Stray

I can definitely see ways for an expansion pack or sequel to continue the story that Stray started, and its mechanics and puzzle-solving ingenuity both seem ripe for further exploration from a cat's point of view. In the meantime, this is a tremendous first effort from an entirely new game studio, and I'm confident in recommending it to anyone who's happy to trade conventional, been-there-done-that gaming adventures for something a little slower, shorter, sweeter, and more feline. [Ars Technica Approved]

It's by doing this - looking at the world through feline eyes - that Stray creates a journey filled with such a sense of exploration, on top of the chance to indulge in as much cat-truction as you like. While doing so, though, it also crafts a touching story about the human desires of those who, at a glance, lack humanity - be it to reunite with a loved one, protect a community or reach the outside world. The result is a wonderful mix: a game about the longing for freedom, clever climbing mechanics, and every cat’s eternal desire to knock items off shelves. [Eurogamer Recommended]

I went into Stray expecting a platformer about a cat. I did not expect a deeply profound meditation on what it means to be alive. Stray adroitly points out how blurry the line is between artificial and natural intelligence, and then runs with that thought experiment all the way to the horizon. Are humans defined by flesh and bones? Thoughts and feelings? The ability to use thumbs and solve problems? It’s gotta be love, right? Can a computer feel love? But wait, what is the human brain if not a series of electronic signals and computations firing away at all times?

Your interest in Stray is going to come down to two factors, one very prosaic, and one pretty abstract. First: Do you currently have PlayStation Plus Premium? This is, after all, the first game since Sony revamped its subscription Plus program to attempt to do a Microsoft Game Pass-style “available at launch” thing, and at “no extra dollars,” it’s interesting enough, and brief enough, to be a more-or-less an instant recommendation. Second: Do you love cats? Love watching them move, jump, swat things off shelves, make a mess, be weird little guys, etc.? Because Stray is the best job anyone’s ever done at capturing those pleasures in video game form.

Stray lets you linger, but it also doesn’t overstay its welcome. I played through the entire thing in two sittings because I couldn’t put it down: I just had to know what happened next. When you mix that carefully plotted narrative with gameplay that lets you meow on command, you have an experience that scratches an itch I didn’t even know I had.