Cat Quest III has been shown at both the Triple-i Initiative and Nintendo’s Indie World, and both times I saw it, I couldn’t help but think that it’s looking to be a greater pirate game than Skull and Bones could ever wish to be.
Cat Quest III may not be gritty, but it’s at least a pirate game
In my review of Skull and Bones, my main frustration was that Skull and Bones is less of a “gritty pirate game,” as promised, but a looter shooter on the high seas. This may be fun for players in its own right, but it can’t really be described as a pirate game.
There may be ships, sea battles, and treasure maps, but the constant arcadey gameplay and shallow missions robs Skull and Bones of feeling like a pirate game. Cat Quest III, however, may incorporate cute cats and dastardly rats, but it’s looking to feel like a hell of a pirate game.
Where Skull and Bones keeps stepping on its own toes when it comes to theme and gameplay, Cat Quest III looks to have struck a perfect balance between its dressings and its gameplay, so you’ll never be brought out of the immersion of being a cat pirate. I could never properly lean into Skull and Bones, so it felt like less of a pirate game and more of a standard MMO with an abundance of pirate hats.
One thing Cat Quest III definitely has over Skull and Bones is on-foot travel. That’s right, you can actually step off your ship and explore the lands, engaging in your own tales and quests – something that Skull and Bones is sorely lacking.
It’s difficult to compare these two without delving into what actually makes a pirate game, however.
What makes a pirate game?
Cat Quest III and Skull and Bones are two completely different games, so it’s difficult to compare them objectively. But one thing I can say for sure is that Cat Quest III will be a better pirate game than Skull and Bones.
What makes a pirate game isn’t the realistic qualities of the game, but rather the spirit. In Skull and Bones, you can track down treasure maps and sink enemy ships, sure, but I never really felt like a pirate. Even though everything you did worked toward your infamy of being a pirate Kingpin, the obtuse gameplay got in the way of my immersion.
Instead of feeling like a pirate, I felt like a courier who engaged in naval combat – something not unique to pirates.
In Cat Quest III, however, there seems to be more freedom. More exciting adventures that will surely have a better pay-off and be enjoyable to complete. It doesn’t look like you’ll be doing tasks so a stat will keep increasing – you’ll be doing it for the thrill of the journey, too. There is something objectively piratical about that.
Although, historically, pirates were not what we’ve romanticized them to be, we have come to think of them as those who were truly free. And where Skull and Bones imposes limits upon players, Cat Quest III will stand out.
Cat Quest III may be a better pirate game than Skull and Bones, but it may not be for you
Despite my gushing about Cat Quest III embracing the pirate spirit more than Skull and Bones could ever hope to, it doesn’t mean it’s the right pirate game for you. Where Skull and Bones is a more realistic MMO, Cat Quest III is an RPG with an adorable aesthetic.
Skull and Bones will have a superior combat system to Cat Quest III, and the game’s combat is one of the few things they nailed. If you enjoy decking out your ship with different culverns and mortars, and smashing other players with them, then Cat Quest III will not scratch that itch.
Just because Skull and Bones isn’t the most immersive pirate game, doesn’t mean you won’t find it fun. But I would implore you to check out Cat Quest III if you want a taste of true piratical freedom.
Speaking of pirate games, Sea of Thieves adding Throwing Knives to the game may make you abandon both of these titles.
