Has the thought of dropping everything and becoming a cat crossed your mind? No responsibilities, no stress, but just meow meows all day? If you want to catch a glimpse of what it is like from a cat's perspective, you may want to stick around as we talk about 2022’s Stray.
Developed by BlueTwelve Studio, Stray is an adventure game that centers around a cat who unexpectedly disconnects from his friends and falls into a walled city populated with robots and mutant bacteria. Speaking of disconnected, if you hate disconnecting
from the Internet as you walk into the next room, you may want to try out PLDT Home’s WiFi mesh system!
If you switch to a mesh setup, you will experience fewer, or even no, dead zones in your house without compromising your Internet connection!
But I digress. This cat-adventure game allows the players to traverse its immersive world from a third-cat (person) perspective enabling a better understanding of the surroundings. The game's objective is to get back to the surface and reunite with your
cat buddies, but before you can do that, you must help a group of robots that also seek to reach the surface.
Initial thoughts. I booted up the game, and as soon as I heard the main menu music, I knew I was in for an immersive journey. So I slapped on my Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, readjusted its noise canceling, and sat back. Games like Stray
make me want to have a beefier system so that I can play this game in 4K resolution and enjoy the ambiance; it was as if I could feel the sun's rays on my skin. Additionally, you can hear the small kitty steps your cat makes as he walks on grass or
in an echoed room–the sound production was outstanding.
From Annapruna Interactive Official GIPHY
In the aspect of the gameplay itself, I thought Stray was one of those “feel good” games that allow the player to roam around different environments as their characters; for this case, a cat. It was serene for about 15 minutes, but then I
discovered that the cat’s life was in constant danger as mutant bacteria formed around him in different places. Stray is a massive puzzle game that requires players to piece together clues as they interact with other robots. Quick-time instances
also arise that make the player think on their feet as they dodge these harmful mutants to keep their furry friend safe.
I swear I took these things too seriously because I didn’t want my little cat character to perish. So when I saw the cat fall, my heart fell along with a side of screams full of despair.
My overall experience. Would I recommend it? Yes, ten times yes. I would even recommend my mother to play this game as well. All can enjoy Stray, even if you are a one-sided dog lover.
From Annapruna Interactive Official GIPHY
I do not want to spoil anyone from this masterpiece, but I want to salute the developers because I felt the love for their game from my playthrough. The music is what sold me, especially in the Slums zone, where you can find little sheets of music to
hand off to the musician. I would pause my playthrough to hear around two loops of the song I just found–impressive.
If you need to unwind, this is the perfect game for you. You can play this game at your own pace. However, I recommend playing it per chapter so as not to get lost in your previous playthrough. The game is currently priced at ₱679, which is affordable
with what you are getting.
EDITOR'S NOTE
This article is part of our social experiment on nextupgrade.ph. We call it: "So I Tried It" (stylized via hashtag as #SoITriedIt).
#SoITriedIt is a special series featuring the personal experiences of the Next Upgrade Editorial Team as we embrace the smart home lifestyle ourselves. As we take that first step to do things better and smarter, we hope we will inspire all of you to jumpstart your smart home journey.