After first playing this game's demo around three and a half years ago when Nitro Rad covered it, I always wondered what a finished version of CATWORLD would look like. 

What's the point of all those little things you collect? What's the point of the strange scribbly language? What's up with the tall glitchy caped sword cats? What would new levels of the game look like, would they be pure stealth like the first or incorporate more mechanics, platforming or collectathon elements. What's the point of all the little named items you find?

Most of those questions didn't really get an answer in the end, which I find simultaneously disappointing and understandable. Turns out, this really was just meant to be a small simple little ~3 hour experience of fairly disconnected levels, and not anything that big or ambitious or cohesive.

And honestly, that's okay! The game is very special for what it is! I certainly do think the game's first level is definitely the worst one, and all of the subsequent areas are far more unique and memorable.

The levels are all very unique! The appartments felt like a great classic little CATWORLD sneaking adventure! That moment when you read about the power going out in the book, and then the power ACTUALLY goes out and there's a big LUNACID mausoleum reference at the end with "DEATH APPROACHES", took me super off guard and was a REALLY fun surprise!! Sadly the actual gameplay of that segment wasn't stellar, it was pretty frustrating until I figured out I had to look for invisible walls. But it was a very fun reference and a standout moment of the game horror-wise. I loved how warped the geometry became!

The "All-Mart" was really great as well! The first section was fun with all the pointless collectibles, and...actually, despite playing it an hour ago, I don't remember much of anything from the All-Mart's sneaking section. BWAHAHAH,,,

The strange metro desert level was super unique, as it was completely platforming focused. And turns out, the level has a whole other route you can take that I never saw? Really unique, I might go look for it later.

The gala is easily the standout level of the game, it was the final level I did and I'm really glad cause it's straight up the best one. Fun platforming that was never too frustrating, unique environment, the sneaking wasn't too difficult, incredible visuals, especially the statue that foreshadows the game's ending. Almost making it seem like it's being prophesized or fetishized by the people of the gala. Oh and, I adore how when you find the mask, the static-y enemy guys no longer try to hurt you. Great touch!!

The bottom section was the low point of the level but it was my favourite of the sneaking segments, I loved the big strange slugs!

The game's ending felt a little poorly executed, I wish I at least got the wings and got to do a little platforming sequence with them before the ending. In the end the wings felt kinda dumb, they were super fun to traverse the overworld with but the fact that they're only used in the overworld makes me feel like the were wasted.

The named collectibles not having a real use also felt a little dumb, especially the fact that they reset upon re-entering a level, making me completely ignore them later on because there wasn't a point anyways.

There's not much point talking about the game's themes cause they're quite on-the-nose. But that's not really a bad thing per se, the game just felt a little unsubtle, it was those "show don't tell" moments that made the game shine, when it's very explicit about it's own subtext, it doesn't hit as hard. 

But yeah, that's really it, this review isn't very structured or anything, but, I'm just sharing my initial thoughts after beating the game. Really great to see this game fully realized, I wish it was on steam for like 2-4 bucks, would gladly pay that to experience this and have this in my library on there. I oughtta check out whatever else this dev's been cooking up!!