Among the many a number of heavy hitters at Sony’s State of Play, together with Resident Evil 4, Avenue Fighter 6, and Ultimate Fantasy XVI, it’s shocking that Stray continues to be PlayStation’s standout sport for me. I do know it sounds loopy {that a} cat sport with no prior historical past grabbed my consideration greater than our first have a look at Ultimate Fantasy XVI gameplay. Mock me all you need within the feedback, however Stray was certainly one of my favourite issues on the June 6, 2022 State of Play.
It’s the so-called E3 season the place the largest video games will overshadow the superb however smaller bulletins. Stray, by Blue Twelve Studios, continues to claw itself previous the aforementioned pattern and stand alongside the large Triple-A video games when it comes to anticipation. Sony’s State of Play showcased 11 glorious video games with various levels of attraction. The Resident Evil 4 remake was long-awaited, and followers have been greedy for any Ultimate Fantasy XVI data, each of which, the State of Play delivered to unanimous applause. Amidst these heavy hitters, Stray stood its floor.
Perhaps I’m so interested in Stray as a result of I dwell with six cats. Perhaps Stray solely appeals to cat folks. Which may be the case, nevertheless, it additionally entices me with its mysterious world and environment.
Let’s check out Stray’s newest trailer to see what’s so particular concerning the footage we’ve seen to date. The trailer begins with the playable cat (named Ha) strutting down a dimly lit alleyway as a robotic casually sweeps rubble on the bottom. Because the cat approaches, the robotic is startled and jolts into an adjoining alleyway. The cat is cute, however I’m extra on the planet and the lore behind it.
We haven’t seen any people in Stray to date, solely robots appearing like people. Human existence is questioned on this idea, which has an eerie undercurrent. Moreover, the robots casually stroll the streets as if they’re people themselves. In a single scene, we see a robotic get startled because the cat enters what appears to be his dwelling workplace. Is Stray set in a distant future the place the human race died out, and solely robots stay? Is the cat the one image of life left on the planet? Later within the trailer, we see some nasty fungus rising on the partitions, which can indicate a The Final of Us type apocalypse. Questions like these are what get me essentially the most concerned with Stray.
Although some scenes present robots scuttering to a hiding spot because the cat approaches, others are extra pleasant and even prepared to speak. The cat has a small drone following him, which, in some way, helps him talk with these robots. Whereas exploring town (the one setting we’ve seen to date) you’ll be able to work together with robotic pedestrians to realize new data or begin facet quests as evidenced in a single scene the place the cat approaches a robotic and asks, “You look misplaced, what do you want?” That positive seems like a facet quest setup to me, which brings us to the gameplay of Stray.
All the things we’ve seen of gameplay is primary nevertheless it’s heightened by the easy notion of being a cat. The platforming sections in Stray perform by merely clicking on an space you wish to bounce, then letting the sport do the remainder. There doesn’t appear to be any midair maneuvering. The choice could seem odd, however I believe it purposefully amplifies the central conceit. Stray, from what I can inform, isn’t about advanced parkour, however exploration. Additionally, it’s merely extra cat-like to gracefully glide to a platform, which might be ruined by participant enter. I’ve seen my cat bounce from the bottom to the highest of a bookshelf, and it amazes me each time. Stray captures the motion completely. The cat knocks over an array of bottles in a single occasion, which displays the standard conduct of cats who walks over and knocks down objects with out a care on the planet.
The trailer additionally confirmed some stealth within the taste of avoiding spotlights. As soon as once more, it’s a primary gameplay design, however the cat’s capability to slide into small areas heightens it. The cat hides inside an enclosed field to keep away from a highlight, a basic online game tactic, and a favourite pastime for cats. Lastly, we see the cat working away from drones and fungus adjoining bugs in what appears to be Stray’s tackle fight encounters. I all the time love an excellent chase scene in a online game, and it’s so becoming for Stray. Cats like to keep away from hazard by bolting throughout the room and reaching a protected place. It’s apparent that the builders of Stray spend numerous time round cats. Each side of Stray’s gameplay I’ve seen to date epitomizes the conduct of a real-life cat.
After seeing the trailer, I discovered why Stray continuously stands its floor amid heavy hitters within the sport business. It boils down to 2 easy issues: the world and stable cat illustration. The previous is the enticement of a melancholy world full of robots and the thriller it holds. The latter is capitalized by gameplay design that hones in on the distinctive side of Stray – enjoying as a cat. It’s by no means been a greater time to be a cat individual as a result of Stray releases on July 19 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
