Written by Tanner Banks, August 10 2016, at 1:19 p.m.
When the Slickster Magazine team walked down the aisles of indie games at Indy PopCon we had no idea what we were in for. The first thing we saw was a video of a pilot cat and Nazi-dog singing an operatic duet about killing each other. Intrigued, we strolled over to the booth.
When we started playing the game, the team placed a magic spell on us. Or at least they must have, because we kept coming back, over and over. (And over.) If we had some free time we’d go back and play the game. Our photographer Anthony was practically ripped out of his seat when we had to go interview another developer. The game in question, was SpaceCats in Space!
Kick Ass Kickstarter: SpaceCats in Space!
This twin-stick space shooter is an addictive masterpiece. The story follows the kingdom of Meowfyre’s rebellion against the dogs of the Grolich Empire. Featuring bomber strikes, wingman assistance and RPG-like leveling, it’s up to the player to help the battle to stop OberLuft Kommandant Arnuld Von Schloss and the vast Grolich war machine. The game is absolute pandemonium from top to bottom and the team is a hard working group of lovable nerds. Check out the trailer for the Kickstarter.
This game was built from the ground up to be one thing: fun. Everything about this game is directed towards being fun. The writing is fun, the team behind it, Robotic Potato, is a lot of fun, the gameplay is a fuck-ton of fun.
Writing
The concept of dog fighting (or would it be cat fighting?) in space against Nazi-dogs sounds hilarious. Not only does it sound hilarious, it is hilarious. The dialogue between characters is natural, flows well, and genuinely funny. Whether it’s the cat squadron squabbling before a mission, the OberLuft Kommandant Arnuld Von Schloss barking orders, or the cut scenes, writing is snappy, briskly paced, and entertaining. All the characters are written to have their own unique personality that shows. A personal favorite of mine was Flight Officer Art Buckle, a fat cat whose gruff demeanor reminds me of my old cat Yak.
The visual novel aspect of the game provides a good backstory to everything and gives you choices that directly affect the next level that you play. Will you choose to increase your ammunition, or elect for more health?
Team
I had the chance to meet some of the developers for SpaceCats in Space! while at Indy PopCon. They were fully engaged with anyone who ever came by their booth, showing true enthusiasm for not only their games, but games in general. The dedication really showed with their game. They talked about it as it it were their child, rather than a game they made. The best example of enthusiasm for the project came from the Art Director Rachel Lewis. Not only did she move to work closer with the team, she moved from Australia to New York to help make this indie game. While moving for work is nothing new, to do so to be a part of what is essentially a startup, that is dedication.
The CEO Alexander Lau, is a talented man, working as the lead programmer, business director, and writer. Everybody on this team talks about the work they do with excitement, instead of exasperation. Doing what you love makes working hard so much easier, and every member loves what they do.
Gameplay
The gameplay for SpaceCats in Space! is frenetic and action packed. Any time you have enemies on the screen, they’re ALL OVER the screen. The amount of fire and explosions happening make the game feel like a bullet hell at times. In the middle of all the hell fire is you and your wingmen. When you’re not tearing through the Grolich empire with a friend, the computer takes over and helps out with the fight. The best part about your NPC wingmen/wingcats is that they actually help you out. They help pull some of the fire off your rear, while returning fire to help thin the ranks.
Weapons upgrade over the course of the game according to your choices. Fret not though, its not going to be peashooters and pop guns at the start. It starts out satisfying and become gun-gasmic as time goes on. Guns, and Lasers and Bombs, Oh my! The fighting is fast paced action, and the bosses? Oh god the last boss was a bitch. And it dog piloting it was a male dog! With so much happening at once, the room clearing laser is a must have. And man, does it feel good to use.
Final Thoughts
Go back this game, right MEOW. SpaceCats in Space! is a game that is so good on so many levels that it needs to be made. It’s taking a classic story telling element of re-imagining WWII combat and making it something original. The concept of the game should not work, but it does. It works because it pulls no punches and goes all in on everything. The jokes. The gameplay. The product. Everything. Every part about this game is great and is so good that I used my non-existent bank account to make a donation myself. Because SpaceCats in Space! is that. Damn. Good.
So go out and support the kickstarter by sharing it and donating.
Check out their social media to stay up to date on all things SpaceCats:
Twitter: Space Cats in Space & Robotic Potato
Facebook: Space Cats in Space & Robotic Potato