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 is an excellent 'walking simulator' that is perfect on the PS5. It's a unique take on the walking sim genre, highly stylized and wonderfully charming. It is, perhaps, the strongest console-exclusive Sony has had to date. Easy controls, wide appeal and a great price point, Stray is the king of current console gaming.

The story is short, minimal and heartfelt. A very tropey tale about capitalism-induced climate change gone awry and you're left to travel in its aftermath. The protagonist is a silent observer that experiences the narrative in a rather passive fashion. Serving as catalyst for the story that unfolds around them. It makes Stray easy to get into, easy to experience. Effortless.

And the gameplay aids this. A minimal inventory system that's easy to access, limited but smooth movement and environment traversal. Novel dialogue and plenty of hints, both explicit and implicit, to guide you through your quests. Playing Stray is really easy.

Stray also represents the greatest usage of the Sony DualSense controller to date. Surpassing even Sony's PS5-launch tech demo controller showcase, Astro's Playroom. The haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, controller speaker. It's all highly immersive and unendingly pleasing. While in most games the sound design and tech elements are unsung heroes, they are the standout in Stray. Feeling the purrs and scratches and pitter patter of your trot is immersive and captivating each time.

The game is probably a little too short. It's probably missing a little too much story or sidequest elements. The map seems big at first but is probably a shade too small given how easy it is to travel the entire thing. The combat is great but probably could've made better usage of the Defluxor. I'm sad at the decision to not include one boss fight or miniboss in the sewers. What the hell were all those eyeballs?!

There are some annoyances in level design. Open windows, invisible walls, re-used models that could clearly be climbed in one area but not in another. Why place an open door or open window or open sewer gate and not make it traversable? Just close the damn thing! Why place a model that can be climbed in every previous instance but can't be climbed now? Just don't put it there! It's not like a cracked window or air conditioner is what creates the game's immersion. It just serves to frustrate when players find they can't interact with it.

Also felt like a real missed opportunity for collectibles. The start of the game in the slums is full of them and it's great. There's interesting platforming puzzles and cryptographic puzzles. Finding the sheet music and drink cans to buy from the merchant is all really enjoyable. But then after the slums the collectibles stop entirely, there's only the robo-memories to be found after. Just felt like a major missed opportunity.

Stray comes off, ultimately, as a highly polished tech demo. It shows off all of the features the PS5 has to offer and gives you a really memorable and unique gaming experience. It's warm and welcoming even if its narrative is a little too tropey and generic. A really cool game that's fun and accessible for gamers of all ages and skill

Stray, the cat simulator that's been making waves. From the moment I picked up the controller, I found myself hooked on this unique adventure. The exploration mechanics are a real highlight, offering a sense of freedom and discovery that's truly enjoyable.

However, it's worth noting that there are some issues with the game's animations. There are annoying pauses in every animation, which can sometimes break the fluidity of the experience. Despite this drawback, Stray manages to hold its own as a decent game, particularly for casual gamers looking for a laid-back adventure.

In conclusion, while Stray may not be perfect, its charming premise and enjoyable exploration mechanics make it a solid choice for players looking to embark on a feline adventure.