Stray Review – Cat Fight

I admit it’s been a long time since I’ve logged into the game not knowing what to expect. However, with the news from the BlueTwelve studio and my favorite publisher Annapurna Interactive, it has succeeded. Even though I wrote a paragraph about the game in other articles, it was still not entirely clear to me which direction the headline would go, when in fact even the marketing campaign gave a slightly more mysterious outline and revealed little (maybe other than the gameplay of the tryout, which however successfully passed). However, even with the announcement that dates back to 2020, it was clear to me that this would be a game that I would like to at least try. And finally, I was lucky enough to play it ahead of time and write the review that you are now reading, based on my experience. And how did these cat lapels fit me in the end? Let’s find out together.

• Platform: PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (Revised)
• Publication date: July 19, 2022
• Developer: Studio BlueTwelve
• Genre: adventure story
• Czech localization: Not
• Multiplayer: Not
• Data to download: 7.84 GB (PS5)
• Game time: 5-6 hours (platinum trophy approximately 8-10 hours)
• Sales version: Digital (Limited PS5 boxed release September 20th)
• Price: EUR 29.99 (approx. CZK 750)

The way home

Firstly, it would probably be nice to put the game in a box so that it visualizes better in your head. As such, it’s a linear adventure through and through, centered, as you probably already know, on a cat protagonist that you also control. One day, under circumstances that I will not disclose, he finds himself in an underground city from which he must try to get out. During this journey, he subsequently encounters various forms of life here, both artificial and organic. And most importantly, here he will get acquainted with the cute robot B-12, who will very soon become your faithful sidekick, having his own goal and intentions, which, thank God, coincide with yours.

The direction and end of the story can be guessed at the very beginning.

Although the story is very simple, there are no hidden surprises waiting for you during it, and you can guess its direction and end at the very beginning, I will not reveal too much about it in order not to unnecessarily spoil the experience for the rest of you. I will only mention that his narrative here takes place through episodic films, supplemented by simple conversations and random fragments of the environment. But an important part is also the collection of memories (here they function as collectibles), giving an additional insight into local events.

A little soulless

And here we immediately face, probably, the biggest problem of the whole title. While the story won’t offend you in any way, it won’t leave you with any lasting impression. We find some interesting themes and ideas, but the game only touches on them in passing and superficially, or doesn’t handle them in any interesting way. Of course, I wouldn’t mind, but I was personally shocked that the story didn’t evoke any emotions (it’s actually not difficult for me to evoke them), and I didn’t have some necessary soul in it. The whole story somehow flows, you are having fun at the moment, but you will not find a single moment here that would crash into your memory. Also, I didn’t write the review until the second day after finishing the game, when I have to say that the whole experience vanished from me too quickly.

The story did not evoke emotion.

At the same time, players should prepare for the fact that the pace here is really very leisurely, almost zen, without a meaningful plot. In the game, with exceptions, you will not be taken anywhere at all, when it is entirely up to you how quickly you get through it all. I definitely took my time and searched the individual levels as much as possible (most of them are corridors with occasional detours, but two of them offer a more open environment), which took me 5 hours of slot time. However, throughout the duration, I didn’t feel like it was really about anything, even though deep down I knew it was. I just didn’t want to. Which brings me back to those emotions.

Honest “cat”

So if you want to extract them from the game in some way, you will have to look for them mainly in the successful transfer of “cat’s life” into your hands. If you have such a pet, you will immediately feel at home. This means you’ll often create traditional cat havoc while playing, dropping just about anything that isn’t too heavy or nailed to the ground as you explore the environment. Flower pots, bottles, nothing is safe. I really commend the authors for the interactivity here with the environment, both caused by your movement and inside the scenarios you trigger with a button (there’s no shortage of torn carpets or sofas). You can also see that the creators are really passionate “cat lovers” (by the way, four real cats were used as a reference), so you will see conscientiously crafted behavior and animation (although they sometimes get angry at the script, which can make them seem a bit jerky/clumsy).

The cat life conversion was successful.

These feline properties are also well built into the gameplay itself, which revolves around solving really very trivial challenges/puzzles mixed with environmental exploration and a dose of easy jumping that is very linear and doesn’t require precision. However, there are also “collisions” or escapes from enemies (in the game you can really find two different types of threats that can end in your death) or some kind of side task with which the creators quite successfully try to prevent a possible stereotype. In general, it works without problems, entertaining at the moment, but again, nothing particularly unusual or interesting. Of course, except that you play as a cute cat.

Pleasant viewing with occasional problems

But what I definitely have to leave to the game is the excellent visual processing. To be honest, I can’t quite name the style that the authors went for, but the game most of all reminds me of the recent Sifu (slightly drawn and nicer textures), only with a much greater share of details. However, the very design of local locations and local residents made a good impression, when a mixture of elements of Japanese neon cyberpunk, more old-school technologies and organic, even Gigerian properties (but, of course, somewhat prettier) suited me quite well. In addition, it is supported by a perhaps too laid-back, but definitely good and interesting soundtrack.

I liked the location design.

However, contemplating the local world is a bit hampered by occasional technical twists and turns on the PlayStation 5. A few times while playing I found the title to stutter a bit and experience stuttering and FPS drops. Along with that, I also had a few times where the sound would get stuck on an object that was playing in a loop, or I would go through textures. However, these problems occurred only occasionally, and in general there was nothing to worry about.

But since I’m dealing with a PlayStation 5 situation here, perhaps for the first time in my review, I have to highlight the use of the DualSense controller’s features. Usually these gadgets annoy me, but here they are used in a very cute and flattering way. Adaptive triggers don’t do much, but the built-in retort and tactile feedback are really magical in this case. Thanks to them, you will feel and hear purrs and other feline reactions better, further supporting the feeling of feline life. Or maybe such a slow download is really good.

fleeting canape

All in all, Stray is an unobtrusive, leisurely game for an afternoon or longer evening that you won’t get bored while playing, mainly due to the interesting setting and the nice transfer of a cat’s life into your hands. The only pity is that the story and gameplay don’t offer more interesting elements that would allow you to stay with you a little longer. Annapurna Interactive publisher’s portfolio definitely has more original works.