‘Stry’ proves that cats plus science fiction isn’t the perfect combination, but it’s pretty close

I wonder how attractive a game like Stray would be to someone who isn’t interested in cats, but anyway, you have to find that person and ask why (by disclaimer) I confess myself devoted to cats, their fascinating history, magnetic demeanor, and overwhelming appearance and its potential as a narrative engine. You won me ‘Stray’ from the first trailer, and maybe someone will want to think about it that’s why my opinion isn’t entirely correct, but anyway someone who doesn’t like cats would say so, so you don’t have to pay much attention either.

Jokes aside, the truth is that ‘Stray’ is a really nice indie game that you can try right now on Steam, but also on Playstation as a gift if you’re into your new PlayStation Plus high. It is a quiet, contemplative title that will offer little or no difficulty to experienced players and will be looked down upon by more than one seasoned player as it presents no major challenges and no chance of getting in trouble. What matters here is something else.

And this other thing is that Stray presents the possibility of controlling a strange cat through the streets of a futuristic and isolated city, almost a refuge, where humans have been replaced by artificial intelligence. A large part of BlueTwelve Studio’s effort has been to create a cat that is completely realistic not only in its movements, agility and ability to get into hard-to-reach areas or falls from great heights, but in the small details.

That is, the possibility of meowing in a thousand different ways, settling in any soft spot to sleep for a while, and pinning your nails to doors, sofas, and rugs. Or that hilarious emptiness, which means cats cause any inconvenience with that negative charisma that drives us humans crazy. The details from which the hours of observation and understanding of the cats are deduced are worth more than any bragging of the means, because they mean a dedication to detail where the heavy weapons of indie games are, and where Annapurna knows she leads who will win

Don Gato and Human

Using these components, a game whose other great asset is the construction of a world of a certain depth is formed in terms of its characteristics knowledge (Where are the humans, who are the invaders, where are we exactly?) and that he never resorts to leadership dumps info Let’s immerse ourselves in history. Cat’s eyes, carefully selected pieces of information and script design full of story between the lines It’s more than enough to launch us into a story infinitely more complex in its simplicity than those of many Triple A.

For everything else, an accessible game, with very basic controls, which do not need any kind of HUB other than two inventory lists so simple that they are almost typical of a mobile game, but dazzling as the wonderful movements of our cat on the rooftops of the city. The challenge offers little in the way of feelings, a good story and a very accurate graphic section, in abundance.

And in between, some surprises. For example, accidental stealth sections, or a very simple action in which you evade avalanches of enemies. It is also surprising, in the first section of the game, to discover that the semi-open areas, which can be explored in sandbox and attend a secondary mission to give the plot excitement, are wider, labyrinthine and vertical than at the beginning. . Later The feel of the original effect is lost, but the vibrations of the first hour of play are very exciting.

“Stray” is fun for a few afternoons, and won’t keep you up at night with its intricate puzzles and visual ingenuity. But its graphic slickness, creativity and originality in its many details (Dualsense’s purring, authentic soul balm) make it a must-have for cat owners, and an eye-catcher, which is also a must for those looking for alternatives to cumbersome jigsaws. From the usual movies. So do cats.