Stray

I really like the concept. Which is why I gave it 5 stars over on ConceptWave.

Decent but somewhat unremarkable, the concept of playing as a cat is doing all the work of Stray, but it does much to elevate the experience. The perspective of a small animal makes the scope of the world feel much bigger, even making magic out of the mundane like any good piece of childrens' media, and it makes the rather stiff platforming make sense. After all, cats will never jump if they know they can't make it, so the game's mechanics following suit makes sense, as sticky and non-fluid as it can feel.

Otherwise, the game's feel is very much typical YA dystopia fare, but it ain't bad. The city's design is cool and slick, but also decrepit enough to sell the despair of the situation, even if the main character's perspective is rather alien. There are even some cool quasi-horror elements that I did not see coming, and some sci-fi elements that I unfortunately did. Similarly, the narrative is a very new-age far-future dystopic tale of environmentalism, AI consciousnesses, class warfare even in post-civilization, even a slight tinge of anti-natalist "fuck humans" dialogue. The delivery feels a bit like Wall-E or an early Ghibli film, stark and minimalist at most points but fairly boilerplate once the actual dialogue kicks in. Overall, it just feels like it's missing a few memorable setpieces to really set itself apart outside of the presentation and concept, and certainly the gameplay is no help. A basic puzzle-platformer with a couple of open world segments and predictable combat, stealth and evasion scenarios gives the pacing a paint-by-numbers feel, sadly but predictably at odds with the wild concept and inventive atmosphere.

It's a fun and worthwhile four to five hour adventure, but does feel like it's punching under its weight a little, even if games with far bigger budgets have had even fewer ideas. But the fact I can't ever really say I was bored with Stray does a lot to redeem its more mehsome moments, and comes out looking rosy enough for a recommendation even if I can't imagine it shaking the stigma of it essentially being a PS+ freebie.

a neat game but i feel like its more of a graphical showcase rather than a fleshed out replayable game

I play games for atmospheric reasons, mostly. I like fun but its not my focus. Cyberpunk is cool, and so is massive underground cities, and this game has a really good take on it. Sometimes id stop playing because i loved something so much and didnt want to go through it too fast. Its not like cyberpunk 2077 where its gritty and violent, this is like a cozy take on cyberpunk, which excels in the first time you get to the small town. It really wanna makes you want to materialize there and chill on the roofs sometimes. The game is just georgous and full of personality. The robots are so fun. The maps are full of cool details. I just love everything about this game. The soundtrack also fits the game perfectly and I always study to it (the light motif at 0:47 of Intruders is just fantastic). If what you like about games is escapism or just feeling like youre somewhere else this is one of the best ive experienced. Dont go in for gameplay, there is stealth, escaping, some light puzzling but its just there to put you in the mood.

System: PlayStation 5
Rating: 68/100
Playtime: ~4 Hours

For a game that has been largely boiled down to "the cat is cute", my thoughts are heavily mixed. The game shines the most when you're just focused on "roleplaying" as the cat. The problems start to pop up when you're actually playing the game, and you have to deal with the mechanics. Pressing X to jump is a unique way to handle the platforming, but when the icon changes to a new spot to jump it ends up being more frustrating than fun. If the concept of playing as a cat as a main character is interesting to you, I'd give Stray a shot, especially if you have PS Plus Extra. If that doesn't hook you, I'm not sure the actual gameplay will be enough to win you over.

I really enjoyed the perspective as a cat walking around a post apocalyptic world. I think this is a scary potential for our world's future wayyyyyy down the line. Saying the game is overhyped because you play as a cat it not true. Of course that elevated its status, but that doens't mean it is a bad game. The story was fun and the world building was great. I really enjoyed being a detective cat in this world. Ultimately, it is a story about hope and friendship.