First impressions of the videogame Stray

Stray puts us in the role of an adorable cat who, for reasons that have not yet been revealed, gets separated from his family. The main objective is to return to them, but the cute little cat is trapped in a city bathed in neon lights and inhabited only by androids.

The gameplay they showed started practically at the beginning of the game, with the cat making his way through the streets.

Stray is an adventure game with puzzles, quests and some action, but the main focus is on the story. In fact, the environmental narrative will be of great importance.

It is striking that the jumps are contextual and depend on the elements around us, initially they played with the idea of "free" jumps, but that did not replicate the feeling of controlling a cat... which in the end is what Stray aspires to.

The presentation saw some examples of simple puzzles, such as one that led the feline protagonist to pick up a bucket and use it to block the blades of a fan, thus managing to continue his journey.

As for the action, it seems that there will be no direct combat, but there will be chase sequences in which the cat will have to flee from mysterious creatures while avoiding obstacles.

At first glance it may sound uninspiring, but the fun of Stray lies in doing cat things. And in that sense, BlueTwelve Studio has included all the curious habits these animals are known for and turned them into playable mechanics.

It will be possible to push and pull objects from high places; the cat will be able to sharpen its nails on carpets and other fabric surfaces (something that will have haptic feedback when playing using the PS5's DualSense); it will also be able to poke at the TV remote, sleep and of course the game will have a dedicated meow button.

Some of these actions will have some kind of utility, but they can also be used simply for entertainment... or to annoy the robotic inhabitants of the city. In the gameplay shown, the clearest example was when the cat fell asleep on a pool table in the middle of a game.

It is striking how much interaction there is with the scenery through all these cat-like actions. For example, in the gameplay you can see how a passerby stumbles and falls to the ground when coming into contact with the cat. There seems to be a quite worked physics system.

There is no doubt that Stray is going to be the best cat simulator to date.

What about the adventure part? This is where B-12 comes into play, a drone that accompanies the protagonist cat and serves to remind us of the objectives, light up dark places, consult the inventory or translate the texts and dialogues of the city.

Stray wants us to feel like a real cat, which means that, initially, it will not be possible to understand anything you read or hear.

In this way, B-12 will become an indispensable tool and an invaluable travel companion. It seems that the relationship between the cat and the drone will be one of the most celebrated aspects of the adventure.

The development of the adventure will include both linear parts and open areas that will allow you to explore the game freely. Stray will also feature side quests and collectibles.

Stray is a game that looks great. As it could not be otherwise, the cat's animations are very well done, but we must also highlight the scenarios for their display of small details.

BlueTwelve Studio's game has an impeccable art direction and a very attractive cyberpunk lighting. Stray will be released on PS4, PS5 and PC on July 19.