Stray, the cyberpunk cat adventure, has a lovable, believable cat hero

There is a dedicated “meow” button in Stray, developer BlueTwelve Studio’s upcoming cyberpunk adventure starring a stray cat, and you can press it as many times as you want.

When playing as this unnamed orange kitty, you can be your most authentic and annoying cat self — or you can nap, pausing your adventure through a sci-fi city populated by machines, for an indeterminate amount of time. You can just lay down and do nothing.

These actions (or inactions) highlight the developer’s commitment to cat authenticity in StrayA game in which players can experience the laid-back, powerful feline lifestyle.

The PlayStation and PC game’s developer appears to be exploring every aspect of moving through a world as a cat, from platforming — there’s a high amount of verticality in Stray’s level design — to communication with other characters. There’s the aforementioned meow button, but players can also claw at doors to get the attention of residents of apartment buildings and businesses. As cats love to use their paws and mouths to grab things, the cat will also be able to pull items off of ledges using its teeth. One of the puzzles that the cat solved was when it knocked paint cans off the roof. It also broke a glass barrier and gained entry to a new location.

The unnamed cat of Stray looks up at a humanoid robot in front of a neon sign

Some of the above aren’t available. Stray’s cat behaviors are strictly gameplay-related; players can claw at rugs and couches, similar to how they would claw at doors, using alternating L2 and R2 trigger pulls on a PlayStation controller. They can also rip through stacks of paint cans and books at will, leaving colorful footprints on the floors.

You can see that there is a lot to the charm of StrayWill be doing cat stuff.

However, there’s a larger narrative. Stray, and an “ancient mystery” to uncover, according to its developer. The cat’s mission in StrayIt will use the assistance of B-12, a tiny drone to help it escape its cybercity. A flying robot buddy earned in the game is worn as a belt and interacts with technology. It acts as a torch and translator. Also, it assists in fetching and other tasks. The cat can unlock memories and learn more about its surroundings by completing these quests.

BlueTwelve Studio produced much of the plot, unlockable memories and story of StrayIn an effort to keep the story alive, our preview was kept secret. We focused more on the mechanics of the game, such as puzzle-solving or contextual jumping. Concerning the former, Stray is not a challenging platformer, but will instead let players safely jump from platform to beam to air conditioning window unit to makeshift gondolas without fear of falling to one’s death. The teaser also showed a thrilling chase scene in which a Half-Life Headcrab larvae followed the cat down sewers.

The unnamed cat of Stray, wearing a harness, licks itself while sitting on a pool table. A humanoid robot wearing a puffer jacket looks on, annoyed.

BlueTwelve Studio will go to great lengths to make this opportunity seem real Please beA cat playing in a videogame makes it feel special and remarkable. Stray’s starring feline struts like a cat, startles like a cat, cleans itself like a cat, and even gets the zoomies like a cat. It is a compelling way to start a game. Rest is just gravy. Or, if you’re a cat, wet food.

StrayPublished by Annapurna Interactive on July 19, the new game will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.

You can also check the gallery with images. Stray below. There’s some really great-looking stuff in there.