Copycat [Review]
Copycat, is a narrative-driven game about a cat that truly gets the short stick in life. The game was developed by Spoonful of Wonder and published by three companies; Spoonful of Wonder, Nuuvem Inc., and Neverland Entertainment. I want to start by saying Copycat isn’t for those who want a cute and fluffy story about a cat. Copycat has a tear-jerking tale that can even be difficult to watch sometimes. I will do my best to explain the game without giving any spoilers as this is a game best to just experience without any knowledge.
In this game, you follow the story of an adult shelter cat that is adopted by an elderly and sickly Olive. You play as the now-named Dawn, who wishes to be a wild cat rather than a house pet. She uses any opportunity to cause mischief so she gets the chance to escape. Unexpectedly to Dawn, she falls in love with her human and wants to stay. After some time the player learns that Olive adopted this cat simply because it looks exactly like her old cat that ran away about a month ago. Who was also named Dawn…
It turns out that you play as the Copycat and there’s a point in the game where the original Dawn finds her way back home and you’re locked out of the house because Olive “can’t have two cats”. The Dawn that we play as now must fend for herself and be the wild cat that she always wanted to be, but now she isn’t so sure that’s what she wants.
The gameplay, aside from the story, revolves around walking, minigames, and a few choices sprinkled in there. Though I wouldn’t call this game a choice-based game. They don’t matter too much as you will always end up where the story wants you. I do wish the choices had a bit more of different outcomes, or even just giving you more. At the beginning of the game, you are given the choice to either scratch or bite Olive. I think it would have been nice if the game rewarded you for not choosing anything. Unfortunately, you have to pick one no matter how long you wait.
While I enjoyed Copycat, it made me miss my own cat a lot. It’s a depressing story that seems a bit unnecessarily cruel towards Dawn. Most people will not be satisfied with the ending after everything that Dawn goes through. It just doesn’t feel very justified. And the point of the game is its story so I can understand people being upset with it. The ending also contradicts the themes of the game and sends an unintended message. The game is fairly short and can be completed in about three hours. I don’t mind it being short at all and actually prefer a shorter game sometimes, but I wish that if it’s going to be so short that there are different story paths and endings you can find. I liked playing through the story but the gameplay felt a bit lacking, especially since your choices don’t matter. That and with the message of the game not really landing well I will be giving the game a 6/10. Copycat is currently available on PS4/5, Xbox One, Switch, and Steam.