Stray Reviews
Stray is a hack, as it takes things the internet endlessly reproduces as memes — cats, cyberpunk aesthetics, lo-fi, vaporwave — and condenses it into a single product that has gotten enough exposure to be intensively commented on by its audience. It is not necessary to do more than the minimum, as it takes advantage of loopholes in the system to succeed in its objective. In this respect, Stray is, without a doubt, an unquestionable success.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Stray is a beautiful platforming adventure with a meaningful story. The characters, environments, exploration, and soundtrack make this game truly stand out, even if the ending leaves more to be desired. Restrictive gameplay keeps Stray from reaching its true potential, but BlueTwelve Studio’s ambition shines through its gorgeous art direction and engaging exploration. Stray is an unforgettable experience and is one of PS5’s best independent titles.
Stray is a purr-fect cat game that doubles as a well executed, memorable platformer.
Even with these issues, though, Stray is undoubtedly one of my favorite gaming experiences of the year. The freedom of exploration offered by the novel protagonist, the dense world-building, and the atmospheric sound design all coalesced to provide an emotionally-moving and poignant game that I still can’t stop thinking about. I have a couple trophies left to get, but even if I didn’t, I’d still boot up the game just to walk around the city, drink in the sights and sounds, and find a comfortable place to catnap so I could listen to the stray purr contentedly. Despite its short length and some technical issues, Stray is definitely going into my list of impactful games and I’m really happy I had the chance to play it.
In Stray you are not a human or a monster, but a cute cat. Move in a humanless world in which you as a cat have to find your way back to your friends. Stray is breathtakingly beautiful and you will be amazed at how cute this game is. There could have been just a little more in it, for example by being able to change the appearance of your cat itself to your own cat, for example. Nevertheless, Stray is a fantastic game and well worth playing. If only because of that magical feeling that you play as a cat.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
While Stray is an extremely short game, it uses its runtime to tell a great story from an extremely unique perspective.
Stray is a fantastic exploration game, and the execution of playing as a cat has paid off extremely well. Stray is a solid fit regardless of age, and its low cost is justifiable to the amount of content and enjoyment you get from the game.
Stray is as good a weekend binge as any, even if it failed my little cat-owner heart or made me grimace over rice paddy hats. As a video game, Stray is far from perfect, but as a cat-riding-in-a-bucket simulator, it’s pretty incredible.
A charming and beautiful game, set in a breathtaking world and plays differently owing to its leas character. A serene experience.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Stray didn't want to tell an epic tale spanning oceans, it didn't need towering bosses with glowing weak points to create the greatest tension. What it did do was weave a tale that the smallest creature can make the biggest difference and that despite our seat as the apex species, that perch is ever precarious, there's always something ready to take the spot and life will continue. It's certainly something that we need to be reminded of periodically.
Stray is just infectious. At one moment, fun and silly, in another, heartbreaking and emotionally engaging But all throughout it is a game where you truly sit back and marvel at its animation. Where you applaud its design and narrative implementation. Stray is like nothing else out there, and yet it’s also a game you’ll feel right at home with. A truly special title that will hold a place in my heart for years to come.
Cats are not generally known for their heartwarming personalities, but that’s exactly what makes Stray so poignant.
There’s a lot of love that’s gone into crafting this game and Stray deserves its plaudits. This is a fantastic game and easily one of the best in 2022.
Stray cat game presented a fun and varied gaming experience and mastered the style of playing cat!, with a wonderful story and characters in a beautiful world in ugly details, the game's dark and suspicious world worth exploring.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Overall, Stray surprised me in how well it wears its features and themes on its sleeve and how well crafted said features are. It's a game created for cat lovers by cat lovers, but with features and mechanics everyone can enjoy irrespective of age or pet preference. It's just too bad that the journey you'll go on, while memorable, is incredibly short, at only about eight hours long.
This is a game I didn’t know I needed to play until I did. I have even watched a few streamers play it, just to see if they were as entranced as I was. Please don’t discredit the story. It is quite tragic, but it’s wholesome once you start to uncover the truth. It’s a lot more in-depth than I initially thought it would be and definitely worth the playthrough. Everyone should play this, and even though personally it will not be my pick for game of the year, there are so many other aspects of the game that are award-worthy, and they are well earned.
Stray is a wonderful exercise in organic worldbuilding with enough heart to hold its own against the best of this year. Despite having no people in it, Stray is one of the most human games I've played this year.
While I didn’t have a good impression of Stray in its first hour, the succeeding adventure won me back with its interesting story and lore. If they did away with the button prompts and the curated cat activities, the exploration and experimentation by the player could really stand out, allowing for a more organic experience. Stray really comes alive once B12 has been introduced and then the world fully comes into view. B12 and the cat’s dynamic completed the game and really opens up the world, introducing the culture and society of the Companions. In a world that’s devoid of humanity, these AIs really capture what it is like being human, warts and all. For a game that’s about the end of humanity, it is actually quite hopeful and bittersweet. This year alone, most of the games I’ve reviewed dealt with a post-apocalyptic scenario with varying levels of bleakness. Stray stands out from the clowder, so don’t let its limitations lead you astray.
Stray has a great world and it is superb that the everyday life and actions of a cat is key to success here. The game could be much more wholesome than it is, however. And as a wholesome game, I would've like it more. Fighting and stealth passages are the weakest in the game.
Review in German | Read full review
Stray is a brilliant but short experience that leaves a good taste in one’s mouth. Though the story itself is not the most enticing part, Stray is fun and cute in many more ways. The gameplay, the level design, the characters, and the world are intriguing enough to keep playing and wanting more. It is wholesome, and the main character is a cat! What more can a person want?