Stray

Post-apocalyptic cyberpunk of a distant future. A suffocating city with a stale atmosphere, inhabited by robots. A lost lonely cat who wants to return home. The concept of Stray is based on the hype themes and trendy styles of the early 2020s, which is why this small indie game became an internet sensation.

The genre foundation of Stray is a third-person adventure and quest game, with a narrative leaning towards interactive cinema, where the surrounding world needs to be experienced through whiskers, paws, and tail, instead of reading miles of text on the screen. Fortunately, the player does not feel a disconnect from the protagonist thanks to excellent animation and the voice acting of the purring cat.

Getting into the role is helped by the graphics: a well-chosen visual style; numerous decorations and small details where needed; manually adjusted light and shadow play; volumetric smoke and fog to create a sense of unease. The effect of presence is enhanced by the "bottom-up" presentation.

The atmosphere corresponds to the setting. From cyberpunk — humanoid robots, unusual architecture, and the dominance of neon signs in acidic colors, reflecting off puddles and glinting from chrome. From post-apocalypse — vanished humanity, gradual destruction of civilization by nature, a realm of garbage and darkness in alleys and technical channels.

The game world consists of two sets of locations. Linear "guts" for action, chases, and scary moments. Meditative spacious levels with a significant degree of "verticality" for exploration, completing quests, and finding a considerable number of secrets.

In a city without people, the robots that served them have become self-aware and built a society that parodies human life. Some work, others indulge in aimless existence, and others maintain order, etc. Some, like companions, want to get to the surface, while others want to prevent it. From the urban ruins emerges a new threat — Zurks. Mutated bacteria that consume both organic matter and robots.

The creators have authentically conveyed all the hardships of a cat's life in a world built for humans, and the feeling of being a small and vulnerable four-legged purrer.

The kitty nimbly climbs through pipes and vents, easily jumps between rooftops, quickly escapes from pursuers, and skillfully balances over chasms, but cannot act like human protagonists, and is even less capable of standing up for itself. Breaking down doors, using gadgets, shining in the dark, translating from robot language to cat, taking quests from NPCs, shooting from a blaster, and much more is assisted by a small flying drone B-12, equipped with artificial intelligence.

This symbiosis has created a unique gameplay experience in Stray, where companions move forward through mutual assistance, and drives the narrative. The whiskered one wants to get to the surface, and B-12 is ready to guide him, if he takes him along. One trouble — the drone's memory is damaged, so the route will go through the points where it can restore it, while also explaining the backstory to the player.

The journey, with all its joys and sorrows, forms the plot of Stray, and at the end, the player will find a simple message. But, at least, the story is interesting to follow, the characters encountered along the way will surprise, and the intrigue lasts almost until the very end.

Despite the fact that the main gameplay involves movement, jumping on platforms, and overcoming obstacles, there is no platforming system in the game. Jumps are strictly scripted, and movement areas are defined by level design. In single-player mode, you need to complete quests based on the principles of "find-bring," "explore-discover," or "solve puzzles."

Some of the puzzles are quite intricate and will require spatial thinking. As is fitting for a little rascal, you'll have to cause a lot of mischief: knocking over and dropping items, squeezing through doors, hiding in boxes, getting tangled up under the feet of robots, "playing" on buttons, etc. Coincidentally, these actions help the two friends move forward.

The atmosphere is enhanced by the ability to sharpen claws, lie on robots' chests, sweetly fall asleep in various places, and stick your nose (and face) where it doesn't belong. In general, behave like a real cat — or even like a modifiedcat.

There are no maps or markers — everything has to be kept in mind. Besides activities, B-12 will help with storing items found throughout the world. The game rewards explorers by ensuring that almost all inventory items will be useful sooner or later.