Stray Review
Played on PlayStation 5
Developed by BlueTwelve Studio
Released 19th July 2022
Let's be honest, the main reason you want to play this game is to play as a cat. If the cat was replaced by anything else, whether it was a small robot or an agile alien, you wouldn't buy it. That being said, this game is decent. Coming from the new and small development team, BlueTwelve Studio, they started work on Stray back in 2015, when it was still called Project HK. Not having published anything by the time their deal was made, Annapurna Interactive supplied the ex-Ubisoft employees with three more members forming the complete team. The idea to turn this project into a "cat simulator" was when the team was experimenting with their designed city and how they could traverse the landscape. The idea that the generally decorative elements of a town - like pipes and airconditioning units - could be used as an option for movement instead sparked the thought that mobility would consist of a "cat-like agility". Fast forward to 2022, and Stray is the most wish-listed game on Steam (ahead of launch), became the highest-rated game of the year on Steam (post-launch) and in July, it was the most-downloaded PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game in North America, the second-most-downloaded PlayStation 5 and third-most on PlayStation 4 in Europe. It's like the surge of cute cat videos all over again.
Story
Stray's main story was decent, however, the highlight of the experience would have to be the world's setting and backstory. The game follows an unnamed cat as it gets separated from its three other siblings while exploring the ruins of an abandoned facility. The player's cat ends up in the closed-off and artificial world of the Walled City, as they try to find a way back to the Outside, using the help of several robot citizens on the way. The main narrative of the game is satisfactory at best. While the concept of escaping and seeing the Outside isn't anything special, it does fit the Stray's overall tone and mood and it's better to have an okay story fit perfectly into the world than have a great one that feels out of place.
That being said, the 4-hour journey you embark on, easily takes a backseat to the outstanding liveliness that's presented in the game's setting. Learning all the details and the background information about how the city and its inhabitants function was my favourite part. There is just something so special about a game that does environment storytelling correctly. Whether I was learning the origins of the swarming Zurks or how the robot citizens interact differently in the various districts of the city, my intrigue in the world was the sole reason I even finished it, not the weak narrative.
Gameplay
The gameplay was quite a dull experience for me. Most of the magic within this game lies in the exciting design of the cat. If you strip this magic away, you're left with a disappointing platformer. BlueTwelve intentionally steered clear of standard platforming challenges early in development after watching playtesters consistently missing jumps, which they stated: "didn't feel cat-like". The guided platforming makes the whole game sapped for any joy that can occur when traversing the environment. It makes the monotone pressing of X more of a chore by the end-game point rather than an aesthetic choice of mobility as intended. However, it does allow for a more relaxed playthrough than a skilful, fun challenge, especially during the chase sequences.
The chase sequences are relatively intense when you start off. A new threat, crawling and crowding the space around you was great but the more often this formula was replicated, the less terrifying it became. The repetition of a near-identical environment and situation, mixed with the fact that the threat is practically non-existent, made these moments more like a stroll than a run. Stray also features some occasional stealth sections that (mostly) worked. Other than the AI being the dumbest thing since Idiocracy, if you decide to opt for full incognito mode, where you consider being spotted as a fail, then you can get some enjoyable stealth challenges out of it.
Despite the many faults, this game is still adequate at being a peaceful, adventure game. The puzzles may be basic and easy to solve, but they give the player an excuse to interact, explore and connect with the locals and environment. They definitely weren't designed to grant "light bulb" moments, but instead were designed to act as catalysts for the awe you get from exploring. Finally, the cat essence of this game is pretty brilliant. Most of this high-quality, feline portrayal is due to the Dual Sense controller feeling fantastic to use when you're doing all of your adorable activities like scratching a carpet into oblivion or purring while napping.
Characters
Overall, the characters didn't have enough personality to be memorable. The lack of sound design/voice acting and overload of text boxes didn't differentiate every character enough and thus could either be given a low score for it or ignored completely. I'll go for the latter as it doesn't feel right to score something that essentially isn't there. There was one moment where a father and son reunited but it fell short as it was like two cardboard cut-outs hugging; wholesome moment but doesn't define any personas.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere was the most developed and best aspect of my playthrough. This game is quite visually stunning; the beautiful world, and the excellent use of lighting; it's all so artistically rich in many instances. The Walled City doesn't feel bland or flat as it hones many varying environments: from the neon-pumped streets to the apocalyptic nests of the Zurks, it's incredible as all the details pour out into these cramped streets. The Walled City is based on the Kowloon Walled City in China, a military fort that transformed into an ungoverned and densely populated city, an almost-perfect choice for an abandoned yet lively setting. An additional graphical choice that I liked about this game is the inclusion of robots as NPCs. There's something so fascinating about seeing a mechanical body portray the organic aspect of a secluded city that is filled to the brim with technology. The team initially created some human NPCs, but after being unsatisfied with the result and realising that the high visual quality required would be too time-consuming, they opted for the safer and better option. The animation for the cat was also superb and felt quite realistic and effective. This successful effect was achieved by using a furless Sphynx named Oscar as a reference.
The soundtrack is amazing. I wouldn't rank it as one of the best I've ever heard or a game that is defined by its OST, but it really is good. I didn't really notice it during my playthrough but when I sat back and embraced the visuals, I noticed the music was not only great but played in unity with the environment so well that it immersed me into the game, outside of my spectating role. The sound effects aren't anything to hit home or critique. On a technical performance, it ran well, never dipping in framerates, though I did encounter some bugs, nothing game-breaking, but the AIs pathfinding breaking on multiple occasions did dampen the overall experience.
Story - 7/10
Gameplay - 6/10
Atmosphere - 8/10
Good
I, like many others, went into this game expecting a unique, cyberpunk twist on a cat simulator. While this was achieved in aesthetics, it followed a course that felt more akin to those of the tranquil sub-genre like Omno, Journey, Sky: Children of the Light and more. Its rudimentary mechanics don't warrant a "must-play" status but if you need a game to chill out to after some hardship, I'd recommend it, assuming you have already played the better alternatives.
