Stray Reviews
Despite having an interesting theme, Stray fails to be a good game. It's fun, particularly during the exploration periods when you can observe the neon-lit world through the eyes of a cat and scale skyscrapers and other seemingly unreachable locations. It falls flat when it tries to use exciting action to excuse the fact that it is a video game; the fighting is as uninspiring as it is pointless. It may be brief, but there is no compelling reason for it to be expanded upon.
“I’ll hack the machine and you’ll destroy some stuff,” says B-12 at one point in the final act. With that line, the game unintentionally reveals what it thinks of its cat protagonist. Despite being flesh and blood, the cat never needs food, water, or sleep; never hisses in anger at having to undertake a task; never bristles at the sight of a Zurk horde, at least not outside of one cutscene; and, aside from a few seconds of slower-than-usual animation, never seems injured by any major falls. Which is to say that if Stray had made even more room for moments that were alive to what it’s like to be a cat but also feel as one, then it might not have left us with the nagging feeling that the critter at its center is a calculated means to an end.
While playing Stray you can’t help but feeling if some things went differently during the development process then it could have been a great game. Unfortunately, while Stray captures the cat experience very well, it doesn’t score well on any of its core gameplay loops. While fine for a casual experience and not long enough to become annoyingly repetitive, Stray ultimately doesn’t stand on its own four paws as an engaging video game experience.
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
An enjoyable yet surprisingly insecure game that fails to bring its aesthetic and mechanical proposal to any narrative conclusion.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Stray is at its best when it lets you do the things you'd expect from a cat – sleeping on cozy pillows, meowing, or scratching sofas – but fails to build consistently compelling gameplay around these flavorful bits. Although it creates a believable world, I found it hard to connect with the robots you encounter across its forgotten city, making the game's admittedly grand climax feel hollow.
It's hard to perfectly encapsulate what Stray really sets out to do, as it is a jack of all trades, but unfortunately a master of none of them. Certain parts of this game are near masterclass, like its stealth sections, but it finds itself lost within its own identity too often, and misses the mark on more than one occasion.
without a doubt, Stray is one of the most unique experiences of 2022. The thrill of an eventful adventure as a Cat is something you will remember for a long time. That being said, keep your expectations low because at the end of the day, stray is a small project. Its biggest flaw, is the wasted potential that could have turned into something special. Nevertheless, if you happen to be a cat lover, Playing Stray is a must!
Review in Persian | Read full review
But that’s all: it’s a good little game. I enjoyed it, but I highly doubt I’ll go back to it. My time with Stray didn’t change my life or make me rethink gaming or give me bold new insight into what it means to be alive. It was a game, and I appreciate that it exists, and that’s sort of it. If you can wait till you can play it on Gamepass or the like, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to wait. If you are unfathomably into cats and cyberpunk, then sure, pick this up. But as for me? I’ve had my Fancy Feast fill, and now I’m going to wander off into the tall grass. Just like I was taught.
Long story short: it's worth digging your claws into BlueTwelve's debut hit.
If you were hoping for a truly complete and well-made game, Stray makes no claim to be so. It feels like a perfect summer break, but with obvious flaws on the game design side. It's obviously not for everyone, and perhaps the low price on Steam at launch may tempt you to buy it, but take it as it comes: a nice diversion from the vast amount of games that take you hours and hours of gridning. Tackle it lightly and you won't be disappointed, or at least not entirely.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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
Despite this, Stray has charm to spare and a wonderful world well worth exploring. It would have been nice to have a bit more variety in your objectives and to have to spend a bit more time actually thinking about what to do, but it’s never less than fun to play.
Stray is an awesome looking game, with a neon-cyberpunk world that feels like it is alive. The run-time is short enough that the gameplay loop of solving puzzles via finding random items scattered throughout the world is well complemented from sequences that require running from area to area without getting caught by local mutated predators. While Stray is pretty to look at and is fun while it lasts the limitations of movement and rather simplistic puzzles hold this back from being greater than it could have been.
Stray may not be for everyone, but it is enjoyable so long that gamers check their expectations before playing. Its got a bit of puzzle solving, chases and simple navigation, but its never demanding much accuracy or dexterity from the player. Merely aim camera and prompt to jump will make cat 100% land on target- anyone can play it.
While animals have served as human companions, attack assists, and Easter egg distractions throughout the history of video games, Stray — in what's a rare thing — asks you to play as one. It's nowhere near purr-fect, but it's a delight nonetheless.
If you go in purely to see the world in motion and walk through its immense cityscapes, you’ll be delighted by what’s on offer. But if you go in expecting a substantial gaming experience with plenty of input and deep engagement, you may end up disappointed. Falling somewhere in the middle, I can appreciate Stray’s overachieving presentation but wonder what could have been with this setting and this attention to detail had it not centered around a cat with limited room for gameplay systems.
A peculiar mix of cyberpunk dystopia and whimsical platformer that is just about held together by some excellent visuals and a very cute cat.
Stray is a solid enough adventure game with archetypal mechanics and level design, elevated by its nice atmosphere and a unique perspective on the world.