What did I think it was at first? Stray is one of the reasons I purchased a PS5! I saw advertisements for this during one of the Games Done Quick events and decided to go for it. It looks cool and cyberpunky and it has a cat and I love cats.
How was the character creator? You are a little cat! You can find buttons and badges for your vest, but not much other customization. I wish I could choose what kind of cat I am.
How was the game? You have a button to make a meow sound, and when you nap you can feel purring and hear it in the controller. Totally worth it.
Stray is actually a pretty cute adventure game! The gameplay is mostly puzzle solving with some light stealth elements. You either have to figure out how to negotiate your way around an environment by jumping and climbing, complete quests by tracking down items, or run really fast away from cameras / monsters that eat you. I will say it is best played in short spurts as the game can get kinda samey.
The robot characters you encounter are very cute, and the environment is vivid. I really liked the music of the adventure, too! It's a treat for the eyes and pretty engaging for the brain. The world is very fleshed out and there's a lot to explore.
What did I not love? The narrative was on rails for most of the adventure - there are collectibles and such, but nothing you do really impacts the path of the game. Also, there are points at which it was difficult to figure out what to do - I'm not talking a puzzle I couldn't solve.
Also if you die the game over screen is very sad and it made me feel really bummed out. The cat doesn't die narratively but I love cats and I don't like seeing my little dead cat body on the screen. A fade to black would be nicer.
At 7 hours and $39.99, was it really worth it? I thought it was a lil expensive for what it was, honestly - especially since it's not really a game I would replay and it is kinda short. Even though it's good, consider waiting for a sale.
last night my sister and i set up a room to look like Momo's apartment and took some more legit pics of my Momo costume! (yes, that is a real screen and it cycles between expressions)
The Switch version of STRAY will launch on November 19, publisher Annapurna Interactive and developer BlueTwelve Studio announced.
STRAY first launched for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam on July 19, 2022, followed by Xbox Series and Xbox One on August 10, 2023.
Here is an overview of the game, via publisher Annapurna Interactive:
About
Lost, alone, and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten city. Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Along the way, the cat befriends a small flying drone, known only as B12. With the help of this newfound companion, the duo try to find a way out.
Key Features
See the world through the eyes of a stray and interact with the environment in playful ways.
Roam surroundings high and low, defend against unforeseen threats and solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by nothing but unassuming droids and dangerous creatures.
Be stealthy, nimble, silly, and sometimes as annoying as possible with the strange inhabitants of this foreign world.