Cat and Ghostly Road Review: Curiosity won't kill this cat

If cats are involved, so am I. This is my motto for most things in life. Naturally, when I was offered the opportunity to play Cat and Ghostly Road, there was no way I was going to decline. It isn’t just the allure of playing as a feline friend that piqued my interest, but the visuals of the game itself; there’s a lot of Little Misfortune and Fran Bow-esque elements to the aesthetic.

Beyond its appealing looks, however, is the curious world in which this loyal white cat inhabits. Filled with mysticism, folklore, and mystery, Cat and Ghostly Road isn’t for the faint of heart. Even more so if puzzles aren’t your forte. Which, I hasten to add, they’re not mine.

Can you save your master? It's time to find out in Cat and Ghostly Road!

Still, while I might not be the most seasoned problem solver, I find tenacity makes up for what I lack in smarts. And boy oh boy, did I feel like I was severely lacking in that department whilst playing this intriguing point-and-click PS5 adventure.

We open on a bleak prospect: our feline character freezing to death as they pitifully meow for help. At first, it looks as if their cries will go unanswered – a possibility that had tears pricking at the back of my eyes – but lo, a man hears those cries and rescues the cat. Disney has the monopoly on tragic beginnings, but Cat and Ghostly Road’s opening sequence gave it a run for its money.

The years quickly roll by, and the snowy feline finds itself living a life of comfort in the care of an artist. Oh, to be a pampered puss! They plant cherry blossom seeds together, they eat and drink together, and they watch out for one another – it’s an idyllic life our cat companion leads. Sadly though, that tranquillity is soon disrupted.

I don’t wish to reveal much more of the story beyond this point, as it’s a tale best experienced first-hand, through the eyes of the cat we so tenderly watched get rescued. However, what I will say is that our four-legged chum is going to face supernatural entities that are hellbent on keeping their master’s soul for their own foul deeds.

You may think at this juncture, what is a cat to do? Well, this cat is going to fight for their owner’s soul; its curiosity never sated as it delves deeper into the supernatural world that connects to our own. Using intellectual prowess we all know cats possess, our furry ally takes us on a journey over land, sea, and even the skies, their mission to restore their master’s soul all they care about.

BOV

But achieving that outcome won’t be easy. As I hinted earlier, puzzle solving is at the heart of this game, and, unfortunately, a lot of the puzzles can be frustrating to solve. Chiefly because the solutions aren’t always obvious, which leads to a lot of back and forth as you try to search for what you’ve forgotten or overlooked.

This brings me to the main problem with this title: it offers little to no direction. Moreover, there are moments when the way forward isn’t clear, and due to a lacklustre hint system, all you can do is retrace your steps and look at areas of the screen for some semblance of a clue.

I’ve played my fair share of hidden object games, as well as point-and-click ones; I understand that it’s important to strike the right balance, so the game is neither too difficult nor easy. Unfortunately for Cat and Ghostly Road, this balance is never found.

Most of the time, apart from the rare moment when my brain worked in alignment with the game’s mechanics, I stumbled upon a solution through copious trial and error. I tried to combine items that made no sense, on the off chance a solution would appear. I clicked and re-clicked every bit of the map; I walked back and forth then repeated the process in case a doorway was hidden. In short, I exhausted every avenue.

BOV

It makes for a vexing playthrough, one that can’t be saved by its aesthetic alone. Before someone calls me out saying it’s a “skill issue”, there are other players who have voiced similar complaints. I admit, I’m not the greatest gamer in the world, however, I’m also not the worst or the least experienced.

Besides the lacking hint system, Cat and Ghostly Road also falls short when it comes to its controls; they’re just not intuitive. I felt like I was constantly having to silently remind myself which button did what task. It made for an internal monologue that only further dampened my spirits the longer I played. The controls aren’t suited to a controller. The lack of symbiosis between gamer and controls causes the game to stagnate in places, your adventure slowed to a crawl.

Nonetheless, this title so steeped in local folklore makes for an unforgettable experience, though not always for the right reasons. My time with Cat and Ghostly Road wasn’t always pleasant, nor did I feel the satisfaction I’d have liked to upon its completion. Still, seeing a cat reunited with its master after such an onerous journey is worth overcoming such inaccessibility. In this instance, it’s the unique destination we eventually arrive at, not the journey, that makes Cat and Ghostly Road such a memorable game.

Pros: You play as a cat. There’s also a captivating narrative, attractive visuals, and oh yeah – you play as a cat!

Cons: Lacklustre hint system, clunky controls, and a general inaccessibility

For Fans Of: Hidden object games, Fran Bow, Little Misfortune, Sally Face

7/10: Very good

Cat and Ghostly Road is available on Steam, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox. PlayStation 5 review code provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.