There are a lot of nice things to say about mega-blockbuster games that hundreds of people have spent years creating. But it’s not always the size that matters. Many of the very best games of recent times are small, pointed experiences made by independent companies with a handful of employees. THE TALK OF THE SUMMER: “Stray” quickly jumped to the top of the game store Steam’s popularity charts when it was released in mid-July. It is obvious that a sharp and limited focus is a fortunate side effect of limited resources. We get games that know exactly what they want to be and who they are made for – games like “Hades”, “Outer Wilds”, “SIFU”, “Disco Elysium”, “Inscryption” and “Tunic”. And we get games like “Stray” – this summer’s big, little blockbuster where you guide a cute kitty through a darkened, post-apocalyptic bunker populated by robots. Melancholy Veil The robots once belonged to the humans who lived here. There is a veil of nostalgia and melancholy over everyone you meet, mixed with a repressed longing for life before the apocalypse. Sunlight and green nature, at least. A beautiful, unattainable dream for most. But a small group of androids have not given up on their dream. They recruit the weasel cat to help them, and the adventure begins. A small cat can get to places the robots can’t reach. It is quick enough to escape the swarms of small monsters waiting outside the locked doors into the city. And it is smart enough to solve intricate tasks. USEFUL ROBOTS: Solving tasks in “Stray” is largely about talking to and getting help from different robots. For example, this robot is a skilled tailor, it is possible that it will come in handy. Photo: BLUETWELVE STUDIO/ANNAPURNA INTERACTIVE Here, in other words, you get missions that you have to solve in order to achieve progression, which leads you gradually higher in the huge bunker. There is no fighting and little action, the game leans more towards stealth, environmental navigation, conversations with robots and task solving. Hits perfectly You have to figure out most things on your own, for example there are no icons on any map to tell you where the next mission is. The combination of freedom to explore as you please and intuitive progression creates a lovely urge to see where it ends. And this is where “Stray” really shines. There is a very good story at the bottom here, a story that you largely uncover on your own. The conclusion is spot on. OMNI-EATING MONSTERS: Outside the locked doors, you are chased by small creatures, which humans once created to deal with waste. Now they have mutated and become omnivorous monsters. ADVICE FROM ONE IN THE BACKPACK: You become allies with the AI creature B-12 in “Stray”. You carry it with you in a small rucksack, and get advice and information from it along the way on your journey. FULL OF ATMOSPHERE: “Stray” is an incredibly beautiful game visually. You experience scenes like this throughout the game. Games such as “Stray”, “Solar Ash” and “Sable” reflect a contemporary age that is anxious about the future of the planet. There is a serious forefinger behind the cute cat packaging, which gives “Stray” depth and substance. Kvesser klør Throughout the whole experience, you are therefore a cat’s kitty. You can scratch your claws on sofas and carpets, you can find places to lie down to sleep, you have a separate button to meow, you can push objects down from shelves and tables and you can caress yourself lovingly against the robots’ legs. REALISTIC CAT LIFE: The control system in “Stray” even includes its own meow button. It’s cute so it lasts and it works really well, although I would have liked more opportunities to just be a kitty cat. Playing with balls of yarn, hunting mice and the like. In any case, “Stray” is an incredibly delicious respite in the world of games – a small, lovely game that both charms and engages. news reviewer Photo: BLUETWELVE STUDIO/ANNAPURNA INTERACTIVE Game: “Stray” Genre: Adventure Age: 12+ Platform: PS5 (tested), PS4, PC Developer: BlueTwelve Studio Publisher: Annapurna Interactive Release date: 19 July 2022 Hello! I’m a freelancer and writes about games for news. On a daily basis, I work at Level Up Norway. If you want to read more about games, I can recommend my reviews of the excellent games “God of War”, “Elden Ring” and “Gran Turismo 7”.
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