[Review] PlayStation 5: Cat from Hell – A Cat Simulator Analysis

Oh man, where do I even start with this? “Cat From Hell – Cat Simulator” by Upscale Studios had me curious, like the kind of curious where you’re thinking, “This could either be hilarious or… well, not.” Picture this: A Christmas night scenario where good ol’ Santa accidentally gifts you a chaotic cat. Sounds fun, right? Yeah, not really. Somehow, it manages to miss the mark. Hmm, let’s dive in. Or maybe wade in.

You’re a cat. Surprise! And your mission? Wreak havoc in grandma’s house without getting caught. We’re talking smashing vases, clawing curtains, full-on kitty mayhem! I mean, have you ever wanted to bat someone else’s family heirloom into the stratosphere? Who hasn’t? But, like, the execution? Whoosh — straight past lackluster and into the realms of meh.

Anyway—or wait, am I getting ahead of myself? It kicks off on Christmas night. Santa, in some festive faux pas, decides to drop an extra furball gift at your place. Now you’ve got a rival cat. The thing is, this new feline pal decides to deflect its shenanigans onto you. Rude, right? So, the game plan is simple-ish: Flip the script and get them booted out.

I mean, in theory, it sounds like slapstick gold. But here comes the kicker: Grandma has this supernatural ability — or is it total ineptness? — to walk right into furniture and get stuck there. Like, what’s up with that? Her brain just kind of… stops, and you’re stuck waiting for her to reset. It’s like watching paint dry, but worse, because you can’t even keep smashing stuff.

So sometimes, your cleverly timed chaos goes unnoticed or Grandma blames the wrong cat. You’d think getting the blame off you would work, but nah, sometimes it doesn’t happen. Oh, and one time, the other cat got wedged into the couch and couldn’t move. Can you imagine that? Like a weird glitch where Grandma thinks that cat did all the bad stuff.

And, oh dear — the visuals! It’s like they time-warped from the early PlayStation 2 days. Grainy graphics, awkward paw movements, and the audio? Yikes. Grandma’s voice lines sound like she’s talking through a tin can. I mean, aside from the kinda catchy holiday remix, the sound design doesn’t do any favors.

Now, if you’re into collecting trophies, you’re out of luck on the Platinum front here. I don’t get it, especially for a budget game where a Platinum trophy could at least hook in some trophy hunters. There’s a sandbox mode, though, which ditches the rival for a more laid-back vibe with just you, Grandma, and mischief.

So yeah, went in thinking it was a goofy holiday romp… and ended up with a game that barely holds itself together on PS5. When you’ve got a main mechanic that fumbles most of the time, it just ends up feeling more like a chore. Even at $4.99, you’ve got to wonder if it’s worth it. At this point, scratching your own furniture might be more entertaining.

Oh, right! Full disclosure: This was all based on a PlayStation copy from Upscale Studios.

What a ride. Or more like a bumpy walk, really.