I played this game for Pay or Play 2nd Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by Escollo.

Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed, neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. You get to play as a cute orange cat who gets separated from it's family and the goal is to find your way back home to the outside world. Time to solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by curious droids and dangerous creatures and make new friends along the way!

It's an absolutely fantastic story with fun gameplay and lovely characters. The main character, the stray cat, is adorable and has very realistic cat movement and mannerisms. Your companion droid, B-12, that you meet along the way, is very adorable little robot with an interesting backstory that unravels as you go forward and collect it's memories along the way.

I felt like this game combined some of my favorite things about games; cats, exploration, collectibles, emotional turmoil and impressive scenery. It really was one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences I have had the pleasure of playing. The soundtrack was also super good and I can't wait to give it a listen later and add it to my spotify list.

I think this is one of those games everyone should play! So I highly recommend this to anyone who is atleast a little bit interested, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Sights & Sounds
- The game, particularly the environment, looks really good. This seems to be due to strong artistic design rather than mind-blowing graphics. They're still pretty nice, though
- The animation of the cat while traversing the environment is fairly fluid, but some of its facial animations look a little wooden. Only the mouth moves while the rest of the face is otherwise stationary (apparent when the cat meows in cutscenes).
- The music is quite varied throughout. I was surprised by the number of tracks in the game. They do a great job setting the mood. One of them sticks out in particular. You'll know which one when you hear it

Story & Vibes
- The story is actually quite enjoyable, if not very deep
- The characters and the relationships between them are the best part of the game. B-12 and Momo were good buds
- The mood ranges from wonderfully serene to frantically tense depending on what you're doing. I like how the game telegraphs chase sequences and toys with you during them

Playability & Replayability
- The gameplay sits somewhere between stealth, puzzle, and action. The closest comparison I can think of gameplay-wise is A Plague Tale: Innocence, but with more emphasis on puzzles than stealth
- The controls are very rudimentary. Besides interacting with objects, you really only run, jump, and meow
- My main complaint about the game is traversal. I would have preferred an Assassin's Creed style "free run" button to being prompted to press A to jump on top of things. The most annoying part is that holding A in some segments allows you to chain jumps, but that functionality is barely used
- I may come back again to 100% the game someday, but I'm not feeling compelled to immediately dive back in

Overall Impressions & Performance
- This game was being talked about everywhere online before release, so there's a ton of hype and a ton of hate from people who haven't played it. From someone who's completed it, believe me when I say it's way closer to the hype than the hate
- The game ran beautifully on my setup. I only encountered one weird visual bug where the glitched out and was floating ominously outside of Seamus' apartment. Not sure what was going on

Final Verdict
- 9/10. With all the chatter surrounding the game, I think the old aphorism is true: whether you think you'll love it or hate it, you're right. Personally, I had a good time. Keep in mind that the game only lasts 4-6 hours if you're sticking to the story, so some may want to wait a bit for a sale

A game that was a pure blast when playing, but then it ends and 6 months later, you're like, "wait- that was it?"

I would say that I was very intrigued by this game when it came out, but that's mainly because (at the time of 2022), I was pretty annoyed with the landscape of the triple A industry. Lots of games were looking pretty much the same and they looked boring as shit. So, no, it does not surprise me at all that a game where you simply play as a cat made such a ridiculously joyous uproar from the Earth's core and into the beyond.

The cat thing does wear off after a while mainly because there isn't actually much you can do as the cat, it's more of an exploration game with mystery in the air that's held together by some unknown tension you're unsure if you'll be able to put the pieces together. There aren't really any mechanics that the cat provides aside from climbing onto some ledges you probably wouldn't be able to normally. However, the game is very short and sweet so it doesn't drag on.

Unfortunately, for me, the impact of the game was mainly brought on by the beautiful aesthetics and music. Had this game lacked those things, it really would not have been as fun. There are a handful of unfamiliar characters that you're meant to connect with, but a lot of them don't stick around long enough to leave that impression, except for one.

The ending is fairly unsatisfying when you really think about it, but it seems to exist for a possible sequel or spin-off. Personally, I wouldn't mind that at all. They have a good foundation here that I would love to see expanded on.

Nice game, but survives almost entirely on the vibe because gameplay is largely just walking from point A to point B and interacting with the next NPC. This is broken up by the occasional chase sequence or very simple puzzles, and then a few stealth sections towards the end.

It's nothing overly special, but it doesn't need to be since it's just a short game where you spend a few hours in a fairly interesting world, talking to not-so-fairly interesting characters (I mean they are all literally robots).

The last chapter is really powerful though.

Stray is one of most impactful expierences i've had in a long time. The feeling this game gave me was euphoric.
The way you connect with the cat you play as is genuinely powerful. Video games tend to encourage a dissconnect from humanity. You do things because the games tells you to. Achieve goals because the game rewards you for it. But Stray has this unbelievable confidence that it's world and story is what you will want to explore for.
There aren't abilities to unlock or a distracting progression system. You do what you do in this game because you as a player want to, which feels almost dehumanizing to a point.
We're built for that constant dopaline loop. But it fits so well when you're playing as a cat.
You feel as if the moments of humanity or concern for the people you meet, are genuine. Not only for the player, but in turn, for the cat as well. Creating a wonderful connection between you and your animal persona. (Took a lot of strength not to type fursona)
There are these moments where you can stop and drink water from a puddle or sleep while listening to some music. It isn't to refill an HP bar or unlock something. You do it because one, it's cute, and two; you want the cat you're playing as to listen to some music and take a second to rest. I remember thinking "huh.. he's probably thirsty huh. I'll go over to that puddle." Not many games make me instinctually do that. It's just such a potenet connection it had with me. It may come down to how real the cat looks and feels to move around with.
Regardless, it's a powerful aspect of the game that elevated it a lot for me. I tried to explain it the best I can, but it's something that I felt and could have been totally exlcusive to me.
The Kowloon inspired setting is so rich in detail. Exploring feels good and everything has this human touch. While the music and sounds just gave me the extra kick, completely transporting me into the world itself.
While the game's pacing can be a little slow at times, I can already imagine people writing this game off as "boring". Or describing it as a "nonvideo game". Man, what a lame way to look at this artistic medium. A game that tries to break conventions and supply an expierence outside the realm of what people demand out of a video game. Rebelling against the "standard" we hold games to. Games like this are so damn healthy for the industry. Content, little expierence, doing its own thing and doing it well. It's supposed to be a little "boring". It helps elevate the atmosphere it's going for and the connection it creates with the player.
Can't stress how much this game means to me now.

tldr; Cat game with a meow button.

How could you possibly drag being a cat out to 6 hours of gameplay? I thought this to myself time and time again during my playthrough, until I didn't. I'd knead, scratch, nap, meow, get in a box, ruin a game of dominoes, trip robots, turn on radios, slowly knock objects off of surfaces, all in the style a cat would. I can't explain why it works so well, but it just does. The attention to detail is great as well. The atmosphere fits perfectly with the context of the story, which I actually thought was entertaining enough to not lose me. I will say that when you lose your fellow stray cats in the beginning, the end of the game kind of makes that seems meaningless, as you just walk off into the distance. I found that to be an unsatisfying ending personally. But, maybe there'll be a sequel where our goal is to find them. A very solid 8/10.

I finally got around to this after the announcement that is leaving Playstation Plus shortly.

I think Stray is a good game that sticks out because of two elements; the purr-tagonist and the design of the world. It's genuinely fun to explore because the setting is so interesting. I think without this element then the catch of playing as a cute cat would get old really quick. I also think the game is at a very appropriate length for what it is.

I don't think it is completely engaging on a gameplay level but provides you with enough to stay invested from beginning to end and it is absolutely worth a play, especially if you have PS Plus.

Platinum trophy # 133
Platinum #9 of 2023

Are you stray because you're a cat? Or are you a cat because you're stray?

Large investments involving millions of USD, salaries of hundreds of employees trying to complete it within a year, and large marketing costs have indeed made many AAA games try to play "safe". The result is an attempt to attract the attention of mainstream gamers, which results in a lack of innovation and courage to try out gameplay and new concepts. Fortunately, there are always small caliber and indie games that can be relied on to fulfill this desire. One publisher that always facilitates this is of course, Annapurna Interactive that has come up with a variety of creative products, including their heavy hitter that was release in 2022, Stray. A game that ultimately asks us to play the role of a cat with all its uniqueness and mischief. This attraction is then wrapped into a story full of mystery that has a strong image of a dystopian world, rather than being made into humor like most animal games with the name "simulator" behind them. Details and visual beauty are also one of the reasons why Stray was blew up and becoming one of the best selling game in 2022.

As the name it carries, Stray asks you to play the role of a stray cat who is trapped in an unfortunate situation. Because one thing happened, he fell into the depths of the earth. Along with the process of finding a way out, he actually found cities hidden inside. Not a dead city, but a futuristic city full of dystopian atmosphere which is now inhabited by humanoid robots in it. On his journey, this nameless cat was fortunately not alone. He managed to find a companion, a small flying robot called B-12. No one knows where this mysterious robot came to be, but it ended up being filled with so many functions and knowledge. But as predicted, this journey is not easy. During the journey, the cat and B-12 encounter a threat that is unique and deadly at the same time. There is a group of living creatures that hatch from mysterious eggs, in large numbers, and seem to exist to hunt any living creature they encounter. With all of these happening questions beginning to arise as you continue your journey through the depth of the earth.

Stray must be acknowledged as having other attractions. One of them is the presentation side, both from the visual and audio side. From a visual perspective, Stray comes with a lot to praise. Other than a bit of disappointing aspect of the fact that it comes without customization of the cat's appearance, Stray represents a dystopian world full of mysteries and interesting to explore . You will find dirty and worn metal corners, showing how these rusty cities have actually experienced something catastrophic despite the fact that they are aging. This is then combined with dozens of neon lights that decorate the cities you visit, creating a contrast of life that chooses to survive, albeit in another form. This atmosphere and mystery becomes even more alive when you meet the humanoid robots who inhabit it. All of them come with different personalities, functions and work, fashion, and even expressions that are represented through their large monitor heads. Each humanoid robot will have a name and sometimes, a background that is quite intriguing. The combination of city design and the existence of humanoid robots consistently presents you with mysteries about the world of Stray that are interesting to uncover.

So all the charm of these visuals is also enhanced by the audio presentation. Apart from the cat meowing sound that you can trigger whenever you want, Stray has audio quality that deserves appreciation. The humanoid robots usually come with certain sound effects when communicating, the cities you visit usually have certain background music that helps build the atmosphere, even just the silence ends up making everything feel haunted at some points. With all of these combinations, Stray's strength lies not only in its great visual and audio combination, but also in its charming world-building. Almost every area you visit seems to have an interesting background story and mystery to uncover, which is also enriched by the actions and behavior of its inhabitants who are desperately trying to simulate human life.

Of course the main thing that made Stray attractive is you play as a cat, that one animal that doesn't give a single shit about its surrounding. I already mentioned the meowing sound feature but the developer add another things that make the cat feel more 'alive'. Whenever you find a computer, you can just jump on to the keyboard and start walking on it so you can type randomly on the computer. You can scatter someone's kitchen or laundry place. You can ruin a mahjong game between two robots. You can push a paint can so it will fall onto the robot below you. Or maybe you want to scratch a carpet when there is no one around, well guess what you can. The opportunity to carry out the actions of various cats that never have a purpose in real life, but always feel cute and confusing, will slowly but surely start to make you feel like you are playing the role of a cat as it should be. Truly a cat moment of all time.

With all of those attractiveness i mentioned, Stray has a few downside. Apart from the absence of cat customization options which i would say does not reduce the gaming experience, it still leaves the impression that this is actually a potential feature that is too good to miss. Meanwhile from a story perspective, it is difficult not to see the ending it offers as something anti-climactic, especially after the various build-ups that have been built throughout the game. For a game with pacing that deserves praise, this is certainly quite disappointing. And last is the gameplay that is too simple especially when it based around puzzle solving. The puzzles that this game offers don't take long for you to solve. The majority of the various obstacles contained in this game, only need to find a way to jump from one place to reach another place. Apart from that, you also can't jump freely, because the developer only limits you from being able to jump to certain places. This means that there are places that the cat should be able to reach, but you can't reach them in this game.

Now i understand on why Stray is so popular, why most content creators i know play the cat game even winning best indie game in GOTY awards. It always put a smile on my face when an indie title got recognized more and more. It met most of my expectations. Playing the role of a cat which has been executed beautifully by not only ensuring it comes with accurate and realistic animation, but also the opportunity to have fun with the level of their cute and naughty behavior that is often seen in the real world. This is then wrapped in a great world-building that continues to attract you to uncover the mystery. Your enjoyment of playing Stray will really depend on your initial expectations. In the end, with the price level it offers on each release platform, it is still an indie game wrapped in a AAA class presentation. It comes unique, different, beautiful, serious, but on the other hand, it lets you enjoy the role of a cat who doesn't always have to have a goal and purpose in every action. And that is a joy in itself.

Stray é medíocre, mas esse nem é o problema.

Eu tive um interesse momentâneo no jogo quando o vi pela primeira vez por causa de seu visual, mas ficou por ai, até que em 2022 ele sai e eu custei a jogar por causa dos comentários em volta do jogo que sempre foram super emocionados a volta de jesus em forma de felino. E ok, admito que eu tinha uma questão pessoal (e artística?) com o jogo que sempre me afastou do jogo.

Ainda em 2022, no fim do ano, rolou o TGA, aonde Stray é indicado e premiado como melhor jogo "Indie" do ano e bem, isso me tirou do serio, não que se deva levar em consideração o que uma premiação que já se perdeu em seu sentido, mas isso é sintomático.

Agora, porque eu digo tudo isso? Simples, Stray não é indie e tão menos um bom jogo (é decente, na verdade, mas não bom), e você me pergunta: Mas como assim ele não é indie? E a resposta resumida seria: Stray foi um jogo publicado pela Annapurna e eu sendo alguém formado na área, entendo que um jogo "indie" ter uma publicadora muda totalmente o escopo e o modo de produção.

E pode soar saudosista da minha parte, mas vem de uma preocupação real em que produções realmente independente percam seus espaços pra jogos como Stray (e Kena) que simulam triple A pra angariar um tipo de publico que menos se atenta a essas problemáticas. E nesse caso de Stray temos um Mito da Garagem aparente, pois a Annapurna tem como uma das suas principais fundadoras Megan Ellison, que é filha de Larry Ellison, co-fundador da Oracle Corporation (que desenvolve e vende softwares com o Java), então perde-se o encanto de ser um empresa que começou do 0.

Ok, tendo resumido o que eu acho problemático por trás do jogo, o que eu acho do jogo afinal? Como eu disse no começo, medíocre. Passei 6 horas sem entender o que fez esse jogo ter sido tão hypado, e fiquei entre: Gatos e gráficos. Não existe algo que me faça querer gostar desse jogo, é um grande vazio encapado com um belo papel de presentes.

Stray is a terrifically heartwarming game, and one of very few games that made me cry real tears.

The unnamed cat is unbelievably cute and you get to do all the hilarious cat things you can think of, like scratch furniture, sleep in weird places, knock over objects, and make people trip. The developers really thought of everything.

I had an absolute blast exploring the small city sections and climbing across the rooftops, and the city is packed with an impressive amount of character for the short time you spend there. The atmosphere and music are fantastic, and I found the story quite touching.

eu não conseguia parar de chorar no final
nao teve como
jogo lindo do começo ao fim, história incrivel
mecânica incrível, ideia genial
virou um dos meus favs <3