On paper, the first attempt by French developers BlueTwelve Studio, supported by publisher Annapurna Interactive, was to be a largely on-rails experience resulting from the player goodwill generated by its feline protagonist. As a typical smart but lazy student who knows he doesn’t have to study to pass, the game would rest on his concept, tick the expected boxes and that would be that. A good little popcorn title for everyone to consume and move on.
However, after completing the game, this writer is pleased to report that even without being catnip for cat lovers, strayed is a strong adventure game, cerebrally satisfying and gripping. It’s also one of the most visually lavish indie releases to date, presenting its unique world in intricate, lovingly crafted detail.
The storyline
If you still need a synopsis for strayed at this point – ie you’re not among the 50% gamers worldwide who have apparently already played it en masse – you control a little ginger cat separated from their wild colony as you explore some overgrown ruins. As a result, you find yourself in a long-forgotten cyber city, deep underground and divided into ascending levels.
There is no sign of “the Soft Ones” (AKA people) in this place, but there are plenty of humanoid robots that have resigned themselves to spending eternity in a dark world where a swarming enemy known as Zurks (little cyclops- turkey stuff) consume meat and metal equally, and the authorities are brutally maintaining the status quo. Fortunately, our four-legged hero has an ally in the form of a small flying drone, B-12, who also wants to escape – along with other rebel robots.
In terms of gameplay, there are the expected platforming and puzzle solving that come with the adventure genre, some action sections, and even stealth levels, where a cat’s penchant for cardboard boxes comes in handy.
That’s one of the things strayed does it exceptionally well: taking real cat behavior and integrating it with gameplay staples. At no point, for example, does the cat slip into anthropomorphic Pixar mode, which would no doubt have been more convenient for the story. You play like a real cat, and their feline size, speed and agility are the key to progress in strayed — going to and through areas that no one else can reach.
Then there’s the added flavor of being able to do typical cat things like rubbing legs (sometimes tripping people), running on keyboards, clawing furniture, playing with ball-shaped objects that cross your path, and sleeping on whatever and whoever you are. want. One of my favorite actions was just meowing when I was around robots and watching their face shields react. Like the player, these lanky machines can de strayedcharm. And they have their own idiosyncratic appeal.
While B-12 is around to translate the robots’ distorted sounds into plaintext, there’s no conventional audible dialogue at play. BlueTwelve Studio makes sure you take care of the cast (and you will take care of them a lot!) solely through excellence in character design and animation.
Just as you become invested in the characters, you also become immersed in the game world because of the level of detail – and how impossibly good it looks. There are many indie games made by small teams that achieve a striking and memorable visual style, but that aesthetic is often stylized. strayedsomehow sits at the level of the next-generation graphic showcase. Each level of its cyber city is different, with a particular highlight being the dazzling yet dystopian Midtown. In principle, Blade Runner meet Shinjuku, Japan, its towering neon front is combined with gloomy, dingy back streets, depressing utilitarian apartment buildings and digital wanted posters, all reflected in wet walkways. It’s stunning, and my experience was that it spreads far apart for some vibration in the last act.
A five hour game
For the record, strayed was officially announced as a six to eight hour experience, although the reality is more like five hours. An extended playthrough leans closer to six hours. Meanwhile, there’s even a feat to complete the game in two hours if you want to know how fast it can be done.
That said, detours in the surprisingly sprawling, open hubs are definitely recommended. Aside from the visual Easter eggs floating home, as this is a robot world, when you look for the “collectable” locations associated with B-12’s memories, you fill in the background story of the environment. strayed has a lot to say about our own destructive, repetitive patterns of behavior and when it’s time to let go of the past.
If there is a complaint to make? strayedIt’s that while the platforming is top notch, the puzzle aspect isn’t that tight. It’s one of those games where you collect items before you know why you need them. Later levels also feel spatially larger, but there’s less to do than in the slum arrival area, which includes optional side missions. Perhaps the developer’s plans had to be rolled back, or it was a conscious design choice to focus players on the primary mission. Either way, you’re missing out on a reason to run down ventilation shafts and jump over balconies and air conditioning units to explore every nook and cranny.
Still, strayed has no lack of ambition or achievement. What could have been an easy one-note win is much more, and the level of performance is impressive. Come for the cuteness; stay (or strayed) for the all-round satisfying experience.
strayed is playable on PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as PC via Steam. It is also available to PlayStation Plus members at the Extra level and above. DM/ML
This story was first published on Pfangirl.com.
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