Editor's note: our hands-on time with Stray has been limited to the PlayStation 5 version of the game so far. We have not had access to test the Xbox version ahead of release, so these impressions are purely based on the PS5 experience at the time of publishing.
After a long, catnip-barren year, indie darling Stray is finally out on Xbox platforms today after launching in 2022 as a PlayStation console exclusive. We played through the game last year on PS5, so here's what we think of this kitty-filled adventure as it sneaks its way onto Xbox. Spoiler alert: fantastic feline adventures await.
Ever since Stray slinked its way into the eyes of the general public, players have been enamoured about the thought of exploring a largely abandoned cyber city as a cute little cat. On paper the idea makes so much sense; cats are mischievous little fellows who'd probably love a good post-apocalyptic explore, and the internet loves them to boot. Thankfully, Stray not only works on paper but also in practice as BlueTwelve Studio delivers one of our favourite indies so far this generation.
The basic setup is this: you're out with your feline friends doing your thang when you accidentally fall down a massive gap and end up in a sprawling underground city. The atmosphere of the city is notable right off the bat; something just feels odd about the place and it makes for some eerie exploration as you fumble around, looking for what's next. You also quickly realise that there aren't any humans down here - the place is home to a bunch of robots who contain 'memories' of life before, when humans inhabited the city.
Much of Stray is about wandering around and figuring out how to progress, with the robots playing a very important role in that cycle - they know lots about the city and where to find things. Interacting with them becomes key, and you'll likely form close bonds from time to time with what feels like the only sentient things left in the world (aside from your cat pals back home of course).
The longer the game goes on the more it relies on these robot interactions, and we must be honest, this is probably Stray's weakest link. During the early parts of the adventure you're doing lots more creeping around and just taking in the atmosphere, and those early sections play to Stray's biggest strength; environmental storytelling. We understand that the game goes for a more involved crescendo towards the end, but our favourite parts of Stray were right at the beginning where we just soaked up the city and everything its spooky streets had to offer. And offer lots they do.
You might be thinking, how does Stray actually play? Well, sort of like a 3D platformer we suppose. Yes, it seems odd to play a video game as a realistically rendered cat to begin with, but the star of Stray doesn't really control much different to your average 3D platforming hero. At times the kitty fairs even better to be honest; cats are great at slinking around, leaping up to ledges and just finding the sneakiest way to get where they want to go. Oh, and you can scratch at furniture, so it's realistic too!
There's quite a heavy 'walking simulator' vibe with Stray though - you're not going to be doing quite as much jumping, platforming and collectathon-ing as your average 3D platformer. Again, this plays to the game's strengths though, as the walled city is probably the biggest 'character' in the entire game and the less distraction from that, the better.
Once you continue to figure out where to go next and progress through large parts of the city, the game's conclusion arrives quite suddenly, but it does pose some interesting questions. A lot of the storyline and general themes within Stray are largely up to the player's interpretation, so we won't spoil much aside from saying we felt pretty satisfied with it by the end. The emptiness of Stray's world sticks with you, and the whole experience leaves quite a profound impact by the end of the adventure.
We can confidently say that Stray is absolutely worth playing, even if it's perhaps become a bit of a victim of its own hype over the last year. You'll struggle to find such a well-realised setting in an indie title like this, and that's definitely the game's strongest asset. The stray kitty itself definitely plays its part in the adventure though, and if you're especially fond of our feline friends, we'd imagine you'll have a great time with this gorgeous indie adventure on Xbox.