I never thought I’d see the day when I would be glad to see another instalment in the Hidden Cats franchise.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a series of games from Silesia Games that I adore, happy to uncover hidden felines for an evening or two, caring little for rhyme or reason. In fact, I’d say that these games are amongst some proper hidden gems on Xbox; games that more people should be playing.
But a few weeks back, concern came to the fore, as Silesia attempted a new route into the cat-finding genre, releasing Purrfect Rescue to the masses. Frankly, it was rubbish; extremely annoying, highly frustrating and about as far removed from the casual brilliance of Silesia’s genre leading series. It’s good then that we’re back with the premier series, continuing with Hidden Cats in Berlin. Just don’t expect anything different from the games that have come before it.
If, like us, you’ve played the Hidden Cats games before, you will know exactly what to expect from this one. It’s the latest instalment in the franchise, very much building on what came with Hidden Cats in London, the Big Apple fun of New York, or the French-vibes of Hidden Cats in Paris. It comes pretty much as a German twist on our favourite in the series – Hidden Cats in Rome – with the (hopefully standard) inclusion of a huge scene alongside the usual puzzling fare.
We could probably sit here and copy our Hidden Cats in Rome review word for word for what is included in Berlin, swapping out any Italian flair for German thrift and sensibility as we go. For this one is about as close to that which came before it than any of the series to date. But that would severely limit our word count…
So, what does Hidden Cats in Berlin offer? If you enjoy searching for hidden cats in a cityscape, you’ve come to the right place. Presented with a simple scrolling screen, it’s up to you to scour the land, zooming in and out, moving a humble pointer to any cat-like shape you may see. Click on it, drop in some colour as you go, and you’ll eventually fill out that world, for full completion, fireworks blazing overhead. That’s very much all there is to the game.
The addictive gameplay lies in hunting down those cats, listening for faint meows as the last few hidden felines beg to be found. With 120 cats scattered throughout a Berlin-inspired city, complete with iconic landmarks and citizens, there’s genuine satisfaction in completing each scene. A helpful hint system is available if you get stuck (though you probably won’t), making for a truly casual experience.
A secondary level plays on that main theme, adding in more cats (200 in total), this time placed absolutely randomly, alongside a number of human characters (Hidden Humans series incoming, anyone!?). There are also further special cats to uncover here, each with a little backstory to them. It’s these guys which then unlock further stages.
These stages, reminiscent of Purrfect Rescue but far less frustrating, include locations like the Backerei (bakers) and Metzgerei (butchers), the Brauhaus (pub), Hauptbahnhof (station), and Tiergarten (park). There’s also the iconic Berlin Wall, with these new stages running gameplay mechanics that differ slightly to the norm. See, instead of filling out entire worlds with colour upon the discovery of the cats, it’s just the little kitties themselves which are coloured in. They are much more obscure too in these extra levels, as you look for anything that may even slightly resemble a cat. With between 50 and 100 felines to tick off, it really doesn’t take long until you have found yourself invested for a couple of hours, hundreds of cats in.
And then, much like Hidden Cats in Rome, the Underground Party opens up in Hidden Cats in Berlin. This is one huge scenario that brings together everything that Silesia Games and Nukearts Studio know about these Where’s Wally style affairs. 100 characters need hunting down, limited to only four at a time to increase difficulty, whilst another 100 cats find themselves wrapping round the legs at the same time. That gives a grand total of 200 objects to find in this German rave and whilst we love this new addition to the series, similar thoughts arrive in this example as they did for Italy; we’d have much preferred to be able to discover human characters easier, instead of being limited to such a small number at any one time.
But really, that’s a small slight on a game – and a franchise – that just continues to provide a gaming addiction. Hidden Cats in Berlin is another stellar addition to the series, continuing on from where Rome left off.
If you’ve played the previous games, this will be a no-brainer – you’ll fully understand the addiction it brings. And if you’re new to this cat hunting gaming series? Hidden Cats in Berlin is about as good a place as any to ignite your journey.
A Thousand Kitties Await: The Hidden Cats in Berlin Experience – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-thousand-kitties-await-the-hidden-cats-in-berlin-experience/
Buy Hidden Cats in Berlin – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/hidden-cats-in-berlin/9NWSH2MJZRVW
