Feline crazy waiting for CatQuest2 to come out or Paws-ibly you haven’t tried it but can’t say no to any game with cats? Well then, do we have some exciting news for you. The claw-some team behind CatQuest, The GentleBros, have honored us with a purr-fect opportunity to get some more background on their team, previous titles and what’s to come next. Alright, alright, I’ll stop with the cheesy cat puns and dive straight into the interview!
Let’s start with the obvious question, why Cats?
Ans: Obviously because cats are so cute!
On your site there is not much about the team themselves, who exactly are the GentleBros and what do you guys stand for? Is there any origin behind the name itself (GentleBros)?
Ans: We’re originally two dudes and one gal, all ex-Koei Tecmo developers (Dead or Alive, Dynasty Warriors etc). Honestly, we got together because we wanted to make a game together…maybe we should start to think on what we stand for! The name actually came about because the original name we wanted was already taken, so we swapped out a part of the name and ended up with Gentlebros!
Regarding CatQuest, you mentioned a few games on your website that inspired the gameplay elements but where exactly did the story come from?
Ans: The story is actually a mix of stories from other games we love. ‘Dragonblood’ is an obvious reference to ‘Dragonborn’, but the general plot was our own original idea. We wanted to craft a story that could only be told by cats, and if you’ve played till the end, you’ll know what we mean.
Actually playing a game on the “Overworld” map is not something I have seen done before CatQuest. What inspired the art direction to look more like a map behind you rather than inside the actual areas themselves?
Ans: It was really just the result of constant iteration. In an original idea, people would travel along an actual map. It was very abstract, and they would meet random encounters along the way. As we prototyped it more, we asked ourselves why should players need to be transported into another screen just to fight our enemies. Wouldn’t it be way faster if they just fought right on the map itself? That’s where the initial idea came about and everything else fell into place after that.
What would you say was the most difficult part of creating CatQuest? On that same note, what advice would you give to other independent developers out there trying to create their own titles?
Ans: Definitely reaching the final idea. There were so many ideas we threw away, but every single one led up to the final game. So our advice would definitely be to always start every idea with prototypes, and never ever be afraid to throw away any ideas.
In your blog posts, you mention that CatQuest almost ended up as many different genres including a dance game! It seems those did not stick but some of the concept art for these looked very interesting. Is there any interest from your team to pursue other game genres down the road or incorporate any of those elements in CatQuest 2?
Ans: We get so many requests for a Cat Quest dancing game, so maybe…
If you could improve on one thing, whether it be in the game or outside in more of a marketing sense, what would you have done differently for CatQuest?
Ans: There’s too much to mention. Everything from some design elements, to maybe we should have spent more time creating more mechanics to use in quests, to maybe we should have went for that one event instead of another. However, what I’ve come to realize is that by trying to fix some mistakes you make, you might actually sacrifice something else you did correctly. Time is a finite resource, and it’s always a challenge to know what you did ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
With CatQuest 2 on the horizon, other than co-op, what are some of the major changes coming up that the fans should be excited about?
Ans: You get to explore the dog kingdom now! There’s also [a] ton of new weapon types, and every dungeon is way more varied and interesting! Doggeh lovers should be very excited!
For those who might not have played the first one, will the CatQuest 2 storyline start up right where the first one ended, or will this be a separate timeline?
Ans: The story will take place hundreds of years after the first. It’s a totally new story and you don’t need to know past events to get into this one. However, if you’ve played the first one, you might get certain references to characters, and even appreciate returning ones.
Last and most important question, will there be as many dog puns in the game this time around?
Ans: Let’s just say everyone is going to have a ruff time!
You heard it or read it, technically, here folks! Co-op, dogs, more weapons and maybe even some dancing cats if we are lucky. As a dog person, I can say I’m super excited to check this game out later this year. The team does not have a slated release date other than early 2019 as per the reveal trailer. If you want to check out more from the team be sure to follow them on twitter and check out the CatQuest 2 trailer below.
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