Cats are liquid: A Better Place is an infuriating and yet delightful platformer that starts as an easy run and jump game but gradually becomes more difficult while the story about Lumi the cat unfolds.
Lumi the cat is stuck in a maze who desperately wants to get out but somehow manages to keep a happy face.
Lumi’s ability to turn into liquid gives you the fast paced motion that’s similar to platformer’s like SuperMeatBoy and Celeste. However, the game stands on its own due to the use of the environment as the challenge rather than a boss at the end of each level. At times it’s definitely a relief to see the end of certain levels after a long and difficult run.
During the game, you explore 120 levels, split into 12 worlds. There isn’t always an increasing difficulty but, there’s always new game mechanics or character abilities that keep you on your toes and on the hook for what will be coming next.
Abilities and mechanics introduced include:
- Playing as an indestructible cube to move to places that Lumi herself can’t go to.
- Play as an Ice Block that allows you to be incased in ice and help you move through dangerous terrain without taking damage.
- Move through Tunnels at lightning speed through dangerous mazes
- Become light as feather and move through the wind
- Jump from cannon to cannon through the maze
These are only few of the weird and wonderful things introduced during the game.
Cats Are Liquid - A Better Place release date and price
Developer Website: Last Quarter Studios
When is it out? 12 December 2019
Available platforms: Windows, Mac, SteamOS + Linux
Controls and Gameplay
Cats Are Liquid – A Better Place is a minimalistic 2D platformer where the player initially plays as Lumi, the white cat that has the power to turn into liquid and squeeze through small spaces, just like cats in real life.
Throughout the game, the player is also introduced to other cats they can play as. There’s a Green Cat with the ability to generate platforms out of purple dots. A Red Cat with the ability to grapple onto red dots and a Blue Cat with the ability to freeze objects within a certain region to allow the player to get through difficult situations.
There’s 12 worlds and each world is made out of 10 levels, but the goal of each level is to reach the white door.
In addition to the three cat characters, the player also can play as an indestructible block called the “Companion” as well as a block of ice. Lumi, the Cat is given 3 hitpoints and items that can hurt Lumi are indicated as Orange and they cost one hitpoint (Orange lava can remove all three).
Once all the hitpoints are depleted, Lumi is either teleported to the start of the room or the latest checkpoint. As for controls, your character is simply controlled with a few buttons which can be altered in the Settings.
Having a level editor in Cats Are Liquid – A Better Place, is a nice touch, allowing players to create their own world in exactly the same environment as what the offical levels were created in. Once players create their own world they can also be shared through Steam workshop for others to enjoy.
Graphics
Visuals are simple and of a cartoon style which adds to its charm, it also helps to keep system requirements to a minimum. Even though the game looks simplistic, it doesn’t detract from the story, challenge or fun.
Similar games to Cats are Liquid - A Better Place
A similar premise to Cats are Liquid – A Better Place would be Ori and the Blind Forest. Where the amnesiac Ori, has an assortment of powers when a level is introduced but then they’re taken away, never to be seen again as you move up through each level.
Should you buy Cats are Liquid - A Better Place?
Although the game has some darker themes such as: loneliness, depression and friendship it shouldn’t be taken too seriously and be treated as what it is. Because of those darker themes, it’s probably not recommended for children and potentially those who suffer from depression.
For us, Cats are Liquid – A Better Place is a delightful, frustrating, challenging and a very entertaining 2D platformer. At its current price point it provides a solid amount of value.
