I’ll admit, I wasn’t fully sold on Little Kitty, Big City from Double Dagger Studio Until a recent showing at a Nintendo Direct. Was I excited for it, Yes. Was I planning to pick it up, yes. But, maybe it was the lack of hats in some previous trailers, but it hadn’t clawed its way into my heart like I did when I finally watched it in action. This, of course, is just weird, because I loved Stray in all its feline goodness, and in truth, both games have a similar vibe.
Stray featured a hyper-realistic cat in a futuristic world filled with robot-headed characters that all looked like that one character from FLCL, and this is the first reason Little Kitty, Big City has become more exciting to me. In it, you are a cat lost in a modern Japanese City. If anybody knows my relationship with Like A Dragon, the idea of getting lost in a Japanese City was what attracted me to that game all those years ago.
From there the two games have a similar DNA, cat DNA being part getting lost and part getting into trouble. the core difference in that is that Little Kitty plays out with a cartoony gusto to Stray‘s more gritty and realistic take. That being said, being a cat will still feel like being a cat, which includes scratching at people, messing up chess games, chasing birds, and all that other good stuff.
One more interesting element is the quests that your kitten can take around the city. Other animals might need your help so tackling these missions will offer rewards as you progress. In at least one case, in a trailer at least, it seems the reward for completing a quest is a yummy fish so, I mean, what cat isn’t going to be invested with that on the line?
The city design and characters also explain why I am so engaged with a modern city. The world is bright and playful, with relatable elements around every corner. Climbing buildings and getting a bigger view of the city streets, or finding something like a plant to knock over are equally enticing, as the platforming elements of the game appear to have you doing both plenty.
Of course, no platformer would be complete without the collectibles, and Little Kitty, Big City will have you wracking up a checklist of cat-centric challenges to earn hats the kitten can wear on his head. There are several to choose from such as a strawberry and a froggy. Never has being a completionist been so adorable.
Overall, Little Kitty, Big City is everything I love in a quirky indie game, with a world I tend to enjoy more than the similar game I already love. This is why I am just so shocked it took me this long to fully commit, but like the kitty diving through a trash can, I am all in now. Big Kitty, Little City releases on May 9th, 2024 and will be available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Windows PC. It will also be a day-one release for Xbox Game Pass.
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