Stray: The cat game you will want to adopt
You don’t need to be a cat lover to enjoy Stray, the new game for PlayStation and PC. But it helps.
In the new game from Annapurna Interactive, you play as a cat lost in a dystopian city. You meet new people and work with others in an effort to get back to your home. Stray received a lot of buzz, and was one of the most wishlisted games on Steam, but does it live up to the hype?
There and back again: A cat’s tail ... er … tale
Stray is a game about a cat living in a dystopian cyberpunk future world. As the game begins, you are living your best cat life, hanging out in nature with three of your feline friends. Before long, you use up one of your nine lives, and find yourself in a new world. A world underground that looks vaguely human with technology abound.
As you explore your new surroundings, you find a new companion, a small drone robot named B-12. He helps guide you on your journey to try and get back above ground. Along the way, you discover a city inhabited by robot “people.” The city is called the Slums, and the residents are also anxious to move above ground. They seem like your best shot to return home.
But the robot people – called Companions – are not the only form of life you discover. Small robots called Zurks travel in packs, and devour anything, whether it be machine or beast. You quickly learn that they are best avoided, and that residents of the Slums are rightfully afraid of them.
It’s a cat’s life
In creating a game about being a cat, movement is essential. How a cat moves, jumps and even cleans itself are all aspects BlueTwelve Studio took into account while creating the game. Apart from the normal run, walk and jump button, there is a dedicated meow button. Walk past a shop keeper and meow, and he may give you an angry look. Do the same to another robot, and they respond with a smile and a wave.
Movement is not the only mannerism your character possesses. Walk along a ledge, and you can knock off flower pots or bottles. Find a comfy bed and curl up for a nap. You can scratch furniture and sharpen your claws on rugs. And you don’t even want to know what will happen when you find a bag.
Overall, Stray is a great cat simulator. But what about the gameplay?
Will curiosity kill the cat?
Stray is a game about discovery. You solve puzzles that usually involve jumping to complete goals as you retrieve various artifacts for townsfolks to move your journey forward (do not call them fetch quests, you are not a dog after all). There are optional quests you can pursue along the journey that add to the story.
The game recommends playing with a controller. Apart from jumping, running and meowing, there are a set of controls for B-12, including a flashlight, inventory and translate. The controls are fairly simple, and I had no issue playing the game with either controller or keyboard on PC.
Whenever you leave the Slums you encounter the Zurks. While they travel in packs, their pursuit is more sheep than wolves. Rather than trying to surround and kill, they often move in a large group that is easier to evade. A simple meow will lure them towards you, but that can be used as an advantage to escape. Zurks jump to attack, and if they land on you, you will need to shake them off before more attack. Get too many on you, and you will use one of those nine lives. Don’t worry though, even if you die nine times, the game keeps going. Yes, this is learned this from experience.
The cat is out of the bag
Stray wraps a beautiful world around an entertaining story. Some puzzles are challenging, but most can be solved without a Google search. Some of the Zurks challenges could require a run through before preceding without dying. But Stray is more about the beauty and story, and therefore perfect for casual players.
This is not a perfect game. It can sometimes take multiple attempts to get the cat to jump where you want him to. This is most frustrating when trying to escape Zurks. The game is also relatively short, finishing in 8-10 hours. I found myself wanting to spend even more time in this gorgeous world.
Stray is one of the best video game experiences I have had this year. Overall, I give Stray 4.5 out of 5 stars. However, our cat Sirius was not as amused with it, as he slept through most of the play through. Your cat may vary.
Have thoughts about Stray? Hit me up on Twitter at @The_Dean and let me know.
Here kitty kitty – Where to find Stray
On a scale of buy, wait for a sale or skip, I lean towards buy.
It retails for $30 on Steam and the PlayStation store digitally. It is also part of PlayStation Plus Extra’s offering for July. A deluxe physical version for PlayStation is available for preorder from iam8bit.com.
Check out a preview video and more images from the game below.
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San Diego Comic-Con International is upping its coronavirus screenings in the wake of the latest viral surge across California.
The Marvel fatigue has set in.
After a two-year pause for the pandemic, Comic-Con wrapped up its return as in-person extravaganza on Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center.
Gamers are playing the video game sensation "Stray" while streaming live to raise money for animal shelters and other cat-related charities.