A plague erupts - either starting in the cities or following them from the outside world. However, even inside the walled cities, the humans are not safe. Due to the amount of waste products and trash accumulated within these walled cities - and because humans are unable to leave, scientists create a biological matter capable of eating waste products. In the beginning, the Companions had no personality or expressions of their own, and existed solely to help humans and complete their tasks. These Companions are originally built to fulfill simple tasks, including security, labor, and cleaning. In order to assist with the various tasks of keeping the walled cities running, the humans develop humanoid robots known as Companions. Despite this, the walled cities are still rife with inequality, as the engineers at the top of the city who control access to the doors and metro system are able to dictate how others lives, relegating many to the lower and more compact slums. But it's hard not to see how Stray would've worked better if it had lived up to its name.Inside these cities, humans live in darkness, lit only by the glow of neon lights, but are able to engineer a type of plant that grows in darkness without the need for sunlight. Which isn't to say the drone ruins this game, not at all - the puzzles are engaging, especially where the cat-hating blobs are concerned - and the bulk of this game is still about you, as a cat, figuring out how to navigate the city. The drone explains why the city and its robotic residents are the way they are, but this worked better when we were as oblivious as the cat. While exploration is still paramount, and inventive, and the drone's door-hacking ability can be used to trick and trap some blobby creatures that really hate cats, the game also has you doing such un-cat-like things as searching for the combination to a safe. ![]() ![]() The thing is, neither the cat nor this game needs that drone's help, and even after it gets involved (about an hour in), this clever title gets relatively less compelling. The kicker being that this city is in the future, and while there are no humans (or other cats), there are lots of hat-wearing robots, including a drone-like one who follows you around and helps you out. For instance, you might knock over a board to create a bridge, or knock a can into a skylight or exhaust fan so that you can make your way inside. To do this, not only do you (as cat) have to jump from ledge to ledge, and onto beams that might then move into more convenient positions (thanks, inertia), but getting around this intricate urban environment also requires you to solve clever situational puzzles in cat-like ways. In Stray, a cat is separated from their family, and must make their way through a largely abandoned city to get home. Though it becomes less interesting as it becomes more involved, this cat exploration game still manages to be clever and compelling. You are able to go back and replay the various chapters of the game to pick up the things you missed or just replay part of the game that you enjoyed. I spent about 6-7 hours during my play through and still missed a few things. So if those are missed, some of the story is left vague.Īll in all, I think it’s a great game and with small studio expectations, I was very impressed. The “memories” for your drone companion can be fairly well hidden and provide plot points. Some of the trophies/achievements are quite challenging. Optional side quests can be time consuming, but do reward adorable little badges for your cat’s harness in-game. There are a lot of contextual clues however and it helps to remember that you’re small and nimble. Some objectives aren’t very clear and rarely the controls can feel a little awkward. There’s some light hints in-game (via the robot/drone companion), but you’re often left to figure things out on your own. The gameplay and puzzles can potentially be frustrating. There are a few scenarios where the cat can die, but it’s just the screen going red before a quick reload from the auto save. But nothing that would be out of place in a PG Disney movie, so I feel that it’s appropriate for the kids. As well as some light “combat” and stealth gameplay. ![]() There’s some possibly scary environments that you make your way through. The story does get a little dark mid-to-late game. So aside from a little tugging at the heartstrings as the cat limps for a minute or two, it’s fine. My wife was a little concerned about some of the instances where the cat gets briefly injured, but it’s back on its feet in no time. I was in part evaluating the game for my step-daughter who is an avid cat lover. I just finished the game and had a blast.
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