Game On: Stray, a cat’s journey through dystopia and beyond
By Aditya Deshbandhu
Stray, is one of the most awaited indie games of 2022 and it lands at a time with hardly any competition in sight. The action-adventure game with a feline protagonist has also made some interesting marketing decisions as it becomes one of the first games that is available for free on launch day with the premium extra and deluxe tiers of Sony’s PlayStation Plus
Set in a cyberpunk inspired dystopian reality, Stray portrays the story of a cat that accidentally falls into the depths of an uninhabited megapolis and seeks to return to the wild. On its way, it meets a helpful droid with amnesia and several other robots who help them navigate to the world outside.
A journey that took me a little over five hours to complete, Stray was fast-paced, challenging, heart-rending, fuzzy, and brainteasing in equal measures, an eclectic combination of experiences that the best of flagship games at times struggle to deliver but Blue Twelve here manages that and more with élan.
In its meowing and agile feline protagonist, the game develops a main character that is both observant and silent while the world around it struggles to find the strength for redemption. The cat and its droid exemplify their desire for freedom as they overcome all odds to chart a path to the elusive ‘outside’. I found the gameplay experience quite evocative as it draws on several established tropes, for instance, B-12 the droid is every bit as cuddly as BB-8 or R2D2 from Star Wars or the cat’s journey is in several parts similar to Arya Stark’s journey in Game of Thrones as the challenges are unending and unrelenting.
In terms of gameplay, this is top-notch, high-quality gameplay that you cannot help but marvel for its exceptional colours and music. The puzzles are quite fun and navigating both the breadth and heights of the various areas of the walled city is an exhilarating experience.
The game uses the city’s plumbing, AC vents, and tiny crevasses in walls to great effect to keep you on your toes as you struggle to reach the game’s key-locations. Similarly, the game is also quite unpredictable as it changes the rules just when you think you have figured out what to do – the deflux or is one such example where the game takes it away just when you think you have mastered it.
Despite its short narrative, Stray is a game that is both memorable and moving that I cannot recommend enough if you are looking for a new game. Be prepared to let your heart melt though, this is a game that actually has a cat with lasers that does it all. The relationship between the droid B-12 and the cat is one to behold.
Cattos for the win! A must play game of 2022.
