Stray

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

The genre basis of Stray is a third-person adventure and quest, with a narrative leaning towards interactive cinema, where the surrounding world needs to be felt through whiskers, paws, and tail, instead of reading kilometers of text on the screen. Fortunately, the player does not feel a disconnect with the protagonist thanks to excellent animation and the purring sound effects.

The graphics also help immerse you in the role: well-chosen visual style; lots of decorations and small details where they are needed; manually adjusted lighting and shadow play; volumetric smoke and fog to heighten anxiety. The "bottom-up" perspective enhances the sense of presence.

The atmosphere also matches the setting. From cyberpunk — humanoid robots, unusual architecture, and the dominance of neon signs in acidic colors, reflecting off puddles and glinting off chrome. From post-apocalypse — the vanished humanity, the systematic destruction of civilization by nature, the kingdom of garbage and darkness in back alleys and technical channels.

The game world is represented by two sets of locations. Linear "gut" areas for action, chases, and scary moments. Meditative spacious levels with a fair share of "verticality" for exploration, quest completion, and finding numerous secrets.

In the city-without-humans, 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 still others maintain order, etc. Some, like the companions, want to escape to the surface, while others want to prevent it. A new threat emerges from the city ruins — the Zurks. Mutated bacteria that devour both organic material and robots.

The authors 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 purr.

The kitty nimbly climbs pipes and ventilation shafts, easily jumps between roofs, quickly escapes from pursuers, and skillfully balances over abysses but cannot act like human protagonists, and is even less capable of defending itself. Hacking doors, using gadgets, shining in the dark, translating from robot language to cat, taking tasks from NPCs, shooting from a blaster, and much more is helped by a small flying drone B-12, equipped with artificial intelligence.

This symbiosis has created Stray's unique gameplay, 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 problem — the drone's memory is damaged, so the route will pass through points where it can be restored, simultaneously explaining the backstory to the player.

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

Несмотря на то, что основной геймплей — это движение, прыжки по платформам и преодоление препятствий, системы платформинга в игре нет. Прыжки строго заскриптованы, а области передвижения определены дизайном уровней. В одиночной игре нужно выполнять квесты, построенные по принципу «найди-принеси», «исследуй-открой» или «реши головоломку».

Некоторые из головоломок весьма замысловаты и потребуют пространственного мышления. Как и положено царапке, придется много шкодить: опрокидывать и сбрасывать предметы, скрестись в двери, прятаться в коробках, путаться под ногами роботов, «играть» на кнопках и т.д. По удачному совпадению, именно эти действия продвигают двух друзей вперед.

На атмосферу работает возможность точить когти, ложиться к роботам на грудь, сладко засыпать в самых разных местах и совать свой нос (и морду) туда, куда не стоит. В общем, вести себя как настоящий кот — или даже как кот модифицированный.

Не предусмотрено ни карты, ни маркеров — всё придется держать в голове. Помимо активностей, B-12 поможет с хранением предметов, найденных по всему миру. Игра вознаграждает исследователей тем, что почти всё содержимое инвентаря рано или поздно пригодится.