Product test
«Plague Tale: Requiem» is a gripping drama hampered by monotonous gameplay
by Philipp Rüegg
Testing «Stray»: a heartfelt feline adventure in a splendid cyberpunk setting
18.7.2022
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
A cat’s stroll through a dystopian world of robots forms the heart of this charming and unusual game. The tale is short, but unforgettable.
A leisurely walk with my family through a deserted part of town. I tease my siblings and listen to the birds chirping. But while balancing along an old water pipe, it happens: the pipe breaks and I fall into the depths. Luckily I play a cat in «Stray»; otherwise the game would be over already. I find myself in a strange location, far away from my four-legged siblings.
«Stray» is set in a dystopian future inhabited by robots with screens for heads. No trace of humanity. The first time my calico encounters an inhabitant, they recoil in fright and run away. Either evidence of a horrible cat allergy, or robots have never run across Felis Catus.
An unusual duo
There I make the acquaintance of a small drone called B-12. She lost all memory of her former owner, a scientist, and wants to find her again. Thankfully, she also knows in which direction to head. Helpful as I am, and because I wouldn’t know where else to go, I let the flying tin can guide me. During our wanderings, we get to know an ever-increasing array of inhabitants, all more human than it would at first seem.
Simple but motivating game mechanics
Most of the game consists of simple environmental puzzles. Later on, I also have to hide from turret drones and escape flesh- and metal-eating monsters that look like headcrabs from «Half-Life». The game is relatively linear, but always offers room for exploration. Mostly to collect additional memorabilia for my drone friend, leading to further background on the world and its history.
A feast for the eyes
This world is inviting by its design alone, convincing me to stay and look around a bit longer. The cyberpunk scenario, with its lively robot inhabitants, looks simply stunning. An apartment that looks like the owner enjoys playing Jenga with books and tube monitors. Fascinating. The sparsely populated slums that the game starts in are later followed by a vibrant city that’ll knock you right over with its resplendent lighting.
The eyes of a cat also offer a fresh perspective. I either had to walk along the ground and look up at larger individuals or eye them from a safe distance while walking along a balcony. The fact that I regularly knocked over flower pots or drinks at the bar before sharpening my claws on furniture didn’t seem to bother anyone. While the robots usually behave quite akin to humans, they show superhuman composure here.
However, being a cat doesn’t stop at destroying furnishings. You can drink from puddles, nap in the most impossible of places, snuggle up to anyone’s legs, and meow on command. Developer BlueTwelve Studio has also managed to make the cat’s animations almost perfect. Only in a few places did I notice that there wasn’t quite as much budget allocated here as there was for horse testicles in «Red Dead Redemption 2».
Verdict: not only for cat lovers
With a cat in the lead role and a world populated by robots, «Stray» offers a novel setting. It’s just so much fun, exploring an unknown world with the ease of a fluffy furball. If you have a flair for cyberpunk like I do, then the neon glowing environment exudes twice the appeal. Together with perfectly tuned sound design, you can really immerse yourself in this world.
The fact that even I felt like playing through chapters one more time to fill the final gaps in my flying companion’s memory speaks volumes. At six to ten hours, «Stray» is a rather short game, but it will remain in my memory for a long time.
«Stray» was provided to me by Annapurna Interactive. The game is available from July 19 for PC, PS4, PS5 and is included in the PS Plus Extra and Premium subscriptions.
We talk more about «Stray» and other gaming and tech topics in our weekly digitec podcast, out every Thursday.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
