Stray (video game)

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Stray
Cover art of a ginger cat looking towards the camera, with red lights in the background. In the lower half of the image, "Stray" is written in white spray-paint style.
Developer(s)BlueTwelve Studio
Publisher(s)Annapurna Interactive
Director(s)
  • Colas Koola
  • Vivien Mermet-Guyenet
Producer(s)Swann Martin-Raget
Designer(s)
  • Mathieu Audrain
  • Alexandre Brodu
  • Hugo Dunas-Wald
Programmer(s)
  • Rémi Bismuth
  • Sores Hatipoglu
  • Antonin Ferret
Writer(s)Steven Lerner
Composer(s)Yann Van Der Cruyssen
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release19 July 2022
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Stray is a 2022 adventure video game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. The story follows a stray cat who falls into a walled city populated by robots, machines, and viruses, and sets out to return to the surface with the help of a drone companion called B-12. The game is presented through a third-person perspective. The player traverses by leaping across platforms and climbing up obstacles, and can interact with the environment to open new paths. Using B-12, they can store items found throughout the world, and hack into technology to solve puzzles necessary to progress the narrative. Throughout the game, the player must evade the antagonistic Zurks and Sentinels, both of whom will attempt to kill them.

The game's development began in 2015, led by BlueTwelve Studio founders Colas Koola and Vivien Mermet-Guyenet, who wanted to pursue an independent project after working at Ubisoft Montpellier. They partnered with Annapurna Interactive to publish the game, known by its working title HK Project. Stray was influenced aesthetically by Kowloon Walled City, which the developers felt could be appropriately explored by a cat. The gameplay experience was specifically inspired by the developers' cats, Murtaugh and Riggs, and the team studied several images and videos of cats for research. They found that playing as a cat led to interesting level design opportunities, though they also encountered challenges in balancing design and gameplay. The team decided to populate the world with robot characters, which further influenced the development of the narrative and backstory.

Stray was announced in 2020 and became highly anticipated. Following some delays, it was released on 19 July 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows. It received generally positive reviews, with particular praise directed at its artistic design, cat gameplay, narrative, original score, and platforming elements; critics were divided on the combat and stealth sequences.

Gameplay

A cat runs through a street and leaps upwards, onto a box, a tin awning, an air conditioning unit, and onto a roof surrounded by greenery.
In Stray, the player traverses the environment by leaping across platforms and climbing up obstacles.

Stray is a third-person adventure game.[1] The player controls a stray cat, who traverses by leaping across platforms and climbing up obstacles,[2] and they can open new paths by interacting with the environment, such as climbing in buckets, overturning paint cans, operating a vending machine, and clawing at objects.[3][4][5] They must solve puzzles to progress the narrative, often involving moving obstacles.[6] The game also presents several optional activities for the player, such as sleeping, meowing, and nuzzling up to non-player characters, all of which often elicit a response.[2][7] Some of the game's levels have open world elements, allowing the player to roam at their freedom.[6]

The player is accompanied by a drone companion named B-12, who assists by translating the language of other characters, storing items found throughout the world, providing light, and hacking into various technologies to open paths and solve puzzles.[8] Throughout the game, the player finds several of B-12's memories, providing more context for the story behind the world;[6] most of these memories are optional, but some are unlocked through story progression.[9] The player can also collect badges, including several optional throughout the world, which are then displayed on the cat's backpack.[5]

The game world is populated by robots, who often employ the player to locate objects that reveal more information and progress the narrative.[10] Some robots provide optional tasks, such as Morusque, who will play songs upon being provided with music sheets found around the slums.[11] The player can interact with most robots in the game world.[6] Stray features two types of enemies who can kill the player: Zurks, a bacteria that can swarm and devour the cat;[9] and Sentinels, security drones who will attempt to shoot the player upon spotting them.[10][12] For a portion of the game, the player can use a Defluxor attached to B-12 to destroy the Zurks,[13] though it can only be used for a limited time before B-12 overheats and requires a brief charge.[12] The player can evade Sentinels by avoiding their sight lines, indicated by glowing lights.[14]

Plot

While a group of four stray cats trek through the ruins of an abandoned facility, one becomes separated from the others after losing its footing, falling into a chasm, and finding itself trapped in an unpopulated underground city. The cat soon finds a lab where it helps download an artificial intelligence into the body of a small drone, who calls itself B-12. It explains that it previously helped a scientist but much of its memory was corrupted and needs time to recover. B-12 promises to help the cat return to the surface and accompanies it further into the city. As they travel farther, the pair discover that, while the city is completely devoid of human life, their robotic servants, Companions, remain. In the time of humanity's absence, the Companions have grown self-aware and have built their own society among the ruins of the city, but they likewise are trapped underground. The ruins are also infested with Zurks, mutant creatures that have evolved to devour both organic life and robots.

The pair meet Momo, who is a member of the Outsiders, a group of Companions dedicated to finding a way to the surface. With the Outsiders's help, the cat and B-12 are able to proceed to the Midtown sector of the city. There, they locate Clementine, another Outsider who plans to steal an atomic battery to power a subway train that leads to the surface. The trio are caught and arrested by the Sentinels, but the cat is able to help them all escape prison. Clementine stays behind to mislead the Sentinels while the cat and B-12 escape on the subway, which takes them to the city control center. B-12 finally recovers all of its memories. It reveals that it was originally a human scientist who attempted to upload their own consciousness into a robot body, but the process went awry until the cat arrived. B-12 also remembers that the city, Walled City 99, was built to shelter humanity from a catastrophe on the surface, but a plague eventually wiped out the entire human population. Realising that humanity's legacy now lies with the Companions and the cat, B-12 sacrifices itself to open the blast doors over the city, exposing it to sunlight which kills the Zurks and deactivates the Sentinels. With the main exit unsealed, the cat leaves the city and reaches the surface. As the cat leaves, a screen near the exit flickers and activates.

Development

Stray was influenced aesthetically by Kowloon Walled City, which the developers considered the "perfect playground for a cat".[15]

BlueTwelve Studio founders Colas Koola and Vivien Mermet-Guyenet[16]—known as Koola and Viv, respectively—began working on Stray in 2015 as they wanted to pursue an independent project after working at Ubisoft Montpellier.[16][17][18][19] They maintained a development blog for the game, then known as HK Project.[20] After they shared some footage from the game on Twitter, Annapurna Interactive reached out in April 2016 to publish the project;[18] Koola and Mermet-Guyenet had only developed some "visual scenes" by that time, but had a strong direction for the final project.[21] Annapurna, which had not published any games by the time the deal was formed, assisted in building the company over the years, providing occasional feedback for the game but largely leaving creative freedom to the developers.[22] Funding for the studio was confirmed in April 2017, and the development team grew to five by the end of 2017.[21] From early in development, Koola and Mermet-Guyenet knew that they wanted to maintain a small team of developers,[23] as they prefer working with direct communication;[24] the small team meant that the game's scope reduced over time, with focus directed towards elements that the developers considered important.[21][24] After revealing the game, the team wanted to focus on production and only begin marketing when development was nearing completion; they found that the reception to the reveal added to the pressure of delivering a polished experience.[23] The game utilises Unreal Engine 4.[25]

Stray was heavily influenced aesthetically by Kowloon Walled City; Koola and Mermet-Guyenet liked that the city was constructed organically, and found it interesting to approach as artists.[15] They designed some graphical tests of the environments and buildings,[22] and found that the city was the "perfect playground for a cat" due to the various paths and views.[15] The development team found that gameplay as a cat led to interesting level design opportunities, particularly regarding platforming and puzzle elements.[26] They encountered artistic and technical challenges in balancing interesting game design with the open world environment, as items that are typically decorative in other games—such as pipes and air conditioning units—are designed as explorable paths in Stray.[15][27] The in-game location Antvillage allowed the team to experiment with vertical game design, as well as providing several path options for the player.[28] The team decided to avoid standard platforming challenges early in development, after watching players consistently missing jumps, which they thought "didn't feel cat-like"; according to producer Swann Martin-Raget, the movements of a cat feel smoother, which led the team to create its guided movement system while still allowing for freedom of choice.[29] The team found that the sounds and vibrations of the DualSense controller added to the physicality and interactivity of playing as a cat,[23] and the low camera angle leads to deeper observation of the environment than a human protagonist.[30]

Contrasting elements were important to the developers, such as the "small, organic, and lively" cat contrasted against the "angular and bold" robots.[31] Mermet-Guyenet initially created some human non-player characters, but was unsatisfied with the result and realised that the high visual quality required would be too time-consuming with a smaller team;[23][30] after experimenting with robots, they found them easier to place within scenes, and enjoyed the contrast with the cat. The inclusion of robots also inspired more of the game's story, and the team found it fitting due to their fascination with films like Blade Runner (1982).[23] The robots' language printed throughout the game world was added to make players feel as though they were in a foreign location;[32] its inclusion also led to the development of the world's backstory.[24] B-12 was added as the cat's companion to add additional abilities for the player, such as interacting with technology.[23] Both B-12 and the cat's backpack were conceived early in development, when the game was still known as HK Project.[21]

The gameplay experience was specifically inspired by the founders' cats, Murtaugh and Riggs,[18] and the studio's in-house cats, Oscar and Jun;[17] Murtagh, a former stray cat found under a car in Montpellier, is the primary inspiration for the game's protagonist,[33] while Oscar, a furless Sphynx, provided effective reference for animation.[29] The team's cat animator, Miko, studied several images and videos of cats for research,[17] and worked with cat programmer Rémi Bismuth to find a balance between smooth animations and enjoyable gameplay;[33] most of the team also own cats, providing consistent inspiration and reference material. When the office cats began reacting and interacting to the in-game cat, the team figured that they "were on the right path".[15] While the game is a "love letter" to the team's cats, they intentionally avoided making a "cat simulator", opting for interesting gameplay over complete realism.[24] The game's action sequences were added to provide some stress to the player; the team wanted to build a rhythm to maintain the story's progression.[24] The sequence in which the player can kill the Zurks was seen as "revenge" by Koola and Mermet-Guyenet for a "bedbug invasion" that they underwent.[34] The game's user interface was kept minimal, with directions integrated in the game world to guide the player.[34]

The game was announced on 11 June 2020, at PlayStation's Future of Gaming event; it was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows.[35][36][37] In a Sony trailer at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2021, the game's release window was noted in fine print as October 2021; Sony later removed the fine print from the trailer.[38] In July 2021, Annapurna Interactive released a gameplay trailer revealing the release window of early 2022;[39] a trailer by PlayStation in April 2022 revealed that the game had been delayed to a mid-year release.[40] During PlayStation's State of Play presentation in June, the game's release date was announced as 19 July 2022; at launch, it became available for the members of the Extra, Deluxe, and Premium tiers of PlayStation Plus.[41] Two physical versions will be released by iam8bit and Skybound Games: the standard retail version for PlayStation 5 on 20 September 2022, featuring six art cards; and the Exclusive Edition for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in Q4 2022, with an additional poster and embroidered patch.[42] iam8bit is also distributing a vinyl record of the game's soundtrack in Q1 2023,[43] with album art by Fernando Correa.[44] Preorders for the physical versions and soundtrack began on 12 July.[42] For the game's release, Annapurna Interactive partnered with several charities to raise money for homeless cats by providing giveaways as incentives for donations.[45]

Reception

Stray received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic, based on 87 reviews for PlayStation 5[46] and 39 reviews for Windows.[47] Chris Scullion of Video Games Chronicle considered it one of Annapurna Interactive's best releases,[8] and Andrew Webster of The Verge named it among the best games of the year to date.[55] VG247's Kelsey Raynor described it as "a touching tale of loss, loneliness, environmental destruction",[11] and Ars Technica's Sam Machkovech declared it a blend of the "eerie, atmospheric exploration" of Half-Life (1998) and the "childlike whimsy of a classic Studio Ghibli film".[3] Highly anticipated following its announcement,[56][57][58] the game topped Steam's wishlist charts before release;[59] it broke Annapurna Interactive's record for concurrent Steam players upon release, with over 62,000 players,[60] and became the highest user-rated game of the year on the platform.[61] Videos of cats watching footage of Stray went viral after the game's release, with the dedicated Twitter account @CatsWatchStray garnering over 32,000 followers.[62][63][64]

Critics praised the game's graphical quality and art design,[6][54][65] and several particularly lauded its use of lighting.[4][5][66] Alyse Stanley of The Washington Post described Stray as "a master class in environmental story telling and level design", lauding the subtle directions provided to the player.[7] Bill Lavoy of Shacknews wrote that the game "has one of the most beautifully designed worlds we've ever seen", praising the attention to detail in each environment, though criticising the lack of graphical settings.[8] Kotaku's Ari Notis likened the cinematic cutscenes to "prestigious games from top-flight studios like Naughty Dog".[67] Sam Loveridge of GamesRadar+ found the atmosphere to be unique among recent releases, describing the world as "a stunning place to just exist in";[50] Blake Hester of Game Informer similarly praised the enjoyability of exploring the world.[48] Push Square's Stephen Tailby wrote that the game "conveys a melancholic, hopeful atmosphere".[68] NME's Jordan Oloman considered the worldbuilding the strongest element, though noted that it failed to reach levels of intelligence or subtlety like Nier: Automata (2017).[6] VentureBeat's Rachel Kaser found the Zurk-infested levels among the worst visually,[69] and some reviewers noted minor glitches.[3][68] William Hughes of The A.V. Club felt that the concept of the underground city populated by robots felt like a "Lego stack of ready-made video game tropes".[65] Kotaku's Sisi Jang found Stray to be a troubling example of techno-orientalism.[70]

A cat walks in a neon-lit city populated by robots; some are walking, some are standing and talking to each other, some are sitting. The city is lit with bright yellow, orange, purple, blue, and green. Reflections can be seen in small puddles on the ground.
The graphical quality and art design of Stray received acclaim from critics,[6][54][65] several of whom particularly lauded its use of lighting.[4][5][66]

Katharine Castle of Rock, Paper, Shotgun determined that assuming control of a cat "is at least 50% of the appeal here".[71] The realistic recreation of cat behaviour in the gameplay received widespread praise;[2][5][11] critics lauded the animation and easy controls,[6][9][68] and the immersion of the movement and navigation,[10][52][66] though some noted occasionally awkward controls and camera angles while navigating.[7][12][50] VG247's Raynor was prepared for a repetitive gameplay system, but ultimately found that it maintained consistent enjoyment.[11] Keza MacDonald of The Guardian considered Stray "an excellent example of how a change of perspective can enliven a fictional setting to which we've become habituated".[54] Scullion of Video Games Chronicle found the platforming to be "simple but extremely effective",[8] and Alessandro Barbosa of GameSpot commended the balanced pacing between the gameplay sequences.[49] Pauline Leclercq of Jeuxvideo.com felt that the puzzles generally lacked difficulty, but improved in the game's second half,[51] while Hughes of The A.V. Club found it repetitive over time.[65] PCMag's Gabriel Zamora noted disappointment at the lack of choice while platforming,[72] and Electronic Gaming Monthly's Josh Harmon wrote that the core gameplay loop of objectives and puzzles "feels distinctly uncatlike".[14]

Hardcore Gamer's Kyle LeClair wrote that Stray has "a terrific story with profound themes to uncover and great emotional beats along the way".[5] Several reviewers were surprised by the narrative themes, considering the basic gameplay concept;[67][51] Stanley of The Washington Post found them memorable,[7] and Game Informer's Hester considered them simple but effective.[48] The Verge's Webster recognised "themes ranging from wealth inequality to environmental disaster", describing the ending as "beautiful and tragic".[55] GameSpot's Barbosa similarly found the ending satisfying, noting that it allowed reflection on the character relationships.[49] Polygon's Alexis Ong identified themes related to the ongoing democratic development in Hong Kong, particularly regarding police brutality and the 2019–2020 protests, citing the game's working title HK Project.[2] Reviewers lauded the robot characters in the game world,[8][54] described by PCGamesN's Nat Smith as "whimsical and strikingly human".[53] Loveridge of GamesRadar+ felt that the interactions directed the narrative, which itself touched on themes of hardship and friendship;[50] Raynor of VG247 similarly found the friendships effective and emotional.[11] VentureBeat's Kaser and PC Gamer's Jon Bailes both shared strong feelings towards the game's protagonist,[69][52] a sentiment echoed by Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Kaser towards both the cat and B-12.[71]

The original score received praise,[6][12] and was described as "one of the year's best soundtracks" by Ars Technica's Machkovech, who compared it favourably to Half-Life.[3] Scullion of Video Games Chronicle wrote that the score "knows exactly when to evoke awe, when to creep the player out, and when to pluck at our pesky human heartstrings".[8] Kotaku's Notis called it "deliciously jazzy",[67] and Jeuxvideo.com's Leclercq found it appropriate within the game world.[51] Hardcore Gamer's LeClair and Shacknews's Lavoy appreciated in the environmental melodies, including those played by the robot Morusque, and some on the in-game radio.[5][66] Smith of PCGamesN described the music as "gently optimistic and abruptly unsettling", lauding the seamless switching between tracks dependent on the gameplay.[53]

The combat sequences polarised critics; some found them tense and exciting,[5][7][51] while others found them tiresome and less interesting than its other elements.[49][69][72] The gameplay sequences involving Zurks—compared by several critics to the headcrabs from the Half-Life series[50][52][71]—were positively described as "more authentically cat" by Electronic Gaming Monthly's Harmon,[14] while GamesRadar+'s Loveridge found that they added balance to the game's calmer moments.[50] The Escapist's Damien Lawardorn found the sequences to be an effective example of body horror, and among the game's most compelling and effective chapters.[73] Webster of The Verge similarly felt that they added necessary tension, likening them to the swarms of A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019), but wrote that they could become frustrating.[55] This sentiment was echoed by IGN's Tom Marks and PC Gamer's Bailes,[12][52] the latter of whom described a confrontation as "repeated backpedalling and shooting".[52] NME's Oloman considered the sequences "distant from the rest of the game",[6] and Game Informer's Hester described them as "monotonous", though appreciated their rarity.[48] The stealth mechanics received similarly polarised responses; PC Gamer's Bailes found them entertaining,[52] while they were described by PCMag's Zamora as "serviceable, but rather simplistic",[72] and by Vice's Renata Price as ranging "from fine to frustrating".[4]

References

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Bibliography

  • Schilling, Chris (4 November 2021). "Cat Power". Edge. No. 365. Future plc. pp. 52–65.

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Presented content of the Wikipedia article was extracted in 2022-08-01 based on https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=64260079