Lost Paws Review

Sometimes, I don’t want a game that focuses on taking on some world-ending threat or a story with deep and complex characters… sometimes, I want something that just lets me run around while barking at random people to see what happens. Well, Dungeoneering Studios' latest title, Lost Paws, wants to be that kind of game. The question is whether you should give this pet to someone or call the pound. 

Lost Paws has a plot in the simplest of terms, or rather, it has a framing device. You take the role of a pooch who has recently become a stray. It’s up to you to find your way in the world and learn how to survive as a street pup. I won’t blame you if you play “Why Should I Worry?” from Oliver & Company on repeat; I know I did. 

It’s not really complex, and most of the missions are basically fetch-and-gather, which seems fitting, really. However, it does what it needs to do in that it gives you a reason to be in this world. There is an endgame, which is oddly reminiscent of that one ending in Silent Hill 2, for how odd it is, but the real point of the game is to run around and be either a good boy or a bad pupper.

As a dog, you can move around the different areas with the goal of finding food and water, as well as collecting clothing (and even some armour). Many of these you can find, or you can use your canine charms to coerce humans into giving you treats. Alternatively, you can steal what you need, but this can lead to the dogcatcher being called, which means a chase sequence. 

It’s not the most complicated game in the world, but at the same time, that is more a strength than a weakness. The focus here is more on just seeing what you can find and completing the missions you’re given. It’s all about freedom: for instance, you could bark at a man with a briefcase so that you can steal it and sell it on to a shifty cat for some better equipment. Or, you could go full wolf and wander the woods looking for prey. I wouldn’t recommend that one, as the bears that await you are not the friendliest sort in the world. 

This freedom is both the game's strength and also its biggest cone of shame. See, the problem is that the missions you can do are kind of dull, and there’s really not much to actually do after a certain point. It also doesn’t help that the mini map is terrible, as it only shows a section of the world and will only show an objective marker when you’re in the right general area. So, if you’re looking for specific items, it can be a bit of a pain. 

Visually, Lost Paws isn’t the best I’ve ever seen, but it’s fine for the most part. The world is a bit blocky, and the insides of houses (the ones you can go in) are a bit bare bones. The same is true of the music and the sound effects, especially from humans who use the same four exclamations throughout the entire experience. 

Lost Paws has its issues, both in gameplay and graphics, but at the same time, it’s fun to just mess around as a dog for a bit. It’s no Game of the Year winner, but it doesn’t really need to be. However, I would like to see more to do in the future; otherwise, you’ll probably only play it once and forget about it.