I have said it before and I will probably end up saying it again, once was old is new again. Games are getting rebooted and remastered almost every week. Some are classics that get a new twist, while others are updated for new generations of consoles. Almost 5 years ago Manekoware released Catlateral Damage for Playstation, Switch and PC. They have now updated the title and released Catlateral Damage ReMEOWstered Edition for those consoles, as well as the Xbox.
If you missed the original game we will give you a brief re-cap. You play as a cat who has been left alone and just wants to create chaos. Your goal is to knock as many things as you can onto the floor. You can jump, crawl, meow, swipe and poke to your hearts content. Once you clear an area you can move onto a new, usually larger location. Along the way you will also collect pictures of real cats and find ways to level up your abilities.
The ReMEOWstered edition adds to the game in many ways. While the locations are pretty much the same, game play has been changed to make it a little more challenging. The game begins with Goal mode. Each location will have a different set of goals. Collect toys, shred curtains, knock over a set number of items, or the like. While these are all fairly easy to complete, you must do it with just a small amount of energy. Every time you move, jump, or swipe your precious feline will lose some of items energy, and once you are out, the level ends. Luckily, there is a way to refill your energy. Through out levels there are areas that you can nap in to regain energy, and you can even eat to get that tank refilled.
As you complete goals you will earn progress in unlocking the next area. Some areas are locked with keys that will appear once you have completed a specific level. You can replay levels as many times as you want to complete the goals or find collectables. Once you have cleared goal mode it is on to Procedural. This mode will allow you to pick a location, and it will give you a random set of goals to complete. This is a great way to earn treats and items to level up your cat.
Your cat will not make it through if you don’t level them up. You can increase their total energy, how fast they can move, how high they can jump, and even how hard they hit things. They are even special skills that will allow you to gain more energy from naps or eating things and even double jump. This skill is particularly handy when trying to clear items off of high shelves or cabinets. The max movement speed can be a bit too fast, but you will learn to control it in a level or so.
The graphics in the game are good. While slightly cartoony, it is very easy to figure out what each item is, either in the world or on the goal list. I did play the original on PS4, but that was 5 years ago and I no longer own the system to be able to compare the 2 games side to side. I do feel that some of the animal models are a bit crisper this time around. Also a moth was added to the game as an objective, while the red laser pointer dot was removed. The moth seems more appropriate since the cat is supposed to be home alone.
The game is basically destroying everything and finding pictures of real cats to add to your collection. There are a total of 300 cat pictures, but they can be earned in a variety of ways. Find them in game, earn them for completing objectives, or buy them with treats earned for completing goals. You can also collect treats in game by playing with toys, scratching curtains, or just breaking open bags of treats you find. The pictures of real cats appear in a gallery and are totally worth collecting them all. Some are even playable characters in the game.
If you never played the original version of Catlateral Damage I would totally recommend you grab the ReMEOWstered Edition. Even if you played the original, the updated title has enough to do to keep you busy for hours. Available on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and Steam Catlateral Damage : ReMEOWstered Edition is a fun simulator and a great way to blow off steam.
