Playing as an animal isn’t really a new thing in the world of video gaming, but most of them will be fantasy playable characters with human behavior in a fantasy world. But how about, playing as a genuine animal? Like a cat, perhaps? Well, that’s one of the things that is good about this game. I mean it. 

Introducing Stray, a new game that is introduced 10 months ago, developed by BlueTwelve Studio, and published by Annapurna Interactive. Following the stranded cat which is the main character of the game and his journey to go back home from the town that is filled with vintage robots which have their own free will. 

After the first gameplay was released by PlayStation months ago, the next trailer also consists of a further game demo that we can enjoy. Here’s the second trailer of Stray:

And not only that but the official release of the game is also announced at the end of the video so… make sure you watch it entirely 🙂

Controlling a… Cat?

The first impression of me while watching the second trailer is… it’s really unlike all the games that I’ve played. Indeed, there is one game that is quite creative (and Mysterious) like Little Nightmares, but Stray offers something that is different – you control a cat. And not only that, it’s genuinely behaving like how an animal should behave, and of course, it’s a video game so you should solve a puzzle, defeat enemies and reach the ending you desired. 

Basically, it’s a super-smart cat that can move anywhere they like, especially in a robotic town where you can communicate with the local residents. It’s unique, totally unique. And probably there wouldn’t be something that is called Character’s Skill or some sort, but your ability as a cat is enough to be able to solve all the in-game tasks. 

The Smooth Graphics and NPC Movement

You know when you play games, you will soon realize how the NPC behaves which becomes proof that they are indeed computer-generated? To be honest, I don’t really see that in Stray. Even though you can easily distinguish that it’s not a reality, the movement of the NPCs is something that you can enjoy. The robot moves just like how humans did, the cat just looks and moves like a real cat. 

Packed with mesmerizing graphics that will complement everything, shadow, texture, character detail and so many more. It’s definitely gorgeous! I can’t really wait for it to be released. The map might not be as big as the games like Assassin’s Creed or even Genshin Impact, but I can assure you that it will be beautiful enough you can enjoy the scenery on the top of the building. 

Release Date

On the first trailer that is released 10 months ago by PlayStation, they said that the release date would be in Early 2022 but the second has made it official that the game will be released next month, on 19th July 2022 to be precise. 

For now, the game is still exclusively made for both PS4 and PS5 and there’s no information that it will be released on PC or Xbox in the future, but I do have hope though. Like the God Of War, which was released years after the PS4 version 

Final Verdict

In my opinion, Stray will become one of the games that will get big right in the future. It’s all because of the unique gameplay that it offers, the graphics with its attention to detail, and of course the cat. Who doesn’t hate the cat?  

My suggestion is just to wait patiently for things to go right, and hopefully, the game will fulfill our desire to play new games, Haha 🙂