Copycat

There is a seemingly eternal argument that “Video Games are not Art” which has sprawled the world and is often regurgitated by consumers of film, and even one Hideo Kojima. In its purest form of argument, I can somewhat see the point, yet looking at how video games have shaped in the last 25 years, it’s clear they are an art form. If the argument is "Video Games lack emotional depth and connection", I can easily pinpoint many games that carry gravitas, and leave you questioning the very meaningful of life.

And Copycat is one of those games.


What is Copycat?


Just a heads up, this review is quite fuelled by a subjective outlook on the subject and themes. I will point out the good and bad as I always aim to do, but there always will be games we love or loathe for a subjective and personal motive.

Copycat is an indie narrative lead adventure game, where you play as Dawn, a shelter cat recently adopted by Olive, a friendly elderly lady wanting to replace her old cat who went missing. Dawn has trust issues due to a life of neglect and considers herself a true wildcat who demands to be free. However, as the days pass, Dawn realises that she is loved, and no longer in need of fear as she has a home. All of this changes when Olive’s original cat finds her way home.

Dawn finds herself battling the elements, fighting for food, facing terrors during the night, and having her heart broken by the owner she thought truly loved her.

Copycat is a short, punchy narrative adventure which goes through a tidal wave of emotions ranging from pure laugh-out-loud joy to gut-wrenching despair and anguish. It’s a game where you do cat things from knocking off things from shelves to chasing birds and tearing up toilet paper, along with being a haunting simulator of the everyday life of a stray left out in the cold.


Nine lives, just one heart


We’ve seen many stories about love, loss, and the possibility of hope, but rarely do we see that from the point of view of an animal, like a cat or dog. Frankly, the only games centred around an animal I can think of are Stray, and the 2003 PS2 game Dog’s Life… Here we see a range of emotional conflicts through the eyes of a newly home house cat, all the ups and downs, the love and the grief.

Copycat is an incredibly well paced, and thoughtful narrative, taking us through a little less of a month through the perspective of Dawn, but time spent well to deliver a breathtaking journey. A lot occurs, providing many wonderful highs, and ultimate lows that truly sank my heart to depths I never knew existed. Dawn is very lovable, and while standoffish at first, she does come around to siding with her new life, and thoroughly enjoying it.

We see and feel every thought of resentment, disdain, and eventually the feelings of love, sorrow, and heartbreak. For a cat, I related to her, understood everything, and grew to love her on such a personal level.

Like us with our cats, we don’t truly know the depths of their minds or their thought processes in day-to-day life. It’s easy to say and joke that cats see us as their feeders, yet much more lies within their minds. And while there is a nice amount of humour in Copycat, through some excellent mini set-pieces, and the narration by a rather charming nature expert, there is also a profound observation that cats can love us as family and protector. Copycat presents a believable sense of logic and reason for Dawn, making her hardships the more painful. 

What follows is a difficult venture for Dawn, as we see her be free of life in a shelter, learning to trust her new owner, Olive, build a bond she feels will never be broken, and face several weeks of hardship before she can return home. Everything is handled with exceptional care, especially when dealing with tough subject matters. There is only one story moment which did leave me genuinely bitter, especially as it felt a little out of character for the characters themselves. And how long it took them to come to a realisation was a little odd. Nevertheless, the narrative is competent, gripping, and  

And while you do have the goofy narrator who speaks as Dawn’s subconscious and observer for the tale, along with some very surrealistic visuals such as a giant panther chasing a rabbit in a field, there is a grand sense of realism, which many people often ignore about cats and in fairness dogs too. It gives a glimpse into how flawed and troubled human beings are and that our pets no matter what, will love us dearly.

On a personal note, I lost my girl Tibbs at the end of last year after having her by my side for 20 years. It was a sudden passing which crushed my soul. Even to write this has left me with tears, and so anyone who has dealt with a recent loss will understandably feel some raw emotions here.

There were moments I bellowed with laughter thinking that Tibbs did the same thing (like eat my dinner when I wasn’t looking, or bring me pigeons as gifts), and then there were moments which pretty much broke me. There’s a going on here, with moments which made me so angry at character decisions, feeling utter dread for Dawn, and seeing the developers tackle head-on the plight of many animals, many cats who are abandoned, unloved and outright hated just brought about so many questions and agonising thoughts.

“Maybe Cats don’t go to Heaven?” is a line by the narrator that pretty much sums up how many still see cats. This again just broke me emotionally and did offer a glimpse into the utterly dreadful situations many cats sadly find themselves in from being unloved Christmas gifts to ungrateful children, to being born out in the cold and unwanted as they’re seen as filthy.

It puts into the perspective that human beings can royally go f*** themselves and we deserve the dire, fiery end that’s coming to this world. Likewise, love is beautiful, and many people do care, even if they show it in all the wrong ways. 

There’s a lot to unpack in Copycat through its simple, yet powerful story of love, grief, trauma and finding a place to call home. And while the end did wrap up things quite too neatly, it was still heartfelt, and worth the devastating events that took place before it. Even if you’re not a cat person, you can still vastly enjoy and relate to the story, even love Dawn, and feel all those raw emotions during their journey of sorrow.

We do have something like Stray, which is very good, and grants a nice emotional journey. Yet it didn’t delve into the ocean of feline anguish, and the notion of love and heartbreak from such a small living creature, unlike Copycat, does so brilliantly.


The ultimate Cat simulator


As for actual cat stuff you'll be doing, Copycat’s gameplay is full of amusing activities and joyous cat simulator fun but manages to pack an emotional punch much like its story.

Copycat brings forth a range of gameplay elements, and cat-themed events to make you truly feel like you’re a living, breathing feline friend. You’ll be moving around and leaping about like a cat, knocking over vases, paint tins, books and more like a cat, and do plenty of scratching, destroying the living room sofa, again just like a cat. There are plenty of these humorous tasks to partake in, with much of the tone in the first hour being quite whimsical.

Dawn will learn how to hunt, climb and walk along walls, flee from larger predators and fend for herself when backed into a corner. Everything that occurs is all cat-centred, and something you would expect or see a cat do. The best way to fully describe most simply is to imagine a collection of mini-games all cat-themed, like when you wave a feathered stick and see your cat’s primal instincts kick in and take a swipe at it.

You’ll be doing that.

In the later stages of the journey, Dawn will have to hunt for food, run away from dogs chasing her, and fight off territorial alley cats. All these events are done with simple prompts, button mashes and moving the analogue stick left and right to avoid incoming obstacles while running away from a dog, akin to something like Crash Bandicoot. Just more grounded and sadder. 

There is a grand variety of gameplay events that occur, from chase sequences to stealth-like sections, and the more cat-oriented things such as hunting birds. Even moving around like a cat was quite enjoyable, even if the movement is not as smooth as Stray’s, it’s still fun to be a cat (until it’s not). I give a heap of praise to the developers for implementing more surreal moments in dream-like sequences. Being a giant panther running after rabbits was quite wonderful. Then being in a nightmarish situation trying to find Olive’s car in a car park full of the same car did give me chills.

I do truly admire Copycat for presenting a heartfelt story filled with gravitas, but one with enjoyable gameplay which doesn’t take away from the core message. The tone can seem a tad bit goofy, and some QTE sequences do go a little too long for my liking. The gameplay variety, the pacing, and how everything is kept within a cat-like reality are impressive in my books. 


Overall?


To me, Copycat is an important video game for numerous reasons. I said at the start, that I’m looking at this more subjectively as someone who has owned cats. Tibbs was with me for 20 years, and at times, I never knew what was going through her mind, yet she was always there. Through breakups, COVID-19, and moving from home, Tibbs was by my side, and I’ll never forget her warmth and companionship. Her sudden passing has left me with so much unfathomable hurt which I'll never get over. However, playing Copycat was a cathartic experience that has made my pain easier to bear. I'm so thankful that a game like this exists, and many others will surely agree.

Playing Copycat brought waves of joy and sadness, as a thoughtful examination of experiencing love, heartache and trauma, all through the view of a devoted house cat. I believe anyone, be they cat owner or not, can pick up Copycat, play this, and have it leave an impression that won’t go away for quite some time. Through tragedy, comedy, and presenting the world through a view unlike any other rarely seen before, we can better understand why love, and kindness to even the smallest of creatures, is vital to our humanity.

Copycat is an indie behemoth thanks to its powerful story, beautiful presentation and meaningful cat-theme gameplay. I feel so humbled that a game like this exists and is crafted with such passion and grace. And I’m sure this will be the case for many people who will and should play it, and hopefully will, be they cat person or not. In the end, the argument that Video Games are not Art is one I see as being redundant, especially with the likes of Copycat.

For Tibbs, Dawn, and all our feline companions, may they forever have a loving home wherever they are.

+++ Beautiful storytelling that’s funny, tragic, and heartfelt
++ Great array of gameplay, and enjoyable catlike mechanics
++ Lovely presentation, surreal visuals and very nice cat models

- Little bit of jank here and there
- Some QTEs and set-pieces can run a little too long  


A review copy Copycat was kindly provided by the publisher. Copycat is out now for PC