Stray is a dystopian, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic adventure game where the protagonist is a stray cat. On a personal note, this was my most anticipated game of the year and I was blown away by the graphics and world building. This game has a presence all of its own and developers should take note.
It’s no secret that I love cats and I love games. I have written many a cat themed gaming review but Stray is visually the most stunning. I adore the whimsy of being able to ”meow’ on command. The tutorial sequence at the beginning is quite possibly the best I have ever played! Is there anything this game can do wrong?
Well, yes actually.
The chase scenes were difficult for those of us with slow reactions (I’m not the only disabled gamer out there). I found them quite stressful and feel a range of difficulties would have been better. The puzzles, likewise, were too difficult in places. Puzzles should absolutely require some thought but I did not expect to need guides for this game. The advertisements and trailers sold this to me as an open world cosy adventure, chatting to robots and meandering round as a cute kitty in a beautifully rendered environment. The reality was disappointing in places.
There is quite a lot of content and there needed to be as the game was quite expensive on launch. Thankfully, it’s reduced to £19.99 for PC on CDKeys and cheaper for the console version. I would say the price is justified but it doesn’t quite feel like a good deal. Worst of all, the game didn’t hold my interest. Once the initial awe faded, it felt like ‘pretty’ was all Stray really offered. It is pretty though. Really, really pretty.
| Criteria | Scores | Our Score |
| Artistic Achievement | 1 – 5 | 5+ |
| Gameplay | 1 – 5 | 3 |
| Value/Cost | 1 – 5 | 4 |
| Controls | 1 – 5 | 4 |
| Length | 1 – 5 | 5 |
Written By: ivetafox
Favourite Game – Long Live the Queen || Favourite Film – Sweeney Todd || Favourite Book – Wuthering Heights
About: Ivy is a disabled, autistic writer from the UK, passionate about inclusive gaming. When not reviewing, she can be found writing short stories and micro fiction or reading the latest gothic novel.
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