“Stray delivers on its adorable cat adventure premise, but its excellent atmosphere and strong sci-fi storytelling are what elevate it.”
There are pros and cons.
There are pros and cons.
Mirah jumped up next to me when I was lying on my couch. Mirah lay down on my legs as I controlled the game's orange cat. The rumble I felt as she purred was similar to the one my controller gave off. It is the only time I have had a game where the natural and mechanical feel are in perfect harmony.
Stray is interested in that intersection with a sense of curiosity. The adventure game imagines a future where humans have destroyed themselves, leaving plants, animals, and sentient machines to take charge of the Earth. Since the game was first announced, a lot has been made of the adorable feline lead, but Stray isn't just a cute gimmick, it's a forward- thinking science-fiction game about our increasingly complicated connection with technology
Stray is a special experience that works best in a futuristic mood. A very cute one at that.
Stray is one of the easiest selling points in the history of video games. The orange hero in the game isn't a talking tabby. Your pet scratches and sleeps on couches. The premise allows for some great decisions to be made in the game.
The furry hero has to use his unique skills to solve puzzles and escape the slums after being separated from his family. BlueTwelve studio was able to figure out how standard cat behaviors can be used in navigation tools. If you scratch a door, the robot will swing it open to let you in. I had to hide from the drones. There are even totally optional interactions like finding a good book to nap in.
There are limitations to what Stray can do. It felt like any non- platforming puzzle was solved by scratching or knocking something over. When the adventure game auto-pilot kicked in, I nearly forgot I was controlling a cat. There are a few traditional puzzles that require brain work, like using written clues to figure out safe combinations, but Stray doesn't find many ways to utilize the few skills players have as well.
There are authentic feline moments in the game.
Stray gives its cat hero a drone companion that handles the more basic adventure game elements like trading items with other people. Some of the ideas bring a bit of variety to the game. A combat mechanic that disappears before it can really develop is one example.
The authentic feline moments are what make the game special. The most memorable scene for me was not when I ran from the enemies. When I got my head stuck in a paper bag, I inverted my controls until I shook it off. I was given a glimpse into my cat's brain by those often comical touches. No other game I have played has captured that feeling in the same way.
There is more to Stray than the cat-focused game. The game is turned into a truly transportive experience by the distinct atmosphere. It is easy to black out the real world as you play the game, unless your actual cat gets hungry and starts shouting over your headset.
A well-designed world doesn't need to have treats in front of players.
Stray feels similar to Ico. The isolated robot world has an underlying sense of tragedy but the game doesn't have a depressing tone. The feline perspective makes it possible for players to see a potential future. There are lots of ledges to jump on in old apartment buildings. The game is about a creature finding a way to survive and thrive in any environment it is put in.
That idea is emphasized by the navigation system. Stray doesn't give players a jump button and instead uses a similar approach to movement. The player moves from surface to surface by pressing the X button. The cat is able to make movements as it scales architecture. There is no danger of death due to a mis timed jump, the game wants to encourage you to explore.
The locations, inspired by the real-world Kowloon Walled City, are intricately designed with a lot of nooks and vertical space to play around with. A compact, open city is the first area you will see. I jumped up as high as I could and walked through the windows. After hopping onto the ground, I walked through narrow alleys and chatted with the local robot. I was content to stick my head in the fridge even though there was nothing to find.
Stray gets that a well-designed world doesn't need to be dangled in front of players to get them to move.
If you are the kind of person who sees Stray as ameme game, you will be surprised by how much it means to you. The narrative weaves together a variety of modern threads. It is clear that there is a clear environmentalist streak. The robot city is a slum that people used as a dumpster.
Stray understands that tech is used as a scapegoat to justify people abusing it.
The character that gets the most attention is the cat hero, but the androids give the story its heart. Using my drone pal as a translator, I quickly became interested in the robot's story. The story is about machines that wanted to engage with their creators, but were abandoned by humans.
It would be easy for a story like this to place all the world's problems on our screens. Stray understands that tech is often used as a scapegoat to justify people abusing it. The closest thing to antagonizing the game is the idea of a police state where the wrong people are depicted.
It is easy to see Stray's decaying cities as a dark place to live in. It imagines a world where nature and technology have found a balance, undisturbed by the selfishness of humans. In sci-fi, we have always seen androids as evil villains that will bring about mankind's downfall, but Stray thinks they'd be better caretakers for our planet than we are.
Stray isn't a furry thing that's in the meme. A new perspective to the adventure genre is brought about by the cat-centered game play. It feels limited and underutilized, but playful cat interactions make it a warm and fuzzy experience. The socially conscious sci-fi story about how human beings are the architects of their own downfall is a good place to start.
It's not really. For a game of this scale, Stray is a bit unique.
I missed a few collectibles but the story took five hours to complete. If you want to get a nap for an hour, you should get a 100% completion.
I agree. The central selling point of Stray is that it is an adventure game, but it is far more than that.
Stray was put through his paces on a Sony PS5.
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