Fedule posted:

quote:

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Spalec posted:

https://twitter.com/tamoorh/status/1549197085395718144

pcgamer.com | 82 / 100 posted:

The early novelty of playing as a cat in Stray soon gives way to a striking realisation—we often behave like cats in games anyway. Particularly in platform-puzzlers like this, our first inclination is to explore, looking for unorthodox routes up the sides of buildings, say, or jumping on furniture and seeing which objects we can manipulate. Stray simply makes such activities more natural, giving us the perfect form for the job.
[...]

Rather than provide a roughly approximated simulation of people interacting with people, it builds fleeting but impactful relationships of mutual reliance between cat and robot. Stray's commitment to this premise, packed with the nuances of both feline and android life, is a triumph.

Throughout, playing a cat never stops being a joy. Perhaps the biggest endorsement I can give Stray is that even some defenceless stealth sequences in its final third are not only tolerable, but actually entertaining—surely a first. Like so much in the game, the character makes them work. What it lacks in complexity, then, it more than makes up for with agility and adaptability. If only more games had such sharp instincts.

ign.com | 8 / 10 posted:

Stray is a delightful adventure in a dark but endearingly hopeful cyberpunk world, and that’s thanks in no small part to the fact that you are playing as an adorable cat the whole time. Its mix of simple platforming and puzzles with item-hunting quests is balanced very well across the roughly five-hour story – and though I wished my movement was a little more nimble during that time, I still loved hopping across rooftops and scampering through back alleys to find its well-hidden secrets. The new ideas it introduces along the way help keep things as fresh as a new bag of litter, too, even if not all of those ideas work quite as well as others. But whether I was scratching at a carpet or curling up into a ball and taking a catnap, Stray does a great job of setting itself apart in a way that feels like more than just a novelty.

gamespot.com | 9 / 10 posted:

Stray's ultimate strength is how well its overall design embodies the unique perspective and capabilities of its protagonist, but it also doesn't rely on this to be the only distinguishing feature of the entire adventure. A lot of the enjoyment throughout Stray's runtime comes from how well each scenario is designed for the abilities of its feline hero, and how empowering it is to be able to navigate its gorgeous hubs and derelict cities with the additional agility on offer. Its puzzles are routinely satisfying to solve and all work in service of a charming story with a satisfying conclusion, with the pacing only knocked slightly off by some slightly less than stellar combat scenarios in the first half. Thankfully, they're not prevalent enough to detract from the otherwise captivating adventure that Stray is, and that it tells a tale that will likely linger with you after the game's credits have rolled.

polygon.com | And yes, you can scratch the rugs posted:

Stray doesn’t do anything new. But through strategic manipulation of our love for cats, it does give me a profoundly sentimental window into my relationship with Oni — my first cat, with whom I am admittedly obsessed. I started projecting him onto the protagonist from the get-go, and his constant presence as I played made for a strange meta experience of Stray’s emotional design. It’s a markedly different journey from cultivating care for a character in a typical role-playing game, whose quirks and lovable characteristics must be learned over time, through dialogue and gameplay and storytelling. Every small detail in Stray was a reminder of my finite time with both my on- and off-screen companions; once the game was over, I reached out to Oni, full of gooey feelings, and as expected, he yelled at me and ran off. BlueTwelve knew exactly what it was doing, spending so much time and care modeling real cat movements and behavior, but having a real cat at hand was a fitting jolt back to reality. Stray is truly (and perhaps fittingly) the work of sly cat people. And for this reason alone, it’s a triumph.

forbes.com | A Near-Purrfect Indie Debut posted:

Many people may find that Stray’s puzzles offer little-to-no challenge, while its stealth sections are straightforward and very forgiving, but they’re nearly always inventive–even the simplest challenges feel satisfying to complete. Crucially, they are often designed to give you more opportunities to bask in the world around you–one that may not be truly unique, but a world you feel a huge part of, even if you’re one of the smallest things in it.

While the PS5 version of Stray doesn’t really push the console–though framerates are steady, it doesn’t lack detail, and its lighting can be incredible–its art direction and landscapes are nigh-on perfect, pulling beauty out of even the most downtrodden and infested areas. Each area is complemented by clever and occasionally haunting atmospheric sounds, while its diverse and often silly soundtrack always manages to capture the mood, emotion, and regular daftness of your one-cat plight.

easyallies.com | 8.5 / 10 posted:

[...]
However, these scenarios feel a bit undercooked. The chase sequences are the worst offender, as it's hard to judge where to run to at times. As for the stealth segments, they’re far more enjoyable, but their simple solutions fail to elicit the same sense of excitement felt when running and jumping around the city. In general, these action sequences would have benefitted from leaning harder into the rest of the game’s more puzzle-based approach.

Clocking in at around 10 hours, Stray doesn’t overstay its welcome, and taking in all the sights and sounds is a must. Stray crafts a captivating world that dazzles with neon lights, run down alleys, and lively tenants. The sheer amount of things you can interact with shows a lot of love and care went into this world, and that the team truly understands why we love cats. You can knock over bottles, claw at couches, curl up to take a nap; there’s even a button to meow. Prepare for lots, and lots of cat cuteness. When it comes to emulating the joys of being a cat, Stray is purrfection.

rockpapershotgun.com posted:

Will dog lovers and cat-haters get as much out of Stray as someone who, as we speak, has two stretched out purr machines on the bed behind her? Probably not, in all honesty, as fully inhabiting its feline lead is at least 50% of the appeal here. But even if you're not massively into cats the same way I am, Stray is still a remarkable action adventure game in its own right, and whose naturalistic approach to 3D platforming is among the best I've seen. It proves we don't need condescending slathers of paint to point us in the right direction anymore, and that there are better, more immersive ways of traversing dense and detailed play environments. That's something worth celebrating in my books, so take note Lara Croft, Nathan Drake and every 3D action hero of the last twenty years. A good game of billiards isn't the only thing you'll learn from this four-legged fluffball.

Skill Up | I recommend: Stray (Review) posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQUB0bWg2-Q

Stray (Zero Punctuation) posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zod0fbrlZwQ

I said come in! posted:

Been extremely excited for this game. It's combining two of my favorite things; cyberpunk, and cats. So how could it possibly go wrong?

Fedule posted:

Surely another Annapurrna Intercative banger. Not been this hype for an explicitly short game in a while.

Thank meow all ! posted:

We would like to thank everyone for your kind words and support !


Here is a quick Q/A for some questions you asked the most.

-Why don’t you post updates more often ?
-> Our team is composed of two humans and two cats, unfortunately one of these cat is responsable of the communication.

-Platform release ?
-> PC and maybe PS4/Xbox1/CPC6128/Atari2600/…

-When can I play this game ?
-> Not soon, we are still at the very beginning of the creation process (preprod / R&D). We need few more years to make what we want.

-Early access ?
-> Nope.

-Is it a dynamic procedural systemic survival open world (etc…) game ?
-> Nope.

-Game genre ?
-> A third person solo adventure game.

-At what period the game take place ?
-> In an indefinite period.

-Are you recreacting Kowloon Walled City ?
-> KWC is one of our main inspiration, but we want to create our very own unique dystopian city.

-Is there a newsletter to be notified when there is an update ?
-> The best way to have news is to follow us on twitter/facebook/devblog

-Where is the donate button ? How can I help ?
-> Supporting us with comments and virtual hugs is actually a big boost for us.

-Where are you from ? Hong Kong ?
-> South of France !

exquisite tea posted:

Annapurna’s usual output ranges from “okay” to “some of the most iconic indie games ever made” so I hardly consider 12 Minutes to be some damning indictment of their entire catalogue. And anyway they’re just the publisher, it’s an as-yet unknown studio behind Stray.

fez_machine posted:

They've made progressively worse picks as they've gone on, their 2021 slate was all duds.

JBP posted:

They just published Neon White rofl

fez_machine posted:

Neon White good gameplay, horrible writing. Also a second game from a previously successful partnership in their early years (although I didn't like that one very much).

Meiteron posted:

Reviews are hitting and the response seems to be generally positive, which is good, I am happy for cat game.

Skillup's review on YT was fairly informative for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQUB0bWg2-Q

He liked it a lot, but one thing he emphasized early on is the PC port isn't great and hardware that should absolutely be kicking this game's rear end is struggling to hit stable 60 FPS (or even 60 FPS in general) - and this can be a problem when a significant part of the game's draw will be exploring the environments and digging the smooth animations of the cat itself. PS5 didn't have those problems, he did suggest PC-only people may want to wait to see if the devs can improve performance.

I will not be waiting of course I will be playing cat game minute one.

Spalec posted:

https://twitter.com/tamoorh/status/1549197085395718144

Meiteron posted:

He liked it a lot, but one thing he emphasized early on is the PC port isn't great and hardware that should absolutely be kicking this game's rear end is struggling to hit stable 60 FPS (or even 60 FPS in general) - and this can be a problem when a significant part of the game's draw will be exploring the environments and digging the smooth animations of the cat itself. PS5 didn't have those problems, he did suggest PC-only people may want to wait to see if the devs can improve performance.

I will not be waiting of course I will be playing cat game minute one.

Shaman Tank Spec posted:

THERE'S A DEDICATED MEOW BUTTON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mBeUjwPqlQ

GoutPatrol posted:

I'm 5 minutes in and the intro has made me feel so sad already

so sad when the cat fell down the hoke

GoutPatrol posted:

I'm 5 minutes in and the intro has made me feel so sad already

so sad when the cat fell down the hoke

itry posted:

[*]No alternative cat skins

giZm posted:

GOTY