for a 100% run. The final overworld map spaces worth talking about are the shops. Shops provide permanent upgrades to all characters. These upgrades are the same as those you'll find in the level up system, but they can be added permanently using money collected in each of the stages. Money actually is the only other collectable besides the stage-unlocking coins, and you'll need a lot if you want to get all the available upgrades. All of this made for a surprisingly deep game, and one that I had a blast playing to the very end.

Presentation-wise Beef Cat Ultra goes for a retro Game Boy aesthetic in both sound design and visuals. The graphics are all pixel-based, and the soundtrack is full of chiptune music. The basic monster designs are a bit on the generic side, but that slight negative is made up for with the rest of the cast. Not only are all the protagonists well-designed, but so are the bosses. Each world is also visually unique, as are the enemies you'll find within them. Seeing as the Game Boy wasn't exactly a graphical powerhouse, it makes sense that things can look a bit simplistic after a while. Thankfully the game's brisk pace won't let you dwell on that thought for long, and the game's overall charm is sure to win you over by the end. I should also remind readers that I played this game on the Nintendo Switch, and didn't notice any notable performance issues. I honestly thought the game was going to crash whenever gigantic, screen-filling swaths of enemies came after me, but my console managed to handle everything in stride. I'm sure the game will run better on more modern platforms, but you don't have to worry if the Switch is the only option open to you.

Even though the gameplay loop does get a bit tiresome after a while, Beef Cat Ultra has plenty of content to keep one occupied for several hours on end. Players can go forge a direct path to each of the bosses to win in the fastest way possible, or they can go at a slower pace and clear each and every challenge the game has to offer. I fell into the latter camp, though I have to admit that even I was finding it hard to stay motivated once I reached the final world. The difficulty in Beef Cat Ultra is a bit higher than what's found in your typical survivors game, and the final world can be quite the endurance challenge. The game isn't so hard as to put off people from playing it, but it may not feel as rewarding when compared to something more beginner friendly like Vampire Survivors. Then again, there are probably plenty of gamers out there who would prefer the challenge. No matter which side of that argument you fall on, the game currently comes with a very reasonable price tag of just $6.99. That is a rather standard price point for the genre, but it also makes it so that one can easily pick it up on a whim alone.

While I do have to point out that the challenge is quite a bit higher than other games in the genre, I'm still of the mind that Beef Cat Ultra is a game worth playing. It's fun, it's quirky, and it features additions to the survivors-type gameplay formula that I'd like to see in other games. It's a must-buy for those looking for something to sink their teeth into after finishing Vampire Survivors, and it can also serve as an entry point for those who have never played a game like this before. Pick it up on whatever platform you can, and get to swinging that fish! See you in the next one!

Check Out Beef Cat Ultra on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/beef-cat-ultra-switch/

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

Overall: A-

Pros:
+ Takes the gameplay loop popularized by Vampire Survivors, and tosses in shorter, single-object, level-based gameplay.
+ The story and characters are so ridiculous that they end up coming off as charming and endearing.
+ Features a retro Game Boy aesthetic that is captured perfectly in both the sound and visuals.
+ There's a lot of content here, and players can make the choice as to how much they want to see.
+ Priced very reasonably at just $6.99.

Cons:
- The difficulty level is quite a bit higher than other games in the genre.
- Considering how this game adds in a lot of new gameplay quirks, it can take a bit of getting used to.
- Like all games in the genre, the core gameplay loop can become stale after a while.

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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Up and at them!