Little Kitty, Big City Review

CAT-astrophically Cute

HIGH Knocking jars off tables because I felt like it.

LOW Being dragged out of a construction yard by a disgruntled worker.

WTF A social media-obsessed mosquito.

I’ve always spoken about my love of games that feel old school, and I tend to write reviews centered around titles that are arcade-like, or those that have things in classic platformer style. I love all the tropes, whether it’s adorable mascots jumping and collecting various knickknacks, or a delightfully colorful aesthetic that evokes past generations. I eat all these things up and continue to seek them out — it’s kind of my brand at this point! Little Kitty, Big City, the debut indie from Double Dagger Studio, checks many of these aforementioned boxes, while providing a few solid (and adorable) twists.

In LKBC, players control a black cat lost in an unfamiliar Japanese city and must navigate their way back home. Seen from a third-person perspective, players have a full arsenal of cat-like moves at their disposal, and everything is wrapped in a charming art style painted in striking colors. I especially loved how the environments and characters have a hand-drawn aesthetic, but it’s been translated into 3D.

I appreciate what the presentation is going for here, even down to some of the stylistic choices made. For example, the humans walking around don’t have faces or details in their character models, but the animals have some of the most expressive animations ever. Every meow or yawn from the cat is rendered wonderfully, and other creatures are just as nuanced.

In fact, LKBC looks absolutely all-around gorgeous in the Switch’s handheld mode thanks to the OLED screen. In docked mode, however, I did notice some texture pop-in and occasional slowdown that was not present when I was playing portable. Regardless, it wasn’t anything drastic, and it didn’t take away from the experience.

Looking at LKBC‘s presentation and game structure, we find the old-school style that I mentioned at the top as our wayward feline finds themselves meeting animals all around the city.

While not explicitly a platformer (despite a lot of jumping and running) the structure of talking to different NPCs, collecting various macguffins and trying to access parts of the map that are out of reach feel like hallmarks of N64-era collect-a-thons, even down to the use of overlong speech bubbles and specific collectibles that pertain to each of them.

For example, the very first creatures I met were a crow obsessed with shiny objects, and an older cat who claimed to be the mayor of the city. These interactions were full of quirky dialogue, complete with sarcastic jokes and a bizarre (but endearing) sense of humor that came across to me as charming throwbacks.

After chatting with the other residents of the city and taking on their tasks and quests, players will explore and interact with the fully 3D environment as a cat would — things like crawling through small holes under fences, knocking jars off tables, pouncing on birds, or taking a nap in the sun.

It’s not the deepest gameplay loop, but most of the enjoyment comes from discovering how certain things in the world react to the cat. In one instance, I knocked over some paint cans and used my paw prints to paint something on a canvas. In another, I learned I could swat at people’s legs and they would fall to the ground, causing them to drop whatever they had in their hands. There’s a lot of joy in discovering some little secret or hidden path locked behind my cat-shaped key, and as such, the exploration was always entertaining.

Thanks to a colorful art style and enjoyable gameplay, Little Kitty, Big City is a delightful spiritual throwback to games of yesteryear, and I hope more titles follow its example.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published and developed by Double Dagger Studio. It is available on Switch, PC, XBX/S and XBO. This copy was obtained via publisher and was reviewed on Switch. Approximately 8 hours were spent in single-player and the game was not completed. There is no multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. No rating information is online but the game is harmless. There’s no excessive violence or language present, though those who might feel discomfort over seeing a cat fall off a tall ledge or platform might have some issues.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are not present in the options menu.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers: There are subtitles and visual cues throughout the game and subtitle size can be adjusted. Audio isn’t needed to enjoy or play the game at all, as there are plenty of visuals cues that allow the player to easily navigate the game world and complete objectives.

Remappable Controls: The controls cannot be remapped and there are no control diagrams. The B button is used to jump, the triggers are used to swat objects with the cats’ paws, the left bumper is used to crawl, the right bumper is used to run and the X button is used to meow on command. The left stick is used to move and the right is used to control the camera.

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Cj Salcedo

Cj has loved video games ever since he watched the opening cinematic to Sonic Heroes (with that killer Crush 40 song) back when he was six years old. Over 20 years later, he’s found himself at GameCritics writing about the things he loves.

He has a knack for talking about anything he's passionate about, be it movies, games or even sports. If anyone needs an expert on Jim Jarmusch, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Donkey Kong Country, or the Miami Heat, he’s your guy.

Don’t say we didn't warn you, though.

CAT-astrophically Cute

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