by means of
Lee Mehr
posted 1 hour ago / 219 views
No matter how routine, every action feels grander from a cat’s perspective. That’s where developer BlueTwelve Studios, along with nifty publisher Annapurrrna Interactive, landed on a great concept for a first title. Sure, there have been dozens of meme games centered around playable animals, and we’re not that far off either Untitled Goose Game, but something about re-imagining a typical 3D adventure through the eyes of a cat sounds appealing. The important question is: does? strayed eventually become a gross hairball or the cat’s pajamas?
A group of cats casually enjoys some daylight and each other’s company amid concrete superstructures. You step into the paws of an orange tabby. After an old pipe breaks down, this hapless cat tumbles way down in Walled City 99. The goal is simple: get back outside. With the help of B-12, a helpful little drone that’s also an archivist of human history, you may stand a chance.
Starting at the city’s physical and metaphorical lowest point, the slums establish two interesting things: the townspeople’s initial fear of you and the immense activity it feels through the eyes of a cat. The developers have cited the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong as a source of inspiration and it is instantly recognizable. The dingy multi-storey apartments are often separated from each other by narrow alleys. This domed underworld hasn’t seen natural sunlight in ages, but there’s plenty to replace it; buzzing neon signs in every corner, artificial stars algorithmically scattered across the permanent night sky, strings of warm fluorescent lights connected between rooftops, and more. The cyberpunk influences can’t be missed, but this subtle shift in perspective protects it from copycat accusations.
strayed also fast-forwards past the typical human/Android tension within this setting. Those townspeople you’re afraid of are all CRT-headed robots who’ve never seen an animal like you, and there’s no human around to correct their tense greeting. Nor is this a case of Skynet destroying people; in fact, most synthetics speak highly of them. Many clothing, work and recreational uses have been plucked from their fleshy ancestors. Even though they may not feel warm or cold, they are still know each of grandma’s ponchos is sewn with warmth and tenderness. Of course, every dive bar needs a bartender willing to listen to every customer’s story, a pool table and a jukebox.
Not only does this city expansion succeed visually, which is impressive for such a small team, it’s also enticing to explore. In the same vein as Assassin’s Creed, Strays platforming attempts to capture the athletic heights of the protagonist’s abilities with casual demands on the player. As long as you’re within a reasonable distance and point the camera in the right direction, any edge can be scaled with a contextual button prompt, be it trash cans, air conditioning units, metal pipes, wooden platforms, and so on. Eventually you’ll remember the first hub like the back of your hand, even opening a few small shortcuts to get in and out of important rooms.
Since this casual platforming is the foundation of the gameplay, not everyone will be on board with the lack of trial and error. I feel like I fall between two camps: the simulation-oriented and the atmosphere-oriented ideals. Just say it “the same kind of exploration you’ve done before, but like a cat” will be received by many people with unironic enthusiasm. There is an innate pull of a developer who models and adequately captures a cat’s locomotion and agility without the stalls of a pure simulation (correct angles, length of a jump, and so on). I respect that decision, but I also wish there was an extra layer of level complexity. Perhaps small platforms of exposed concrete or something else could have been mixed in to expand how you navigate these areas.
Even before you reach the slums that you quickly get acquainted with Strays most notable enemy: the Zurk. This one Half-life 2 head crabs with one glowing orange eye are hungry for just about anything. The typical form of dodging them is pulling an ass, a la not mapped chase order, but some variation is thrown in later. Sometimes you have to sneak them to another spot, while at others B-12 blast them with a custom UV flashlight. The oppressive atmosphere of the sharp, meaty backgrounds feels appropriate for these critters, but neither mechanical distraction feels rewarding. Most of the tantalizing segments are incredibly monotonous and zapping mindless hordes are soon welcomed.
Things take a better turn when four-legged popping is replaced by tracking down a drone’s cone of sight. Stealth is relatively simple (avoid the drone’s light and sound detection), but a welcome break nonetheless. I was surprised when one simple suspect phase (yellow light instead of green) inspired several drones to search the immediate area and then have more erratic patrol patterns. Despite not getting much attention, these instances of hiding in cardboard boxes or sprinting between objects felt rewarding and suited our protagonist perfectly.
Outside casual platforms through the colorful streets, strayed feels so inviting when you are treated like an old fashioned platformer. If you can casually walk up to someone and trigger a possible exchange with your inventory, it could lead to a few surprises. And of course, since there’s no “Detective Mode,” you’re forced to scan every inch and memorize specific spots for yourself. A few fetch quests drag on from this, but it also forces you to discover memories B-12 has of humanity’s past, or sheet music for a plucky guitarist. Whether you listen to his jams or drink in Yann Van Der Cruyssen’s beautiful OST, your ears are constantly pricked up.
A possible criticism of this confection would highlight the decent variety, but none of these baubles are fully explored. Eventually you get used to the platforming button prompts, scrolling through the puzzles (except one or two), and whatever concept they want to tease afterward. Most of it is done well enough, but never exceptional. Which can technically be true, but it lacks the personality embedded in the standard platformer/adventure. Tiny touches like a special meow button, specific robot nuzzling, special cat scratch points, whimsy flips, and cat sleeping spots (with rhythmic DualSense feedback) evoke a sense of involvement that wouldn’t make sense for a humanoid lead.
By excelling beyond the typical cat play design and providing impressive production values, the mixed collection of ideas feels more meaningful.
The idea of a cat triggering an exchange with a robot sounds strange, and it’s one of them Strays biggest obstacles to storytelling. I’m going to date myself with this example here, but imagine: home bound, except that everyone feels that you – a literal cat – understand a language fluently. Even before he discovered it, B-12 directs your attention through TVs as if you were just another person. His compendium of known languages also makes him the de facto translator. Everyone just pretends they’re having full-blown conversations with a stray tabby.
That kind of dissonance isn’t so much a negative as it is a strange warning to anticipate. Once you get over that hurdle, Stray’s story is humble but quite compelling. Seeing how the dregs of this society make for a meager, pre-programmed existence helps bolster your determination to reach out to the outside world. Major side characters are willing to risk it all to get a symbol to escape this harsh world. Again, it’s still… kind of weird how you’re being glorified, but in the end that enthusiasm wins you over.
In addition to a tangible end goal, it manages to organically build a dilapidated space with unique characters. It’s amazing how much personality is squeezed out by omitting animated faces for a series of full-screen emoticons on CRT screens. In addition to taking on a recognizable humanity, the baggage of their ancestors has also seeped into their binary code. From the emergence of the Zurk to the rigid police state of a specific node, the expected themes fit this situation well.
It won’t set the world on fire, but it’s still a fun yarn that has held my interest.
Like his tabby, strayed is not a colossal game. For someone who was aiming (in vain) for a completion run, I broke the five-hour barrier as I approached the conclusion. It basically equates to a $30 story-driven title. Besides the cold number crunching, the value I paid attention to is what did and didn’t get enough time. Stealth segments should have had more breathing room as well as the last level the more I think about it. While it’s a good pace overall, I still wish there was a little more to chew on.
Even as a rabid dog person, I came in awe of strayed. Leaving aside anthropomorphic animals, most animal themed adventures like Goat Simulator or Cat lateral damage earn a distinctive “appreciate remotely” attitude of mine; there is a brief burst of pleasure in admiring the concept before it dies out. The team at BlueTwelve put all their chips into a fuller experience – especially with regard to production values - and that paid off. Despite some pesky fleas, that overpowering feeling made this cat game worth it in the end. If most of this seems intriguing, I think it might be for you too.
Contractor by trade and writer by hobby, Lee’s obnoxious critique has found a way to appear on several gaming sites: N4G, VGChartz, Gaming Nexus, DarkStation, and TechRaptor! He started gaming in the mid 90’s and has had the privilege of playing many games on a plethora of platforms. Reader Warning: Every click on his articles helps inflate his ego the size of Texas. Proceed carefully.
This review is based on a digital copy of Stray for PS5 provided by the publisher.
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