STRAY from Annapurna Interactive and BlueTwelve Studio brings us a charming 3D platforming adventure in which you’re placed in the role of a cat in a futuristic cybercity. Check out our STRAY review!
STRAY from Annapurna Interactive and BlueTwelve Studio brings us a charming 3D platforming adventure in which you’re placed in the role of a cat in a futuristic cybercity. After being separated from your family due to missing a crucial jump, you will need to find a way to safely explore the neon-lit cities as you run and jump through dense locations in which robotic entities have taken over. You’ll also need to explore the areas below the city where other creatures lurk within the murkiness.
You’ll get to experience it all through the eyes of a feline who just wants to find a path to its home. The good news? During your journey, you will get to befriend a little flying drone known as B-12. It’s thanks to B-12 that you’ll be able to progress further and further, as you aid each other in this unlikely mission.
What are we getting with this Nintendo Switch 2 version of STRAY compared to the Nintendo Switch version? We’re getting a good bump in overall max resolution when playing in Portable or Tabletop Mode at 1080p, and in Docked Mode at home at a max of 4K. There’s also better lighting implemented throughout this journey. This is why the Nintendo Switch version is 5.7 GB, and the Nintendo Switch 2 version is 8 GB. On top of that, you can also use mouse controls to move the camera. The framerate does remain at 30 fps, but, unlike the Nintendo Switch version, it’s a very stable 30 frames per second. There’s also the fact that your cast does not cast a shadow, which is odd since the original Nintendo Switch version did have one.
Once the intro cutscene is over, you’ll be taking control of your character with the left analog stick as you use the right analog stick to move the camera around you as needed. Meow by pressing the A button. Run by pressing and holding down the ZR button. Jump by pressing the B button once you see the prompt appear. Press and hold down the B button to chain several jumps in a row.
Interact by pressing the X button. You can use this to, say, drink some water or to scratch away at a surface to sharpen your claws and let go for a moment. Or maybe you could grab a small bucket by biting into it, then drop it near a fan to jam it. That way you’ll be able to get through without becoming minced meat! You can hold down the ZL button to better observe your surroundings.
Once you find B-12, he’ll be able to help you collect some items that would otherwise be out of your reach, digitizing them and adding them to your inventory in the process. You can check your inventory by pressing up on the D-Pad. You will need to wear a special contraption that can contain B-12 and charge up its small battery as you explore each area. And it’s thanks to B-12 that you’ll be able to use the items you collect to open up new paths for you two. B-12 will also have a light to help you see better, which you can use by pressing left on the D-pad. You can also press down on the D-Pad to ask for B-12’s help about what you should do next
STRAY brings us a charming 3D platforming adventure in which you’re placed in the role of a cat in a futuristic cybercity. After being separated from your family due to missing a crucial jump, you will need to find a way to safely explore the neon-lit cities as you run and jump through dense locations in which robotic entities have taken over. You’ll also need to explore the areas below the city where other creatures lurk within the murkiness.
Along with finding a way to return home with your family thanks to the aid of B-12, you’ll also be working on helping B-12 remember what happened before you managed to find it. And if you want to 100% the game, you’ll have to locate all of the scattered memories from the past that you’ll run into in each area. Are you up for the challenge?
STRAY is out on Nintendo Switch 2 with a $29.99 price tag. If you buy the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, you’ll be able to download the Nintendo Switch version at no extra cost, and the other way around. Do know that the saves from one version are not going to be compatible with the other one.
Disclaimer
This STRAY review is based on a Nintendo Switch 2 copy provided by Annapurna Interactive.
