Reviewed on PC
Stray is a short but sweet game. It doesn't complicate things with skill trees, confuse you with different enemy types and how to tackle them, and its story is very, very simple. But all of that simplicity is a good thing, and it results into a game that refreshingly breaks the routine of a now-monotonous gaming industry.
stray steam
Zero Complications
As previously mentioned, the story of Stray is very simple. If you're looking for an expansive narrative, this isn't the game for you. But despite its simplicity, the narrative makes a ton of sense considering the protagonist: a stray cat. The cat spends the entire game longing for freedom after being stuck in this underground city for a while. It's no philosopher, nor is it a depressed pilgrim of some sort. It's just a cat. And that's good.
The game's themes just revolve around freedom and confinement. Inside the city, you feel as trapped as the AI-driven bots that inhabit it. You're longing to go outside like they do, because you also feel trapped. And when the city is finally opened at the ending, it just feels oh so good - like you yourself, as the player, was the one actually trapped. The feeling of finally opening the city up was simple, and yet extremely pleasant.
stray review
Don't feel sad or ripped off if this Stray review just keeps on saying that the story is easy to digest. There is an undeniable beauty in its simplicity, especially if you put it in context with bloated games out there whose narratives just keep going on and on with no apparent end. If there's one thing you should learn in this Stray review, it's this: this game respects your time, but all the while will leave a mark on your psyche.
So hug your little furball for us, will ya?
Feline Parkour
Stray's gameplay is as simple as its story - and once again, that's a good thing. You spend a lot of time cat-parkour-ing on rooftops trying to reach windows, air conditioners, and tip-toeing on pipes to reach destinations. Animations play out really smooth and the controls were intuitive enough (except for a few instances when the sticks will just crap out on you.
Another massive part of Stray's gameplay are the environmental puzzles, which present themselves in very organic ways. They don't look like puzzles at all, and you come by them without any sort of handholding. You just look at the environment and act like a cat would: "what would happen if I tip this thing over?" kind of thing. I never thought I'd actually have fun just being a cat - scratching carpets and posts, tipping stuff over the edge, and just cat jumping and running all over the place.
stray steam
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Sometimes, though the puzzles will get quite tough, because there are absolutely no quest markers in this game. As an open-world gamer that has been desensitized to that kind of gameplay loop, I felt lost a bit at first - but then got the hang of how things go. When you finally find the next foothold or the next platform to jump to, or the next plank to tip over, you'll be like, "huh, so it was just THAT simple."
The game forces you to see the world through the eyes of a cat. What will happen if you do this? If you meow at a specific time? If you rub your body on the legs of a robot? Again, that's a good thing, and a refreshing concept at that.
Smooth As A Cat's Landing
I reviewed Stray on PC, and the game ran well enough despite some tiny issues. They're nitpicks, but iI'm still going to mention them. There are a few stutters during Stray's gameplay but overall, the game ran without any game-breaking bugs. Another small gripe that I have is the lack of a higher V-Sync option. It limited the game to running at 60 FPS with V-Sync on, which is very smooth on its own. But if you have a high-refresh rate monitor, you might feel a little left out. I certainly did.
As for the graphics, they are definitely stylized but still look really, really good. I'd commend the lighting in particular, as it sets the overall mood of the game - a stray cat trying to navigate an unfamiliar world to get back home. The world feels big, unfamiliar, dangerous, and just closed off to everything you love - and the graphics reflect that.
A big, scary world. And you're a tiny stray cat. What could go wrong?
Closing Thoughts
Stray is a short but sweet game. It's an indie title, after all. But it is nonetheless a great one and a refreshing break from all the stressful games out there. It's also an incredibly original concept - in an industry where I believe everything else has already been done. And that is a feat in its own right.
SCORE: 9.5 OUT OF 10
Related: Stray's Day One Concurrent Player Count Proves Its Popularity
