Stray (2022)

Stray is one of those experiences where the latest release sweeps large swaths of the internet and manages to make me join in on the train. I saw some of my favourite YouTubers giving it a try and having a chill time with it, which, combined with the aesthetics of the game, pushed me to dive into it as soon as possible. I'm glad I did because I was looking for something different and it turned out to be a relatively short endearing experience. As you might have surmised, the game lets you take control of a Cat. It gets separated from its pride and is thrust into a derelict city of a bygone era. As you traverse it, you uncover nuggets of story and what goes on in the city populated by robots.

I loved the aesthetics; the visuals have a cyberpunk flair to them which made traversing it entertaining. I loved the soundtrack even more with a variety of tracks that went hand in hand with the aesthetics and the atmosphere of the game. The design of the city and all of its different locales with the progression one gets when going through the story gazing at different areas from different viewpoints was satisfying. The conscious nature of the robots which appear to be companions for Humans - nowhere to be found - had me intrigued and compelled me to interact with as many as possible even if most of them had little to say with repeated dialogue. Interacting with them and witnessing their limited personality traits, as well as their culture and growth, felt relatively organic considering you're a feline with your own personal Robo companion in the form of a flying drone B-12 conversing and helping them out. The catto-robo duo itself was delightful.

The gameplay is simple and for the chill experience the game is going for, it does its job well. You traverse the locations with the agility of a cat and the level design utilized that well. A lot of verticalities and hidden passages that only a small four-legged critter can access. The movements were smooth; the small touches and additions of Cat behaviours were charming. There are no fight mechanics other than an element that gets introduced for a limited time later in the game. The enemies you encounter come in two forms: the weirdly cute yet menacing enemies Zurks that swarm at you; the robotic sentinels policing certain areas that gun at you with lasers. Both don't offer much of a challenge save for a few moments here and there.

I finished the game in around 7 hours which only took that long because I was going through it at a leisurely pace dicking around like a cat and simmering in the environments. I wanted a change of pace and Stray hopped in my lap at the opportune time. While I had fun with the game, the overall experience is held back from being great by its limited nature or, if looked at another way, from not realizing the full potential. The various elements incorporated in the game are mainly on a superficial level which could have benefited from further depth. The ability to control a cat could have benefited from deeper mechanics whether in movement or personality; the robots could have had more dialogue options and variations in their personalities; the levels could have had a deeper exploration and more tasks to perform for our catto protagonist; the Robo companion could have had more insight into its harrowing predicament; the story's revelations and unnerving plot points could have been executed and expanded upon in a stronger manner.

So, if you're looking for a cat simulator that lets you take control of a cat in all its feline glory, this is not it but it's worth checking out if you want to have a leisure playthrough with something different for a few hours as a chill catto cruising a crumbling city cautiously. I had fun overall and if I were to rate my experience, I'd give it a 7/10.

Перехайпили.

Главная проблема в том, что в игру не завезли геймплея. Даже прыгать можно только, когда значок кнопки появится. Да, практически QTE-прыжки. Получился такой симулятор ходьбы за кота.

Но и котом себя при этом не чувствуешь, никакого погружения. Даже вместо какого-нибудь режима «кошачьего зрения» — фонарик. Половина кошачьих «способностей» вроде мяунуть или поскрестись в дверь нужна пару раз за игру. Вторая половина — не нужна вообще.

Игра короткая, часов 5 или 6, если очень тупить. Но утомила она меня примерно на середине. Кроме безопасных прыжков тут ещё иногда приходится убегать от мелких роботов-саранчи, а ближе к концу начинается стелс. И то, и другое скорее раздражает, чем развлекает. А история проста, вторична, хоть и неплоха, но её тупо не хватает, чтобы увлечь при таком геймплее.

Так что получилось красиво, мило, но пусто и скучно.

Hmm, Play-Asia already has a pre-order listing for Stray, complete with box art that looks suspiciously legit including a tag on the cover that indicates the game comes with full colour art cards as a pack-in, which is not uncommon for iam8bit. I wonder if that means were are mere moments or days away from the official iam8bit pre-order.

Looking great. Like with Tunic I am kind of sad that this is available as part of a subscription service and thus I'll receive it without having to play for it, which means I can't directly contribute to the devs that made the game. But that also means I can hold out for a physical edition which I do sincerely hope is down the road.