Whatever I say in this review won't really change your opinion of a game based around playing as a Cat. It's clearly an instant try or buy, and I don't blame you for that one bit. It's something special and uniquely different in a market saturated by huge open worlds and pay wall for content. Here, You are just a lost cat trying to find your way home in the darkness.
If you are a cat fanatic this game will have you feeling emotions that will almost kill you with cuteness or enrage you because of its social commentary. There is a lot under the layers of what the developers have designed here, beyond a mere feline simulator.
The visuals and aesthetic are almost AAA in standard and coming from an indie developer with the likes of Outer Wilds behind them, it is certainly a step up in fidelity and performance. I played on the PS5 and besides the odd camera glitch in smaller enclosed spaces it was flawless start to finish. The dual sense certainly adds some kitty immersive nature to the experience with feeling those scratches and the tip tap of toe beans that's for
sure.
But what do you really experience and take part in within Stray, as on the outside it seems pretty vague and I estimate that’s a creative decision for its marketing. The mainline nature is a simple a to b scenario with pressing X a fair number of times for its platforming and parkour sections. Now this isn't to say that it makes the gaming boring, far from it. The immersive nature and minimalist gameplay lend itself to the concept of a cat lost in a cyberpunk city.
For such a simple concept the gameplay had me glued to each situation I encountered whether it be running from an enemy or purring in the lap of the robot population. You never forget that you are controlling a feline adventurer because the environment always reminds you. From scratching points, napping areas, or high ledges to reach, everything is designed for your courageous cat to navigate.
The dark gritty cities littered with broken down concrete pillars, cardboard and rubbish sprawled in a street layered with neon lights. Within the story you lose your family, and your goal is to be reunited but you are woven into a darker adventure to unravel why there are robot's and where are the humans? All very curious for this cat. All this accompanied with an industrial yet playful synthwave score of music to elevate fun or emotional moments.
Obviously as a cat, a lot of the beats of its story are nuanced or text referenced to help a younger audience understand what the developers intended with its narrative and ending.
All in all, I highly recommend you play Stray, whether that's a direct purchase or via the extra tier on PS plus. It's one of those momentous times an indie team has provided a unique and memorable experience cat lover especially will be thinking of and playing for years to come.
By John.P
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