My personal experience and review of the story of a little orange cat.
Image: Official promotional art for Stray © 2022 BlueTwelve Studio / Annapurna Interactive. Source - Used for informational purposes only.
Summary
- Name of the game: Stray
- Launch date: July 19, 2022
- Developer: BlueTwelve Studio
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Genre: Adventure, exploration, puzzle
- Context: A post-apocalyptic future where humans have disappeared and robots have inherited the streets of a walled and decadent city.
History and narrative
Stray is a very simple story to understand: we are a stray cat who, unfortunately, falls into a subway land inhabited by robots. It is a world inspired by Cyberpunk type games. The idea is very simple: return to the surface. There is not much science in the narrative; however, along the way we help the inhabitants, who seem to be slightly more humanized robots, since they show certain emotions despite being machines.
The narrative is expressed through the environment, the cat's gestures and the dialogues of a robot that accompanies us, who will be our best friend, the drone B-12, which in a short time you get attached to, although nothing very emotional. The game doesn't have many cinematics nor really interesting dialogues; almost everything is developed with the environment. Apparently, our cat is able to understand the robots' language and helps them.
The interesting part of the game is to discover what happened to the humans and why the robots live as they do; why the world is abandoned and “dead” in a certain way. The robots look purposeless.
The characters are a few robots, our cat and the drone B-12. The robots are generic and don't have much development or relevance, except for the occasional occasion when they help us. You empathize with the cat, but I think mostly for the simple fact that it's a cat. So, if you like animals, you will probably connect with it, even more so if you have a cat in your home. The B-12 drone, despite how little it talks to us and how irrelevant it may seem, achieves a connection with the player. At least I felt that way, especially at the end, even though the game is short.
Really the story is interesting and engaging enough to keep you moving forward and wanting to know what happens, plus, being so short, I think it's worth it.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Stray, as expected, revolves around the mechanics of a cat. The good thing is that it is not a cat with special powers or abilities, but an ordinary cat. Of course, except that he can understand robot language and knows what to do. Sometimes they ask for an object and the cat brings it to them, but other than that it behaves like a real cat.
The game is based mostly on exploring, solving simple puzzles and having a bit of stealth. Even though it doesn't feature direct combat, there are moments of action and tension in chases by our little enemies called Zurks, who even though they are evil, look cute in the game. They don't feel like much of a threat and, of course, with our trusty feline friend, their agility is perfect for running away from them.
There are interesting mechanics, such as the typical behaviors you would see in a cat: scratching, licking, meowing, jumping, climbing, playing... all this makes you feel that your character is more real and you connect better with him. Also, the interactions are fun, albeit short and somewhat sparse in the game. I felt the controls were precise and fluid. Perhaps the only thing I would have liked is to have more freedom with the cat, as the game has specific jumping points and, if you don't get the button, it just doesn't come, even if you know that a cat could do it without a problem.
The learning curve is very accessible, ideal for casual players. The puzzles are very simple, they are not challenging, but the game tries to vary them so they don't feel repetitive, just like the zones, which although they share the same mechanics (being a normal cat), they vary enough to avoid monotony.
At the gameplay level it's fine, it's fun and it fulfills its objective. I don't think it's the best out there, but it's entertaining enough to get you interested in the story and finish it. I remember that I often used the meow mechanic, because my dog thought there was a cat nearby.
Graphics and visual design
The game has a cyberpunk type style, but more depressing as it is a post-apocalyptic world. It has an oriental urban style, which looks more like Tokyo, full of neon lights. The world is attractive and the design of the areas is well thought out for a common cat.
Although the highlight of the game, in my opinion, is undoubtedly our hero: the orange cat. His fur, movements and expressions really stand out. Visually the kitty is very cute and cuddly, with excellent animation.
The design of the robots is okay, but not the best. They're more of a humble or simple robot style, nothing Terminator-like. They are more realistic, which makes them feel closer to what we might see in real life. Maybe nowadays there is a tendency to give them more human features, but in Stray they look just like they are, simple and real. Don't expect something like Detroit: Become Human.
Sound and music
The soundtrack, incredibly, is one of the best. It conveys melancholy and hope for returning the cat to his family. It also reflects the loneliness of the world and the sadness of the characters. While I don't have a favorite song, it does a great job of accompanying the tone of the game.
The sound effects are fun, especially the cat meowing. In fact, there is a trophy for meowing 100 times. It sounds just like the stray cats that hang out on the roofs of houses. Even the sounds when the cat gets angry are identical to those moments just before two cats curl up and get ready to fight at 2 a.m. on your roof. I also found the sounds of the robots talking to be funny, not at all threatening.
Difficulty and accessibility
Stray is an easy and accessible game for everyone. It is standard, which means that it has no difficulty options. It is a very simple game in every aspect that simply wants to tell you the story of a cat in a post-apocalyptic world.
If you are looking for challenges, this game is definitely not for you, because it doesn't have them. It includes basic accessibility options (brightness adjustment, subtitle size), although it could be improved with more contrast options or control customization.
Additional content
The campaign can last about 6 hours, although there are people who in their first game finish it in 4. Its length, the lack of content and the few challenges or collectibles make the replayability is very low.
I consider it a game that you play once and never play again, not because it's bad, but because it doesn't offer something good enough to play it again. There are small activities like scratching doors, sleeping or doing cat pranks, but they are things that you complete quickly. So you have a content of about 6 hours approximately.
Technical Aspects
On PS5 and PC the performance is excellent, with stable 60 fps. There may be some performance drop, but it is nothing serious and it adjusts quickly. I had no major problems with bugs, I only saw one and with a reboot it was fixed.
The optimization is very well worked, something I always recognize when it comes from small studios, which usually have more challenges for the development of new games.
Value for money
Its launch price was $30 USD, and it is justified by its artistic quality, narrative and technical finish. I don't think it's bad. However, I think it is not a game for everyone because of its theme, and if you don't like cats or animals, you will like it even less. It is very short and direct, a small but interesting project.
I acquired it thanks to it being on PS Plus Extra for a while, and although its original price doesn't seem excessive to me, I would recommend buying it on sale, as it's a short campaign. For that price there are titles with more content, although Stray is definitely worth a try.
Trophies / Achievements
- Platinum obtained: Yes
- Percentage of trophies: 100%
- Estimated time: 6 hours
- Platinum difficulty: 2/10. A very easy platinum. Two games are needed: one to get the collectibles, complete a few challenges and enjoy the story; and another one to do a speedrun, which is very easy and with enough time, so it doesn't represent a challenge.
Conclusion
Stray is a very fun game. If you are a cat lover and have one at home, I highly recommend it. If not, it's still worth giving it a try. It's not a combat game or something that will blow your mind, but I must say that it's one of the most original games I've ever played.
Being a simple cat was a nice experience. For those looking for a short game with an interesting story and mechanics different from other commercial games, Stray is a very good candidate, although it won't be the best game.
My final rating for Stray is:
3.8/5
