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Many of the best things about Stray can be found in the unlikeliest of places, whether that be taking a nap on the chest of a sleeping robot or stopping to scratch the carpet in an abandoned apartment while passing through. There’s a lot more to Stray than just being a kitty though, with a string of solid design choices helping to make it one of 2022’s finest releases.
Stray Takes Risks
In a world in which on-screen mini-maps and obnoxious quest markers have become the norm, to release a game with neither of these things was undoubtedly a risk on Blue Twelve Studio’s part. Looking at the average review scores given to Stray by both critics and players though, it appears as though this is a risk that paid dividends.
There’s something refreshing about being left to figure things out for oneself and the cleanliness of the user interface does wonders for the game’s immersion. That being said, it would have been nice if the developers had at least included an option to turn on quest markers for those who prefer a bit more guidance, if only to make the game more accessible.
There’s Zero Padding
Some developers seem to be under the misguided illusion that bigger is better, but that isn’t always the case. Most players would probably agree that a tightly-packed game that lasts for five or six hours is much more enjoyable than one that’s been stretched out to fill ten or twenty just for the sake of making players feel as though they’ve gotten their money’s worth.
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Stray’s main story can be completed in under two hours, and it’s all the better for its brevity. There’s no mucking around with pointless dialogue or running back and forth doing pointless fetch quests, leading to a short yet highly enjoyable game. Again, in an ideal world, the developers would have included a bit more side content, but it could certainly be argued that what’s included is in line with the game’s reduced launch price.
The Story Hits Hard
Quite often it can take players quite a while to really connect with a fictional character. This isn’t so much of an issue in longer video games but has the potential to prove problematic in a game as short as Stray. Thankfully, there are no such issues here, with the game delivering a well-paced narrative that hits home in all the right places thanks in large to a few key characters and relationships.
Despite not being human, the game’s feline protagonist is surprisingly relatable. Perhaps this is because of its inability to communicate directly with the robots that it meets or the fact that the world that it’s thrown into is just as alien to the cat as it is to the player. The bond that the cat forms with B-12 feels genuinely special too, empowering the developers to hit players right in the feels at certain points in the story.
The Protagonist Feels Authentic
When Stray was first announced at Sony’s Future of Gaming event back in June of 2020, it garnered an awful lot of attention. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the main playable protagonist is a cat, with animal lovers everywhere excited by the prospect of being able to explore a dystopian future while controlling a cute little kitty.
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Two years on from that announcement and it seems safe to say that Stray has lived up to the initial hype. For as much as this is a serious game with a thought-provoking narrative and clear objectives, Stray still gives players ample opportunities to unleash their inner cat. Whether this comes in the form of spamming the Meow button or nuzzling up against every robot they meet, the game definitely delivers on its cat-simulating promise.
The World Feels Alive
Considering humanity has been wiped out by a mysterious video game plague and replaced primarily with robots, the world of Stray feels surprisingly alive. A lot of this is down to the bright neon signs that illuminate the decaying walled city, but the aforementioned robots also play a big part in the immersion.
From their first interaction with Guardian at the start of Chapter 4 right through to their final farewell with Clementine near the end of the game, players will meet a wide array of robots, each with drastically different personalities. The mysterious Zurks also deserve a special mention, as the cat-killing critters provide a real and ever-present threat while outside of the game’s three main safe zones.
Stray is available now on PS4, PS5, and PC.
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