Dr. David’s Indie Spotlight: Mew-Genics is an intriguing game about cats

Mew-Genics is a game that is, at the moment, shrouded in mystery. Over the past several months, developer Team Meat has been feeding fans tiny teasers that only serve to make the game that much more mysterious and exciting. The team of Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes gained a massive following after the duo launched the spectacular Super Meat Boy. It wouldn't be at all ludicrous to call the developer's previous effort a near perfect execution in 2D platforming, so it's undeniable that Team Meat has the potential to once again create an incredible, immersive experience with Mew-Genics.

Thus far we've only seen screenshots of different elements from the upcoming game. We’ve had the opportunity to check out cats, characters, and cryo-cubes. Specifically, Team Meat has teased the Cryo-Cube 5000, and from the tidbit of information that the developer shared, it seems like it can be used in quite the sinister fashion. Perhaps you'll be able to freeze one of the beloved felines in Mew-Genics so that you can grow old, thaw it out, and have your favorite pet at a ripe old age. Or maybe you just want to freeze another one of the neighborhood animals for absolutely no reason. Whatever the case may be, the Cryo-Cube 5000 definitely seems like a pleasantly peculiar in-game item.

Mew-Genics - 1

As interested as I am in the twisted aspects of Mew-Genics, though, I think what piques my curiosity more is the sim gameplay. Team Meat has gone on record as saying that the game can be considered something of a “cat lady” simulator, though there are certainly plenty more wrinkles to the gameplay. The developer recently explained that Mew-Genics is like a cross between Animal Crossing, Pokemon, The Sims, and Tamagotchi, but McMillen and Refenes are infusing it with wholly original gameplay. I've spent plenty of time playing all four of those aforementioned franchises, and the idea of once again experiencing something like that, albeit with a brand new IP, is absolutely riveting.

Raising virtual cats may not appeal to everyone, but when you add Team Meat's deliciously warped sense of humor and wonderfully deranged style, Mew-Genics could offer any number of wild experiences. This is multiplied to the nth degree when you take into account the fact that there are literally thousands of cats in the game. Wait, scratch that — the number of furry felines in Mew-Genics according to Team Meat far surpasses 12,207,031,250,000,000,000,000. Yup, that's the official word on the cat population, which means most, if not practically all, players will have a cat unique to their game.

Mew-Genics - 2

I consider myself a bit of a semi-collector when it comes to video games. If there are collectibles, I certainly snag a few. Hell, sometimes I even seek a handful of these items out. Still, I never take the time to search for every single item in a game. While that's likely to remain true as far as my experience with Mew-Genics goes, I have to admit I'm compelled by the prospect of trinkets in the game. Instead of explaining exactly why that is, let me just present this quote from the Team Meat dev blog:

As you play Mew-Genics stuff will appear … 'stuff' meaning food, poop, barf, kittens, mail … etc. This stuff is quite common of course … but did you know that sometimes these things appear imbued with magic properties that change space and time?! Well its true!

Mew-Genics - 3

That single quote is strong enough to emphasize that even if it is a “cat lady” simulator, Mew-Genics is still so much more than that. Simply put, it's a cat lady game from the dudes who made Super Meat Boy, which is to say it's likely to be bat sh*t insane. As a kid, I spent way more time than I care to admit feeding my digital Tamagotchi pet. I've also roamed a town populated by animals in Animal Crossing and gladly admit that I had a blast with that for weeks on end. Mew-Genics may just be an evolution of those experiences. I'm much older now than I was when I played The Sims back in high school. I still adore Pokemon, but my sense of humor isn't exactly in tune with those titles. Mew-Genics may very well be the sim that I've been looking for — something that I can get totally hooked to and laugh hysterically at … because collectible poop.

As I stressed earlier in this piece, Mew-Genics is still draped in mystery. That being said, this is a Team Meat game, which means there's going to be a level of appeal based entirely around absurd and offbeat themes. Who's to say I'll love Mew-Genics when it lands on PC, iOS, and Android? For all we know, it may end up being the type of game that's not for me. For now, though, I'm going to look forward to the project as a fan and just think about the possibilities. Then again, you do get to freeze furry critters, which is reason enough for any eccentric-minded individual to go totally crazy at the prospect of this upcoming game. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get something out of my freezer.

Want to talk about indie games, Kirby, or cheap pizza? Follow me on Twitter @dr_davidsanchez.

SHARE
Previous articleThe Final Countdown: MLB 13 The Show
Next articleLOVE this game!
David Sanchez is the most honest man on the internet. You can trust him because he speaks in the third person.