I love cats, and as such I tend to play almost every cat-centric game that releases. Sure, some are definitely better than other, but they all tend to have their own charm at the very least (much like cats themselves, I suppose). One game I particularly liked, which I reviewed a few years ago, was a game called Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered where you play as a cat completing a series of tasks. It was fun nonsense, even if it felt a little clunky and limited with what it did.

I Am Cat aims to do largely the same thing as Catlateral Damage but with added depth – and also in VR!

Read our review to see what or not the game is meow-some, or just plain claw-ful?

Many thanks to the publisher for the copy.

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SCRATCH EVERYTHING
Where I Am Cat stands apart from other kitty-focused games (aside from being in virtual reality, of course) is that the action is focused on one big sandbox – that of the little old lady’s house. You’re left to mostly explore and do what you want, although a local cat named Archie will give you a series of tasks that you can track through your watch should you want something a little bit more structure. It’s not much of a narrative, but it’s a good way of gradually introducing you to a lot of the different things you can do around the house.

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As primarily a sandbox game, your main concern will be how to get around. Thankfully, they opted for a simple control scheme that’s both immersive and straightforward to use. Using your paws, you’ll need to simulate a running motion to move around or climb up most surfaces. Pushing your paws downwards and towards you will also allow you to pounce, which is great for clearing distances. Think of the controls a bit like Gorilla Tag, but considerably less of a hassle. Your paws can also interact with many objects by simply touching them, but if you want to pick something up then you’ll need to retract your claws with a simple button press. I didn’t expect the controls to work so well, but after the tutorial I was moving around the house like a pro.

Whilst you are completely free to ignore the missions given to you and simply explore the house at your own leisure, they do serve as a great basis to show off the extent of your feline abilities. There are athletic exercises that challenge you to reach high places, touch pieces of artwork, and the like; but there are others that draw your attention to some of the bonus activities too, like the fish tank or the whack-a-mole game. Archie’s missions are a great way to show off not only what you can do, but the game’s impressive physics system that help to immerse you in this world. Just be careful when causing too much trouble though, as PETA will no doubt have granny on their hitlist due to how she goes about punishing you for your naughtiness!

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Honestly, I Am Cat is a rather silly game – but it’s absolutely meant to be. This cutesy world with it’s colourful aesthetic and playful music isn’t meant to be realistic, but rather an exaggeration of what you imagine it’s like to be a cat. You wake up, you torment your owner for a while, and then you to bed. It’s honestly quite delightful, and you can see why the game has so many positive reviews on the Meta Quest store.

As the game is in early access, I guess I have to say what I’d like to see in the future? Well, there aren’t any bugs that I’d want cleaning up, so I guess all I’d want is simply more things to do! You can probably knock out all the current tasks in about an hour or two, leaving you with the house to simply explore. As such, additional environments would be the obvious thing to wish for. I’d also like a multiplayer mode too, where several cats can mess around causing havoc and play with each other. Regardless of what the future holds, I’m excited to see what’s next in store for I Am Cat!

VERDICT
I Am Cat is a silly little sandbox game where you give a sweet old lady high blood pressure by completely destroying her house. With lots of interactable objects and mini game games to keep you busy, it’s a charming experience that will no doubt put a smile on your face!