Catie in MeowmeowLand Switch Review – How Bizarre, How Bizarre
Catie in MeowmeowLand is a bizarre yet beautiful point-and-click adventure. Its art style stands out and its traditional nature is in many ways a breath of fresh air in the over-saturated market of modern-day point-and-click adventures.
So is Catie in MeowmeowLand just bizarre enough to hold your attention and entertain? Or is this just a bunch of cat b-holes to make you feel uncomfortable? Let’s find out!
In this beyond abstract and bizarre title, you play as Catie, a young girl who just happened to follow a white cat in her garden that mysteriously brought her to a faraway world known as MeowmeowLand. You exit out of the anus of a large white cat, and as if nothing past this point is strange, Catie just accepts this reality and tries to solve puzzles en route to the end.
I have to be honest, Catie in MeowmeowLand is not something I thought I would enjoy, but I just could not stop playing it. Each one-screen puzzle is so full of life and color, and it is amazing the amount of detail put into everything. In many ways, it looks like Salvador Dalà and Andy Warhol collaborated on this one, as the abstract design obviously borrows from popular artists while also being its own. For a point-and-click adventure, this is such a great setting, because this is exactly the style of game that will let you sit and absorb all that is happening on screen to truly appreciate it.
If this art style was used in any other game type, I don’t think the player would have the time or ability to truly see it. This is genuinely Catie in MeowmeowLand‘s greatest achievement! I was mesmerized at every corner, and it I cannot even begin to tell you my favorite areas. Since each screen presents its own flavor of strange characters and objects, there is so much more happening than simply the beautiful backgrounds and set designs. This is masterful artwork and some of the best I have ever seen in a video game.
There is no real story to Catie in MeowmeowLand, though, as we just get a series of bizarre transitions to different areas. We may get the occasional important detail via pictographs, but again, there is no consistent or coherent story, so if you are looking for that, this is not the game for you.
In regards to gameplay, this is your standard and quite traditional point-and-click adventure. The controls are simple and use the joystick to control a cursor that allows you to interact with characters and objects as you try to solve puzzles. Unlike other point-and-clicks, though, Catie in MeowmeowLand does not have the most complicated back-and-forth sequences where you need to collect and trade a series of items. Instead, this is a much simpler puzzle game where everything is subject to the screen at hand. It helps to eliminate any major confusion that other point-and-click games have, but the trade-off is that MeowmeowLand is quite easy by comparison.
The sound design is another area that excels tremendously. Although it is not quite as impressive as the art style, the game is complimented so much by the soundtrack and quirky sounds that comes from the various characters throughout. The relaxing soundtrack helps to keep the tone down as you attempt to solve the fun and at-times complicated puzzles. Seeing the aggression of certain characters is a fun change of tone that adds more to the screen, and hearing Catie’s call out when you click on her is just plain cute.
It is difficult to talk about Catie in MeowmeowLand more without spoiling things. When all is said and done, this is an affordable point-and-click experience with one of the prettiest, albeit strangest, settings in gaming history. The colors, designs, and characters are all exquisite, and this is all complimented tremendously thanks to the lovely soundtrack.
The one-screen puzzles are accessible and can be a bit too easy at times, which is not so great considering the game can be cleared easily in 3 hours. A little more challenge and depth in the puzzles could have elevated the value of the overall experience.
Despite that, Catie in MeowmeowLand is worth the the time just to see all of the art work. This is not the perfect point-and-click experience, but it is a unique one that you will not find anywhere else, and there is something to say about that alone.
Catie in MeowmeowLand Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: Blowfish Studios
Developer: ARTillery, Gamera Games
Release Date: April 28th, 2022
Price: $14.99, £9.99, €11,99
Game Size: 1.6 GB
Absolutely gorgeous art style
Excellent soundtrack and sound design
Fun, one-screen puzzles
Lack of story
Puzzles can be a bit easy, leading to a very short experience
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