Copycat
Review
Purring like a kitten
by Isabella
reviewed on PC
Loveable furball
I love playing with my cat Sunshine and I would never ever want to lose her. She is the fluffiest and cutest feline in the whole world. I love how she brushes up against my legs as I walk, and how she purrs with comfort when she is wrapped up in a ball on my lap. Her breath can stink sometimes but I love her anyway.
There is a similar bond between Olive, an elderly lady and her cat Dawn in Copycat. Copycat is a game that depicts the bonds that can quickly grow between humans and animals. Players will begin the game as Dawn, a cat of your choice chosen from several cats at an animal shelter. The pet you choose does not seem to have any effect on the gameplay experience apart from the visual perspective. Upon arriving home players will move freely around Olive's house and learn all the basic controls that the game requires.
At the end of this brief pseudo-tutorial, you find Olive lying somewhat motionless on the floor. When she won't reply to you, your life gets flipped upside down. Kicked to the streets, Dawn will need to learn how to survive without the comforts she has become accustomed to. Copycat has a slow building narrative, but one that encourages exploration both inside and outside Olive's house.
Exploring the surroundings
Copycat is a game that leaves players to their own devices, exploring at their own pace. There is little guidance on what to do next, and at times I felt that I was wandering around aimlessly looking for clues as to what I was supposed to do next. But by exploring your surroundings, you will eventually find the prompts that will enable progression. And although you are free to roam the house as you please, the story itself is a rather linear one. There are sections of the game that give players a couple of dialogue choices, but both options seem to end up with the same result.
As you progress through the game, Dawn will occasionally fall into a dream sequence where she is a wild cat prowling across the prairie. This illustrates the predatory instincts of her past generations. In one dream sequence, players will sneakily hunt rabbits in tall grass, whilst in another she is tormented by Olive's daughter, Mae. These dream sequences give an extra insight into how Dawn is thinking and truly feels.
Cats eyes (and ears)
Apart from these dream sequences, players will spend most of their time in and around the house, or on the nearby streets. The visuals portray a realistic scenario with both the characters you interact with and the streets that you roam. The animations of our feline avatar are also lifelike, which makes the story so much more authentic. From an audio perspective, Copycat does a wonderful job of setting the tone. A musical score plays in the background throughout, keeping the tone of the game relatively serene. A narrator also features throughout the game and is that of a nature expert that serves as your subconscious mind.
Most of the controls are quite simple, but there are several catfighting sequences that can be a little tricky for an inexperienced gamer. The sequence has players stringing together a combination of controls and requires players to press all of the buttons listed in a given time. Players are given two attempts, before a third attempt that allows players to access an untimed combo.
Are you the copycat?
If you're looking for an action packed game, then this will not be your cup of tea. However, if you are after a game with a wonderfully emotional narrative that players can experience at a gentle pace, then Copycat is worth a look. As you explore your surroundings as Dawn, you will realise that the game has a truer and more meaningful purpose than it seems at first. With simple controls, it is easy to adjust to the flow of the game, roaming the house as a cat whilst listening to the heartwarming score. It is clear that the developers have poured their hearts into Copycat. I now wonder how my cat Sunshine would feel about another cat taking her place.
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6.8
fun score
Pros
Heart-warming story, lovely background music
Cons
Linear gameplay, rather short
