Mewgenics Deep Look
After forty hours in Mewgenics , it is easy to see how this is a "dive-in and lose track of time" or "just ignore it" title, as it is really hard to stay in the middle ground.
The way something is packaged and marketed can make a big difference in how it is received. If Pepto Bismol was sludge green, it might not fly off the shelves as easily as it does with the more soothing and comforting pink. RPGs follow the same rules, as expectations for good and bad come with every anticipated title. Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel have put a lot of time and effort into Mewgenics , and with the rest of their gaming catalogue diverse and memorable, there were lofty expectations for this tactical turn-based roguelike with cats. The initial fever pitch from those who dived in is grand indeed, as playtimes skyrocket since launch. However, the visuals and 90s shock humour will give off that sludge-green look that makes this an acquired taste for some in a way that all its grand gameplay cannot hide. Even with all the bells and whistles that make the gameplay last hundreds of hours, the RNG mechanics and inherent luck make it feel like an all-or-nothing title. This Deep Look just scratches the surface, as forty hours is barely a taste of what is brought to the table here.
Mewgenics begins simply enough as the player, a cat lady, is brought back to life in the lab of mad Dr. Beanies. Given the gift of life and two cats, the player is sent packing to a house with the order to breed and collect cats. Along the way in this cat-centric world, this house is visited by all manners of quirky inhabitants that range from eccentric, offensive, and off-putting giving off a sense of unease that sets the tone that this is not a typical neighbourhood.
[caption id="attachment_186993" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The introduction of a powerful enemy, hellbent on attacking the homestead.[/caption]
Luckily, the cat lady has her feline companions to keep her company. Cats have full run of the house and the furniture players have put in, with dividing rooms to keep separate larger feline populations and the ability to add new rooms as needed. They are each given a gender, a set of attributes, and a random name to avoid growing too attached. Within these walls, it's an all-night, every night hedonistic party with no rules. All the cats are either feeling frisky or in the mood to fight, and with each passing day, there's a good chance cat pairs mate or scrap, depending on their moods. The state the house is left in, considering both cleanliness and furniture, improves the chance of favourable outcomes. Kittens are immediately born from any mating and can inherit traits and mutations from their parents. Fights end with either a stalemate or one cat gaining a random attribute, with the other either getting an injury or even being killed. This can happen with any combination of cats in the same room, and eventually the house will be overrun, leading to a Purina poker gambling den where cats off each other one way or another.
This insanity leaves a haphazard pool of potential cats that up to four to go adventuring with, though if too many die off, there is a new stray that appears daily at the house. It can be hectic housesitting for a clowder of cats, but it is amusing to see the antics of those that retire from the adventuring lifestyle. Every cat can leave only once, though keeping them around to make stronger kittens or to defend the home from bosses that appear to terrorize the homestead is quite beneficial.
Cats in the house are unburdened by self-conscious thoughts and can be any class that a collar affixed to them brings. Of course, the base attributes (strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, speed, charisma, and luck) have some say in what collar would be most beneficial for each one, as choosing a class alters a few stats. For example, a cat with a high strength stat becoming a Fighter only raises their damage capabilities, making them more useful as that class. Collars take an otherwise semi-random attack and set it to the base one common to all of their class, as well as a collarless ability, a random class ability, and a class-specific passive. The collarless ability is determined at the house from birth, while the class ones are all randomized after selection is finalized. The early going of an adventure can be a gamble, as some cats start off useless but can be made stronger after levelling up and adding new complementary skills. The sheer variety of class abilities and how they can all work together makes it nearly certain that no two cats will ever be the same, even after many replays.
[caption id="attachment_186994" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A mini-boss striking out at the adventuring cat party.[/caption]
Level-ups give some structure as a pool of four options is given to choose from, with levels two and five being new abilities, and level six getting to upgrade one of them. Levels three and four give a new passive and a stat boost with full heal respectively. Most cats don't get the opportunity to reach level six as maximizing combat opportunities only gets two of them that high up. Other factors such as being too injured to continue, or needing to unlock additional areas might cut off some cats before they can fully realize their potential. Biomes are split into three acts, and each act has a common starting area that splits into two different forks with an add-on third biome making up to three complete areas that can be explored in a single run. Players have to defeat a biome's final boss, or otherwise meet unknown requirements to go further; if not, the party is forced to go home after the final boss of that biome. Exploring every biome is useful, as specific equipment, new classes, and new abilities can be gained from completion, which just adds to the constant, definitely overwhelming list of possibilities.
The random possibilities of these choices with the deeply intricate classwork means hours can easily be spent defeating enemies and losing track of time. Alternatively, Mewgenics , is not an easy title and bad bouts of random luck can spell disaster for a run. This can come up in combat, class progression, but also with events along the journey, and collected treasure. Cats have equipment slots for a weapon, head, neck, face, and a trinket/consumable, with the armour also changing how the cats look while idling. Items can be gained from most combats as well as some events, with shops available for a few possibilities including a level up. Items can be kept between successful runs, but anything on a cat that dies is lost forever, and reusing strong items imparts a status that gives a 50-50 chance for them to break.
All-in-all, there are so many randomly moving pieces that nothing is predictable, which also means nothing is simple or easily planned, meaning that Mewgenics is a game of never-ending combinations. Ultimately, practice, planning, and luck will eventually push through any obstacle, but it will take a lot of time. This explains all the ridiculous playtimes seen so far that still haven't experienced everything, making it an admittedly daunting prospect for those that have yet to jump in.
[caption id="attachment_186992" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Who knew cats could befriend carnivorous rabbits?[/caption]
A tipping point leaning towards playing with these fabulous felines is the overall presentation. Visuals can be hit or miss due to the crude humour, but the silly designs do help players not get too attached to the cats that cycle out quickly. Battlefields are varied, with each biome having its own fully realized and different set of objects, hazards, and enemies, with the mini-bosses having a few options, and even a couple of the final bosses. This variety helps replayability, but also can frustrate when encountering a rare boss that defeats the player due to lack of knowledge or their party composition. Every biome has its own song, first playing as an instrumental during progression and regular combat, before adding in vocals for a rousing boss sequence. These tracks are toe-tapping earworms that cycle through ska, jazz, and country music with upbeat trumpets and horns that round in with exceptional vocal work when boss fights arrive - all of these stay highly enjoyable on every listen. Every cat has distinct meows that come from a large catalogue of guest vocal artists that lent their sounds, making these momentary clips an enjoyable Easter egg to dig through.
After forty hours in Mewgenics , it is easy to see how this is a "dive-in and lose track of time" or "just ignore it" title, as it is really hard to stay in the middle ground. Trying to experience everything will take hundreds of hours, which makes this a cautionary tale for perfectionists. Save and quit is always an option; however, full runs do take a couple of hours, making it not as easy to drop in and play as other roguelikes. Mixing and matching classes into crazy combinations that can defeat enemies in various ways is extremely addicting, and those hours go by quickly. Random luck plays a big role in how successful a run can be, as there are just so many different factors to contend with that it can be overwhelming at times, but always leaves a feeling of accomplishment when successful. This is a very intricate passion project that has endless possibilities already, with future DLC plans bringing more biomes and classes. Mewgenics will be around for a long time to come, and playing it makes it easy to see why.
Disclosure: This article is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher.
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