Cat Quest 3 iPhone review – an almost purrfect fit

In a world of indie gems, the Cat Quest series is a personal favorite. Sure, the gameplay is simple, but you can say the same of Mario, and the portly plumber has almost single-handedly carried Nintendo on his back for the past 30 years, with some help from his Pokémon friends. Sometimes, simple is great, and I’m happy to report that is the case with Cat Quest 3 for iPhone.

Admittedly, this isn’t my first time playing the latest entry in the Cat Quest trilogy. I picked it up and completed it on Nintendo Switch earlier this year, but when I got the opportunity to do it all over again on my iPhone, I couldn’t say no. I have very fond memories of exploring the Purribean – yes, that’s what the in-game world is called – so I thought another trip by land and sea might do me good, especially as I’m currently in a bit of a gaming lull, having spent the last few weeks occupying almost every spare minute collecting Banandium Gems in Donkey Kong Bananza. 

If you’ve played any Cat Quest games before, you should know what to expect from the gameplay, with the third game in the series acting as a continuation of the first two with a couple of fresh ideas. You adventure and battle across the overworld map, take detours into dangerous dungeons, and face off against the occasional big boss, all the while earning precious gold and equipment, including both new guns and swords. It’s pretty standard action RPG fare, but with cats, rodents, and the occasional pup, and it’s incredibly replayable, especially when you factor in the New Game + mode. 

The big difference between Cat Quest 3 and its predecessors comes in the form of pirate ship battles. The good news is that they’re as much fun as they sound. This is especially true in the late game, with one of Cat Quest 3’s bosses providing an epic showdown that feels more like something out of Hades than it does any of the previous series games.

I’d recommend this game for that boss battle alone, but it’s worth saying there are plenty of other reasons to check it out. I also love the Infinity Tower, which provides a proper challenge to your grasp of the mechanics towards the end of the game. I’m not ashamed to say that it took me more than a few attempts to clear. 

While I’ll always use a phone controller to play a mobile game given the option, the touch controls of Cat Quest 3 are pretty intuitive. It helps that the control scheme is pretty simple, with buttons to attack, dodge, swap weapons, and check your inventory, plus movement controls, but the developer still deserves some kudos for intelligently placing these on the screen in a way that feels like it’s never obstructing the action. 

My only issue with the touchscreen controls is interactions, which feel a bit unnatural. It would make more sense for me if the attack button doubled as your way of entering a dungeon or boarding your ship, but instead, you get a floating option that pops up when it’s time to interact. It’s not a deal-breaker whatsoever, but it’s just a little bit irritating and knocks me off my flow a little. 

In terms of performance, the iPhone version of Cat Quest 3 is essentially a like-for-like match compared to how it plays on the Nintendo Switch. Admittedly, that’s not much of a surprise, considering it’s not a massively demanding game, but it’s worth pointing out that I’m playing it on an iPhone 13, so even if you’ve got a slightly older Apple phone, you should have no problem running this game. I didn’t, anyway. 

Ultimately, Cat Quest 3 is a lovely little action RPG that feels right at home on your iPhone. It’s not going to change your life, sure, but it’s upwards of ten hours of good, clear fun, with plenty of cat puns thrown in for good measure, as well as a New Game + mode for anyone who, like me, wants more adventures on the Purribean. Now, when are we getting Cat Quest 4? 

There you have it, our Cat Quest 3 review. For more great ways to keep your thumbs busy, be sure to check out our list of the best iPhone games while you’re here, which includes some of our favorites from the massive Apple Arcade games library. Or, if you’re looking for something new to play Cat Quest 3 on, see our guides to the best iPhones and the best iPads for gaming.