Game #64/225

I had a surprisingly great time in Stray, whose premise of playing as a cat initially appealed to me as a cat lover, but whose walking simulator-heavy gameplay gave me some paws (lolz). I am also not generally big on cyberpunk or EDM, both of which feature prominently in the game's aesthetics. Nonetheless, even with the game's mind-numbingly easy puzzles, I found Stray such a fun time to run around in for about 5 hours. The gameplay loop is simple -- there's a decent amount of exploring in some semi-open areas -- and you advance the well-conceived plot by speaking to the right person, getting some information, completing a fetch quest or a puzzle, and performing some very easy jumps. There are also some collectibles and mini, informal side quests that add to the game's atmosphere and charm. I really enjoyed collecting some of the music pieces and multi-tasking with those in the game's main town while also thinking about how to advance the plot. Each of the game's small open-world areas feel unique and well-designed with many "cat-like" activities, like scratching posts or places to snuggle up, that add to the sense of coziness and even awe.

It's an impossible-to-fail sort of game (although you will die a bit), but the joy is really in the feeling of "catness" you get from controlling the nameless feline and watching its realistic animations -- from jumping, to cozying up to a robot, to running about. The game does have some well-executed underlying themes to which the cyberpunk world lends itself well, such as of the infinite vs. the finite in the meager lifespan of the cat you control and the robots all around you or how animals are capable of amazing things (sounds boring, but the player does get this sense of realism from that the cat does in the game and how it translates into progress; it doesn't ever feel overly unrealistic, which the designers could easily have made happen). It's quite a joy to walk around the world of Stray, meeting robots who build its dark, underground world, and navigating landscapes with the agility of a cat. I acknowledge many people would not classify this game as a walking simulator, but its ease sort of lends itself to that genre despite its more sophisticated mechanics. And it is one of the better ones I've played.

Stray is an okay game, if very basic. It's biggest issue is probably that it doesn't live up to the hype. I remember this being one of the first games showcased for PS5 and I was seeing it everywhere leading up to and following its release. I'm not sure "hype" is the best word for it as there weren't a ton of details given or even that much buzz from a lot of gamers, but there were ads everywhere and it was being couched as a significant upcoming release you don't want to miss. The game does look pretty good graphically and plays smoothly, but the game is primarily a platformer, most of which is practically on autopilot and/or super easy. While it was an alright game, there was just very little that seemed worthy of praise above any other average title. In fact, expectation being what it is, I probably would've enjoyed the game more if I'd heard less about it.

The aesthetic and atmosphere of the game are probably its best selling points and there the game does shine in these regards to some extent. The futuristic robot city is full of evocative neon lights and stylized robot characters. There are a variety of interesting-looking environments and none of them overstay their welcome or feel overly uniform. The game's main unique feature is that you're just a cat and you have to play as a cat would. While rather intelligent, Stray can't talk (other than to meow, a lot) or walk around on hind legs. Stray is a cat. The platforming and adventure is thus mostly confined to things a cat would be able to do. The only real exception being communicating with your robot friend B-12 who facilitates a lot of the translation to explain the game to the player and until you meet B-12, the game is fairly non-verbal. The game does a lot to immerse you into that role as a cat, aside from when a bit more textual narrative feels warranted and B-12 or an NPC fills you in through B-12's translation.

The story of the game is fairly basic, but the connection between Stray and B-12 is the main force of the narrative. Not only does B-12 act as your intermediary with the various NPCs, but the two of you have to work together to make it through numerous dangers. There's a surprisingly touching relationship between the two that develops over the course of the game.

The biggest issue is that there's just not much to the game. The platforming is very basic and very easy. Most of the dicier gameplay sequences are simple chase scenes and a few stealth or puzzle sequences that are also rather straight-forward. Not only are these not very challenging, they feel very standard and typical. Aside from the fact that you're playing as a cat, most all of the game is the same sequences you've likely seen in several other games. The full story is quite short and while the environments and characters change, there isn't much variation other than eventually the action sequences have more of a threat than they do in the earlier sections. There are some side quests and collectibles but these ultimately I didn't find to add too much to the game.

None of this is really bad exactly, I give the game 3 stars because it's an okay game. But there's really nothing about it that makes me want to recommend it. I guess maybe it'd be appealing if you just really really like cats? My niece does really like the game and enjoyed watching me play it for instance. But I saw this game nominated for 2022 Game of the Year and, meaning no offense to the devs, I just don't see it at all.