Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest Review (Xbox Series X|S)

For years, fans of Erin Hunter's Warrior Cats series have imagined what it would be like to step into the paws of their own Clan warrior. Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest finally delivers that opportunity, bringing the beloved world of ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan to Xbox in a surprisingly ambitious RPG adventure. Rather than simply retelling stories from the books, the game allows players to carve out their own legacy across the Lake Territories through exploration, quests, crafting, and tactical turn-based combat.

The game's biggest strength is how well it captures the fantasy of being a Warrior Cat. Instead of playing as an existing character, you're given extensive customisation options to create your own feline warrior, choosing everything from appearance to Clan allegiance.

Once your journey begins, the world feels authentically rooted in the source material. ThunderClan's forests, RiverClan's wetlands, ShadowClan's dark pine territory, and WindClan's open moors all feel distinct and encourage exploration. Familiar landmarks such as the Moonpool and The Island serve as important locations throughout the adventure and will instantly resonate with long-time fans.

Whether you're hunting prey, tracking scents, gathering crafting materials, climbing trees or uncovering StarClan mysteries, there's a genuine sense that you're participating in daily Clan life rather than simply moving between combat encounters.

The centrepiece is Prophecy Mode, which contains four separate storylines focused on the trials and challenges of Clan life. While the narratives aren't quite as emotionally powerful as the strongest arcs from the novels, they successfully capture the themes of loyalty, rivalry, destiny and survival that have made the series so popular.

Adding replay value is a procedural generation system that alters characters, quests and events between playthroughs. This means that even after completing one storyline, there's usually a reason to return and see how a different Clan's journey unfolds.

The game also includes Defender Mode, an endurance-focused combat challenge, and Skirmish Mode, which allows asynchronous online battles and interactions with other players' camps. These modes don't have the narrative appeal of Prophecy Mode, but they help expand the package beyond a simple single-player story.

Combat may initially seem like an unusual choice for a game about cats, but the turn-based system works remarkably well. Battles support up to three combatants per side and feature a large collection of unlockable moves that encourage experimentation.

Different enemies require different approaches, ranging from rival Clan warriors to foxes, badgers and even larger predators. Choosing the right moves, managing abilities and exploiting weaknesses becomes increasingly important as the game progresses.

The system isn't the most complex RPG combat you'll ever encounter, and some encounters can become repetitive during longer sessions, but it strikes a good balance between accessibility and strategy, particularly for younger players and fans of the books.

Visually, Clans of the Forest does a commendable job of bringing the world of the novels to life. The environments are colourful, readable and packed with details that fans will appreciate. Character models are expressive enough to give personality to the various cats you'll encounter, while the soundtrack helps create an atmosphere of mystery and adventure.

The game won't be mistaken for a graphical showcase on Xbox Series X, but it succeeds where it matters most by faithfully recreating the tone and spirit of the Warrior Cats universe.

Pros

• Faithful recreation of the Warrior Cats universe

• Strong character customisation options

• Four Clan-focused story paths

• Enjoyable turn-based combat system

• Excellent replay value thanks to procedural events

• Plenty of exploration, crafting and side activities

Cons

• Combat can become repetitive over time

• Some quests feel formulaic

• Storytelling isn't always as compelling as the novels

• Visual presentation is solid rather than spectacular

Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest feels like a game made by people who genuinely understand why readers love the series. While some of its RPG mechanics lack the polish of bigger-budget productions, it compensates with authenticity, charm and an enormous amount of fan service. The blend of exploration, character customisation, turn-based combat and Clan-based storytelling creates an experience that is easy to become absorbed in.

For dedicated Warrior Cats fans, this is likely the game they've been waiting years to play. For newcomers, it offers a surprisingly deep and enjoyable RPG adventure even without prior knowledge of the books.

XPN Rating: 4 out of 5 (GOLD)

Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest is available now!