The Interminable Gap

Sadly, I haven't been playing anything new--I'm waiting for the first paycheck of the new school year to materialize before I think about any new purchases.  It always feels like that first paycheck is soooo far off!  While I wait, I've been re-playing Two Point Campus for fun.  They've added a bunch of new items, so even though I've played through it a few times before there's still some new stuff to ogle.  A few pieces of news caught my eye this week, so that's what I'll write about.

Stray is such a great game.  I hope we get another.

1.) The entire staff of Annapurna Interactive (publishers of hit games like Stray and Outer Wilds) resigned this week (source).  It seems like no one really knows why although there seems to be some sort of dispute regarding the film division of the company and the gaming portion.  This is a shame because they've rolled out some great indies.  Apparently, some games that are already in production (like Control 2) won't be impacted.  I'm hoping that these folks make their own studio and continue to roll out more great titles.

2.) The PS5 Pro (the high tech version of the lame-o regular PS5) debuted this week with a $799 price tag and promises of 4k, 60FPS gameplay.  It seemed like people were pretty shocked at the high price.  For console gamers, sure, it's spendy.  As a PC gamer...that price doesn't seem so bad.  I guess if you have the money to spend and you want to stick with consoles...dish out that $799.  I'm not sure the uber-graphics horse race matters much to the vast majority of gamers though--according to this article, the best selling console is the Nintendo Switch (which has graphics equivalent to a PS3).  Many gamers are also perfectly content playing older games (like GTA V).

I'm going to keep it short this week because like System of a Down, I've been down with the sickness--I've managed to absorb enough new school year germs to achieve a nasty cold.  Anyone who works in education knows that it's inevitable that you'll get sick, but it came extra early for me this year.  I'm looking forward to a weekend of relaxation to hopefully get feeling better for work next week.

Cat-venturing in Stray

Lately I've been feeling a bit of stagnation when it comes to many different forms of entertainment.  Some kids in my classes at school were asking me about the last movie I saw in a theater...and I couldn't remember!  This is not because I'm slowly becoming senile (I mean...I hope not), but because it has genuinely been that long.  I cannot think of a single movie that has come out semi-recently that I've absolutely wanted to see in a theater.  Everything that comes out these days seems to be the umpteenth Marvel/DC/other random superhero themed thing or some kind of remake (or the worst...a "live action" remake).  It genuinely feels like Hollywood is lacking in the creativity department (at least when it comes to theatrical releases that will make it to my small town theater).

Gaming, on the other hand, still manages to create entertainment that feels fresh or novel and has something unique to offer.  I'm feeling some positive vibes thanks to finishing up my first playthrough of the very cute and enjoyable Stray.

What is it?

An action/cat-forming (cat platforming--that's a word I made up) game where you play as an actual cat!  And it's not like a cheesy or jokey type of gameplay (think Goat Simulator)--it's extremely well animated and the cat protagonist plays exactly the way I would imagine it would be having the agility of a feline.  Basically you are a cat who winds up accidentally getting separated from its cat-family.  Unfortunately, getting back to them is no easy prospect as you quickly learn that you're actually trapped in a sealed, dead city.  It's your job, as a feisty feline, to figure out how to escape and get back to your family of strays.

Pros:

+ Playing as a cat feels extremely satisfying.  The behavior, animations, and agility of your protagonist feline are so good.  Lots of the gameplay involves navigating both horizontally and vertically by jumping from object to object.  It never really feels awkward and is very enjoyable.  As a cat you can navigate narrow spaces, hide in boxes, and do plenty of cute cat things.  You can meow, nuzzle up against certain friendly robots, jump on surfaces that robots are using (one of my favorite and most realistic achievements occurred when I had the cat jump right into the middle of a mahjong game and knock the tiles onto the floor), sharpen your claws on furniture/objects, and find special locations to nap.

The perfect place for a cat nap.

+ Gameplay that is satisfactory--it's not too tough and not too easy.  Even if you are someone who feels like they might not have the best skills, I think you could still play and enjoy Stray.  There are some sequences that might be slightly challenging, but with perseverance are doable.

+ The story is surprisingly good.  I wasn't really sure what to expect because all I had heard about was that you play as a cat, but there is a story that involves robots, human-caused follies, and the apocalypse.  It's not super dark and has very hopeful vibes.  If you're worried about seeing the cat get hurt or killed--it's pretty mild (the cat does limp at a couple of points).

+ The environments in the game are cool and I particularly enjoyed the robot society and learning about how it functions.

+ Collectibles offer up a degree of replayability.  There are several categories of items to find that are tied to achievements.

+ It's pretty family friendly--I don't think there's any swearing.  The story does have some slightly dark elements, but it's nothing too crazy.  If you want a game that your kids could watch you play, this would be a good one.

+ Music fits the story and gameplay very well.

Cons:

- Gamepad recommended.  I used my handy-dandy cheapo Amazon Basics XBOX 360 controller and it worked like a charm.  I didn't try it with mouse and keyboard but would imagine that it's possible (since the gameplay isn't like a super-serious platformer).

- It's short.  My full playthrough clocked in at a little over 7 hours.  Granted, they were highly enjoyable, very cute hours.  I did spend some time trying to find collectibles, but not a ton, so you could probably get a bit closer to 10 if you really look for stuff.

Recommendation:

If you've ever wanted to play a game where you are a cat, Stray is that game.  The cat protagonist is so cute and plays so smoothly...you'll want to be a cat in every game!  If you are a cat lover, you'll appreciate the attention to detail when it comes to cat behavior.  Even though it's on the short side, the story and gameplay are fun and memorable.  I would recommend Stray but due to the short length, I would say to wait for a sale (I think $29.99 is a bit steep for ~7 hours of gameplay).