Of all the storied conflicts in history, the age-old battle between dogs and cats is one the media just loves to return to. Whether games, movies, or cartoons, watching sneaky cats going toe-to-toe with wily dogs never gets old. The latest offering is Warpaws, from the unlikely stable of Slipgate Ironworks, they of Ghostrunner fame. Swapping hyperviolent cyberpunk ninja parkour for hyperviolent cutesy cartoon strategy is a move so far out of left field it’s coming from the right, but here we are.
As demonstrated during a hands-off showcase, Warpaws is a colourful wargame that depicts the battle between felines and canines as pitched battles in isometric arenas where the onus is on pushing for territory. While there’s no base-building or resource management, you will be producing fighting units on a cooldown timer. The more units you have in the field, the longer the cooldown. It’s a great system that adds an element of strategy while still maintaining the desired level of simplicity.
Interestingly, Slipgate has managed to resist the temptation to make the cats evil and the dogs heroic. There are no good boys and bad kitties here. Units are equal on each side, although they do have signature styles and one unit unique to each force.
The focus in Warpaws is on capturing and defending territory. You’ll be able to deploy mounted guns, sandbags and chain-link fences. As with classic wargames of the pass such as Z, S.W.I.N.E, and Steel Soldiers, Warpaws is designed to be challenging but not overly complex. Each side can deploy units with specific roles and abilities such as Engineers, heavy troops, and snipers, while both cats and dogs have one unique tank unit apiece.
Cats can also set a spy on the enemy, who can use stealth for assassinations and even disguise themselves, while the dogs have a Commando unit who can lay down a healing banner to cure their allies. Although it doesn’t necessarily add a heap of tactical options, it should do enough to make each side feel distinct.
There’s a variety of environments such as tropical islands, a vast desert, and an urban cityscape, and each comes with its own intrinsic hazards. Lure enemies into the sea to see them eaten by hungry sharks, for example, or have them obliterated by charging trains. A good portion of each location will also be destructible, allowing you to carve your own path to the opposition, or even set up strategic chokepoints and cover.
Ultimately, the campaign will likely be pretty barebones. Soloists will be able to play against bots, but Warpaws is designed primarily to be a multiplayer experience. Maps are built for 1v1 or 2v2 contests, with classic modes like King of the Hill and Capture the Flag, as well as a Battle Royale-style mode with a shrinking play-space.
Maps will usually hide a radar building, and capturing it will disperse the fog of war, allowing you to see your surroundings. However, environmental effects such as sandstorms may occur, obscuring your vision once again. Each battle is intended to be dynamic and somewhat unpredictable, forcing you to think fast to prevail.
We were shown a full battle from the canine perspective, as the guy playing during the presentation deployed Rottweilers with one-shot sniper rifles and pugs armed with bazookas. There’s a huge amount of personality in each unit, depicted in the bottom corner of the screen. They’re rarely still, often scratching, fidgeting, saluting, or gesturing. On the battlefield they’re the same, often displaying cutesy animations of ear-scratching and ground-sniffing.
Where most RTS games favour complexity and depth that can, and often does, confound new players, Warpaws is skewed the opposite way. This is a game that seems designed to be played and enjoyed by newcomers as well as seasoned vets. The cartoonish, colourful visuals stand out in a sea of brown and grey military shooters, and we can’t wait to stick our noses into Warpaws when it launches on PC and consoles in 2023.
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