In the realm of highly anticipated video games, Stray emerged, promising players the unique experience of navigating a dystopian world as a cat. Developed by BlueTwelve Studio, expectations were varied, ranging from an open-world feline simulator to a whimsical sandbox of cat antics. While Stray carves its own distinct path, it delivers a captivating and emotionally resonant adventure deeply rooted in its breathtaking robot metropolis, albeit with a more structured gameplay approach than some might have initially imagined for a stray cat game. Yes, the core feline actions – leaping, knocking objects, nuzzling, and meowing – are present and accounted for, but the unbridled freedom often associated with cat simulation takes a backseat to a narrative-driven, puzzle-platformer experience. However, once preconceived notions are set aside, Stray unveils itself as a beautiful and poignant journey through a vibrant and intriguing world.
The game commences with a tranquil and atmospheric opening. Rain falls upon a dilapidated service tunnel, where our feline protagonist, an orange tabby, and its companions seek shelter within this post-apocalyptic refuge. Players are immediately introduced to the fundamental interactions of this stray cat game. Button prompts appear as you approach interactive elements, allowing you to engage in quintessential cat behaviors. Grooming, cuddling with fellow felines, and playful batting are all within your repertoire before settling down for a peaceful nap. As the storm subsides, the call of exploration beckons.
This introductory sequence serves as a gentle tutorial, acquainting players with the core control scheme of Stray. A dedicated button facilitates running, while another unleashes a satisfying meow. Gamepad users can engage in virtual kneading by rhythmically alternating shoulder buttons – a mechanic that, while initially requiring some dexterity, adds a layer of tactile feline authenticity. Crucially, a jump button exists, but its functionality is context-sensitive. This is where the first deviation from pure cat simulation emerges. Unfettered leaping is not permitted; instead, interactive jump prompts appear on the edges of surfaces. While this initially feels restrictive, the prompts are ubiquitous, and each jump animation is fluid, natural, and remarkably cat-like. The trade-off is a degree of linearity that, while contrasting with the inherent freedom of felines, ultimately contributes to the game’s focused and deliberate pacing.
During these initial ten minutes alongside your furry companions, Stray subtly unveils its unique world. Humanity is absent, and remnants of civilization – pipes, electronics, structures – are weathered, decaying, and enveloped by flourishing vegetation. It resembles a serene feline playground, where the cerulean sky and verdant surroundings are only punctuated by the gentle patter of rain and the soft footfalls of cats. This tranquility is abruptly shattered when our protagonist plunges into a gaping chasm, seemingly meeting an untimely end.
But this is not the end. Cats, renowned for their resilience, always land on their feet. Our feline hero awakens, injured but alive, in a dismal pit of refuse, enclosed by concrete and rubble, devoid of apparent life save for the faint, flickering neon glow emanating from a nearby corridor. Limping and disoriented, you navigate through tunnels, eventually emerging into claustrophobic streets. These urban canyons are lined with derelict buildings, hinting at a long-vanished civilization.
Here, the gameplay expands into leaping across balconies and fences, traversing through windows, sewer drains, and breaches in dilapidated fences. In stark contrast to the bright skies above, the atmosphere here is muted, with gray, hazy skies extending into a murky darkness that could be night, pollution, or even a man-made ceiling. Traversal is engaging, but the imposed limitations on movement can disrupt the sense of flow. While holding the jump button allows for seamless leaps between consecutive surfaces, identifying those surfaces in rapid succession proves challenging. Consequently, movement often becomes a cycle of pausing, re-adjusting, scanning for the next foothold, and then executing brief bursts of fluid motion until the next interruption.
This urban environment also introduces environmental puzzles, effectively guiding players using subtle lighting cues. Distant neon signs flicker to life, serving as beacons in the dim surroundings. The absence of objective markers and maps reinforces this environmental storytelling, making these light signals the primary navigational aid. Progressing through areas may require manipulating objects – nudging them into place to disrupt mechanisms or using them as platforms to reach higher ledges. There are even moments (trigger warning for cat lovers!) where you must strategically push objects off ledges to solve puzzles or simply for feline amusement. The physics governing these puzzle-platforming segments are satisfyingly tactile, albeit constrained. Pushable objects are often limited to a single direction, underscoring Stray‘s streamlined and focused design.
Around this juncture, Stray undergoes a noticeable gameplay metamorphosis. Expectations of a vast, open cat simulator have already given way to the reality of a tightly controlled cat-adjacent experience. However, the shift from puzzle-platformer to an adventure game with inventory and dialogue comes as a further surprise. The orange cat encounters B-12, a diminutive, levitating robot who becomes a steadfast companion. B-12 attaches itself to the feline protagonist, providing exposition and serving as a conduit for communication with the robot inhabitants of this world. Furthermore, B-12 equips the cat with a flashlight for navigating dark areas and an inventory for more traditional adventure game puzzle-solving. With the introduction of a talking robot companion and item collection, the initial “being-a-cat” gimmick subtly recedes into the background.
From this point forward, gameplay revolves around collaborative exploration with B-12, collecting items, solving puzzles, and traversing diverse districts of a post-apocalyptic robot metropolis. Beyond seeking an escape from the subterranean depths to a rumored utopian world above, players uncover “memories.” B-12 suffers from amnesia, and guiding him to glowing memory points scattered throughout the environment gradually restores fragments of his past. Larger city sectors incorporate familiar genre tropes. There are puzzles involving distracting shopkeepers to pilfer items, deciphering safe combinations based on cryptic clues, and even assembling disguises (albeit for robots, as a cat in disguise would be immediately conspicuous) to infiltrate restricted zones. These challenges are typically overcome by combining inventory item usage with feline actions: traversing keyboards, concealing oneself in boxes, knocking objects over, and strategically timed meows to startle characters.
The city is populated with vibrant and engaging robot characters, many of whom offer assistance in the main quest or dispatch players on side missions. “Major” memories are integral to the main storyline, while “minor” memories function as collectibles, rewarding thorough exploration and optional puzzle completion. Collecting all memories unlocks a secret ending, and thankfully, they can be gathered across multiple playthroughs of individual chapters accessed via a chapter select menu unlocked after the initial completion. Autosaves are frequent, mitigating the absence of manual saving.
Navigating the city’s labyrinthine streets without a map, waypoints, compass, or the earlier lighting cues proves to be a significant challenge. The open-world segments within this largely linear game become disorienting. Instructions to locate houses with specific signs become frustrating when all exteriors and signs bear a striking resemblance, leading to repetitive visits to the same locations before finally stumbling upon the correct path.
Despite its grim cyberpunk setting, Stray is visually stunning. While the backdrop is often muted in tone, the game is awash in vibrant colors. Bustling street scenes are illuminated by bright electric lights, eye-catching storefronts, stylish robot fashion, and verdant potted plants. Interiors are cozy and warmly lit. Chase sequences, where players flee from pursuing enemies, utilize dramatic red lighting to create intense and unsettling atmospheres. Unlike many post-apocalyptic games that favor dark blues, grays, and browns, Stray opts for a lively and colorful world.
Animation quality is exceptional. Perhaps due to the constrained jumping mechanics, the feline protagonist’s movements are remarkably realistic and fluid, contrasting with the mechanical gait of the robot inhabitants. The absence of human characters is a deliberate and effective choice, preventing any potential foray into the uncanny valley that could disrupt the immersive experience. Stray‘s aesthetic beauty extends beyond visuals; its sparse, ambient soundtrack complements exploration with soft, futuristic tones, further immersing players in the environment.
The unfolding narrative is thoughtful, albeit familiar within the cyberpunk dystopian genre. However, the conclusion offers a more tangible and optimistic resolution than typically found in such narratives. A subtle, recurring theme, though never explicitly stated, is the inherent hostility of human-designed architecture to the natural world. As the cat, progress is frequently impeded by anti-cat architecture – spiked protrusions designed to deter animals from accessing balconies or air conditioners. Much of the game’s challenge stems from navigating streets and buildings designed for human use, blocking natural feline pathways. The player, as a cat, is not the intended user of this environment.
While never explicitly addressed in the plot or dialogue, the game subtly suggests that even for cats, nature’s most adaptable pets, this world has become difficult and exclusionary. This implicit environmental message resonates throughout the experience. Conversely, Stray can also be interpreted as a “chosen one” narrative, where simple tasks become insurmountable for the robot citizens, and the cat’s natural abilities become essential. Being a creature of nature in a technological world is presented as both a hindrance and a superpower.
While puzzles are generally not overly complex, optional quests and collectible hunts can extend playtime. The narrative culminates in two emotional resolutions: one concerning characters that felt somewhat underdeveloped, and another concerning the setting itself, which proved profoundly impactful. The game world and side characters proved more compelling than the central relationship between the silent cat and the amnesiac robot. Stray clocked in at approximately six hours, a satisfying length for the gameplay. Yet, the game’s conclusion evoked a sense of melancholy at leaving the world behind, rather than simply ceasing control of the protagonists.
The finale rekindled the initial feelings from the game’s opening. First, a sense of disappointment that the captivating opening moments were not fully realized in the subsequent gameplay. The initial interactions with feline companions lingered as a desired focal point, while Stray shifted its focus to the robot world. Second, the game delivered one of the most impactful endings of the year. While character-based resolutions were less resonant, the cat’s broader impact on the world culminates in a breathtaking closing spectacle that is likely to remain unforgettable. Thus, Stray concludes much as it begins, subverting initial expectations while delivering something surprisingly impressive and magical.
Final Verdict
Despite diverging from initial expectations, Stray is a beautifully crafted game. While its tightly controlled puzzle-platforming and somewhat generic adventure puzzles may not fully exploit its feline premise, it dazzles with its visuals and offers a thought-provoking journey through a subterranean robot wasteland. Despite some late-game character drama that falls slightly short, the game raises compelling themes and leaves a lasting impression.
Hot Take
80%
Stray brims with beauty and wonder, ensuring that despite its somewhat conventional and restrictive gameplay, your adventure with your feline (and robot) companion will secure a cherished place in your memories.
Pros
- Stunning visuals and vibrant colors bring the post-apocalyptic world to life
- Engaging and interesting characters to interact with
- Concise game length provides a satisfying experience
- Thought-provoking themes offer substantial depth
- Hilarious and mischievous cat behaviors integrated into puzzle-solving
Cons
- Restrictive movement mechanics limit feline freedom and detract from the premise
- Generic puzzle-platforming and adventure game puzzles lack innovation
Matt played Stray on a PlayStation 4 using a review code provided by the game’s publisher.
