Like the habitation areas, many of these action zones are puzzle-like in design. But your cat isn’t a claws-out sort of fighter, and zurks attack in massive swarms that can overwhelm you in seconds. Many of the larger quests take you through hostile, zurk-infested zones to complete objectives. (Credit: Annapurna Interactive) Simplistic Action The world is beautiful, yet inexplicably sad too. Stray evokes themes found in Nier: Automata and SOMA, without the camp of the former or the dread of the latter. I found the exploration and movement to be quite relaxing, and the setting to be surprisingly gripping. This is Stray’s core game loop: explore a zone, solve puzzles, complete objectives, acquire key items, and ultimately move on to the next zone to do more of the same. For example, you may smash some security cameras for a group of punk robots and be rewarded with a cassette tape, which you can’t make use of until you find an old boom box in the other part of town. You must explore each new area and interact with these robot NPCs to learn what they need, while also taking note of points of interest within the environment that you want to return to. Some of these tasks are optional, but most are not. It’s up to you to solve these problems for them by acquiring materials, destroying cameras, or engaging in lengthy trading quests for something they want. Many of them have tasks they want to see completed, which they’re more than happy to tell you about. They all eke out a living within the city, whether that be scrounging up materials from junk, serving drinks, putting on performances, policing the neighborhood, and so on. These robots have names, unique outfits, and distinct personalities. Robots have evolved to occupy the space left in the wake of humanity’s absence, and have adopted very human-like mannerisms. These safe areas are populated by kindred robots that have isolated themselves from the chaos. Named B-12, the drone serves as your guide, communicator, and inventory as you eventually find your way into habitation zones within the city. After a few close encounters, you come across a sapient drone you can communicate with, who becomes your companion throughout the adventure. You learn very quickly that the streets are hostile, serving as host to swarms of murderous creatures called zurks, which look like cycloptic head crabs from Half-Life. An unfortunate accident separates you from your family, dropping you into a massive underground cityscape. You play as a ginger tabby cat living in concrete ruins with a family of felines. Come for the cat shenanigans, and stay for the hope and melancholy that Stray invokes as you explore a rich world bereft of humanity. There are a few limitations that keep the game from being truly excellent, like the limited jumping controls and context-sensitive actions, but Stray is still a thoroughly engrossing PC game in spite of this. Stray ($29.99) is a puzzle-adventure game with platforming elements that delivers an utterly charming protagonist, set within a quirky and fascinating setting. All while playing an adorable bundle of fur trapped in a quirky robot-populated undercity, unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of mankind. Climb to places you were never intended to reach. Fulfill your feline fantasies! Knock coffee mugs off the table.
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