Crimson Desert may be splitting opinions like no other game, but there’s one aspect of it that everyone seems to agree is a complete win: the ability to pick up the cats.
As a cat person, it’s long been much to my chagrin that games became so obsessed with the notion of “Can you pet the dog?” What about the kitties? Who cares about those damned mutts if you’re not able to give the cats a little scritch-scritch to elicit a purr? Well, in a moment that should unify the world, Crimson Desert has both. You can absolutely pet the dogs, of which there are so many, but when it comes to our feline friends it’s an even more lovely act.
Gruff ol’ protagonist Kliff and his mumbly Scottish brogue belie the animal-loving cutie-pie that lies within. While, for reasons I shall be complaining about loudly for months to come, you cannot pet the donkeys, you can stop by any of the pups you encounter and give them a lovely stroke. But there’s also the ability to carry cats, which the game is determined to let you know about: One of the very first mini-side-quests you encounter has a little girl ask you for help getting her cat down off a roof. So up you climb, picking up the cat—Jiji—and then returning it safely to its owner. Aw, lovely. And now you know how portable the furry beasts really are.
Kliff will carry a cat about with him everywhere if you let him, only putting them down when forced to, like to sell items in a shop, or to arm-wrestle a local. But the kitty will then patter around about you, mewling about your sudden lack of attentive focus, and you can scoop it right back up again.
“I got to the first town, and was walking around greeting everyone, noticed the village cat,” reads one review on Steam. “Upon trying to pet him, I picked him up and was able to walk around the village with in in my arms, while petting him and completing my tasks. This game is great, highly recommend.”
“I found a crying cat in the bushes and the game let me pick her up and pet her. 10/10,” reads another. “Gained ‘Broom Knowledge’ while carrying a cat under one arm. 10/10 for playability,” adds a third.
I look forward to the success of hot new social media account, Can You Carry The Cat?
