Stray game review

It’s here at last, the first game of Montpellier’s residents in BlueTwelve Studio that has thousands of players eagerly cracking. Stray and his adorable gingerbread cat are available starting July 19 on PC, PS5, and PS4. It’s time for us to guide a cat lost in the noisy alleys of an electronic city, on his driveway. Was the Annapurna Interactive trial worth the wait?

This test was conducted from the PS5 version of the game.

cat in the city

Stray is the story of a nameless stray cat who inadvertently finds himself separated from his peers. Our cat fell off a high platform, lost in a dead city cut off from any source of light. But there is still a little life in the faded alleys: a whole bunch of alien robots there seem to have been abandoned to their fate for centuries. In this unusual context, our young mustachioed hero meets an amnesiac drone called the B-12. This assistant will act as a tour guide and also as an interpreter with the mechanical residents of the city. The duo will have to find solutions to solve the puzzles posed by their environment and try to unravel the mystery that will allow the cats to find their way home. Since then a very touching story has begun, the quality we have come to expect from a game that this protagonist embodies.

In this torrent of misfortune that seems to have descended upon the city of robots, The plot is treated with a certain sweetness that will especially delight the little ones. And in order to fully understand all the elements that make up this world, it would be wise to go and match the inhabitants to extract some tales from them. However, over six short hours of straight-line play, The story remains relatively academic and lacks a certain dose of emotion at certain moments that are climax. Since then, it becomes a pity that we are not able to appreciate the real character developments, such as those that occurred in Momo, the first major encounter in your dream adventure outside of the electronic city. In short, Stray makes sparks, but it hardly ignites a real fire at the screenwriting level.

The main feature of the game undoubtedly lies in its hero, a small red cat whose appearance is directly inspired by one of the two founders of BlueTwelve. The French studio often made it clear that moving a quadruped was one of the game’s biggest challenges, especially since its behavioral intricacies are incredibly subtle. The animation is very well done, the claw movements are graceful and the cat’s reactions are often believable. We must also add that it is very pleasant to work with. On the PS5, your console will make small buzzing sounds when you rub the robot’s legs or claws on the door. Stray’s protagonist is clearly more private than his peers, without having any particular personality to highlight. Understand that in addition to his ability to perform feats, he remains an animal like any other and this is ultimately what makes him so charming.

Framed platforms and easy puzzles

If our cat’s first steps are in somewhat linear progression, then you have the possibility to scan everywhere as you wish, even if, let’s face it, these are never very broad. It’s a good idea to check everything is intact until you find something that will remind the B-12 drone of its previous life. The hero takes advantage of the vertical position of the map while walking: he can get down from a high place by climbing into a bucket pulled by a rope. And then of course he has the ability to climb a whole bunch of gutters that cover the city walls. Now note that every jump to a new platform is strictly supervised. Losing an edge isn’t worth the cat according to BlueTwelve who explained that they “I agreed to a compromise where all the jumps would be successfulWhile it makes perspective work easier, strategy proves frustrating. As a cat, We liked the quad’s freedom of movement to feel even if it meant getting stuck in a few window sills at the muzzle. Instead, the player finds himself searching for available platform locations to perform his framed jumps. Shame. On a more positive note, performance-wise, note that the title runs at 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5.

Now what about the game mechanics? In general, the agility and speed of our cats should be tested. The levels are packed with some great chase sequences against Zurks, tick-like enemies. Your discretion will have an equally important role during the adventure because sometimes it will be a matter of passing under the field of view of the robots who will not hesitate to shoot you; Seeing a cat on the floor always makes your heart hurt. There is also a feature to find items in the list: items stored in your inventory can be presented to bots to advance. For example, a grandmother, who recycles spare parts to make clothes for the community, will ask you for some spells in exchange for a blanket. Then finally rely on a few environmental puzzles based on obstacles to unlock.

If the program is listed in this way, the program seems rather extensive, in fact, the experience is quite simple. The puzzles and other action stages are very basic and clearly lack a great deal of difficulty, although they are improved in the second part of the game.. We also think of these few offensive minutes against the zorks during which it relates to their extermination by a sudden violet light; A unique but a bit quick moment for our taste. Finally, there are very few side quests on the menu, and they are usually rewarded with a simple badge. In fact, the experience seems to us especially ideal for the youngest, who should find their account without problems.

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lost beauty

Our cat does not speak, but can meow at will and at command by pressing a simple button. If we had fun abusing it early in the game, the feature obviously has very little use during the adventure, aside from waking up some sleeping bots. Our hero being naturally speechless adds a mystical aura to the game; At the same time, Blue Twelve was not idle on the volume which gives the adventure an equally special atmosphere.. The music is composed by Yann Van Der Cruyssen, a chiptune specialist. We are then entitled to complex melodies and catchy drum rhythms that stick perfectly to the universe.

Stray’s greatest strength lies largely in its meditative aspect. The environments are particularly attractive and you navigate between bustling city centers and unsettling wastelands. BlueTwelve developers previously noted that the sets are largely inspired by Kowloon Castle, a former Chinese enclave in the middle of the colony of Hong Kong. If renewed from time to time, the game generally maintains the same visual identity from the dead streets to the neon capital, passing through a beautiful village built around a huge reservoir. From the reflections in the water to the delicate work of the lights, the dedicated care is very noticeable. How fun it is to sneak through an apartment window to discover new corners of life, always drenched in very warm orange hues. There is an undeniable sense of detail throughout and a true artistic cohesion to emphasize. Add to the beauty of the picture a large number of scenes that are a real treat for the retina.

conclusion

strength point

• Adorable protagonist
• A wonderful world to explore
• Very nice soundtrack
• very good story

Weak points

• Very basic puzzles
• Supervised jumps
• Short hair (6 o’clock in a straight line)

Stray’s main strengths lie in its fantastic protagonist and settings that are a joy to explore. Let’s add to that a good narration and a mystical atmosphere covered in beautiful synthesized melodies. There are still the puzzles, which are often too basic and the frustration of not being able to jump where we want to, which prevents the game from reaching its full potential. However, Stray is a very nice experience, perfect for younger kids and totally touching for adults.

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