Analysis of the video game “Stray”: playing as a cat is unique and endearing, but it lacks claw

Promotional image of “Stray” (CNN Spanish) — From the moment of its presentation, the video game “Stray” already had attractive and differentiating elements to attract the attention of players: its proposal and aesthetics. A video game of controlling a stray cat in a cyber city of the future with a cyberpunk atmosphere. If we add to this that it was going to be distributed by Annapurna Interactive, who has also been in charge of independent and different gems such as “What Remains of Edith Finch”,”Outer Wilds” or “Sayonara Wild Hearts”, expectations grew. And the final result confirms that the title developed by BlueTwelve Studio is a more than remarkable work, satisfactory, with a great setting and with good ideas when it comes to posing puzzles and situations capable of causing smiles among players (especially among lovers of The cats). In “Stray”, players take on the role of a stray cat who must run and escape from a cyber city full of robots and strange creatures in which there are no humans left. In turn, he must discover what happened in that place. For this he has B-12, a small drone that he meets on his journey. The adventure can easily be completed in about 6 hours with moderate exploration of the environments, but can be as long as 10 hours for those who want to complete everything. It is precisely in this idea of ​​touring this futuristic city that one of the main strengths of the work lies: its playable mechanics are effective and well implemented to generate varied situations. In “Stray” we can meet and talk with different robots. First of all, the movement of the cat stands out. The effort to make a realistic and recognizable animal is evident by anyone who has observed these cats running, limping, jumping, perching and even purring. When it comes to moving around, it’s not only visually pleasing, it’s graceful and fluid. Instead of allowing the cat to jump whenever and wherever it wants, at BlueTwelve Studio they have preferred to make it only jump to those elements that the game marks with a symbol. In this way, chaotic situations are avoided. In addition to this clever movement mechanic, the cat is capable of sleeping, rubbing against other beings, and meowing. Yes, there is a meow button. And this is not just there as a curiosity. It also has a function to attract certain enemies. All these elements favor the immersion of playing like a cat. In a matter of minutes it is easy to feel agile moving through the different vertical elements that could be expected in a futuristic cyberpunk city. This is where another of the strengths of the title comes into play: a very intelligent application of level design to create different puzzles in which the different movements and abilities of the feline are applied. “Stray” stands out for its artistic style. However, it is precisely in the design of the aforementioned city and cyberpunk aesthetics that a bittersweet sensation is generated. The art style and setting of the setting where the game takes place is bright and attractive. There are scenarios full of nooks and crannies that tell stories just by looking at them. It is interesting to learn more about the robots that inhabit this place and discover more about what is happening in this city. But, as with other video games that use similar futuristic scenarios, the cybernetic dystopian scenarios end up somewhat wasted for wanting to be just an aesthetic mask. The continent is striking: underworld with buildings with neon signs and Asian fonts, hyper-monitored areas… but it is not used to create any message or reflection that would give more weight to the content. “Stray” seems to want to play at times with ideas about artificial intelligence, humanity, freedom… It doesn’t need them to be fun and satisfying, but it leaves that question of “what if…?”. The other problem is a plot line where it can be difficult to connect with its characters. The cat does fulfill what is expected of it: to be a curious being that moves for pure survival. But the rest lack ‘punch’. Some robots are charismatic, but the development of B-12 is perceived as accelerated and sudden. Each scenario of “Stray” has something to say about its world. Conclusions “Stray” stands out for knowing how to use its weapons well and for not wanting to be too ambitious a title. On the level of movement, of the variety of situations and in the exploration of that world, it is magnificent. But it fails to be outstanding or an indispensable title due to the narrative and plot side. It doesn’t need to be that either. It just wants to be a fresh and endearing adventure. An ideal work to enjoy between deliveries of big productions and budget or to disconnect from such clone proposals. “Stray” is available from July 19 for PS4, PS5 and Microsoft Windows.