Stray

[AluminumHaste]

Beautiful game, but didn't realize it's a linear Press X adventure, refunded it after 30 minutes.

 

[chakkman]

1 hour ago, AluminumHaste said:

didn't realize it's a linear Press X adventure

My impression of 99,9% of games these days. Hollywood movies where you press x.

So effin' boring.

Edited July 19, 2022 by chakkman

[Xolvix]

From what I've read the game is pretty short anyway, maybe 4-6 hours for an average playthrough and up to 10 hours for 100% completion, whatever that means for this game. Of course games don't need to be long to be worth it, but for a mid-priced title with probably little replayability, I dunno. Apparently it does open up a bit more in later chapters but then goes back to a fairly straightforward path.

The Steam reviews are worthless though. "Overwhelmingly Positive" but the vast majority of them are currently lame attempts at cat jokes rather than anything of value.

[lowenz]

but the vast majority of them are currently lame attempts at cat jokes rather than anything of value.

Just let me try! Classic cyberpunk atmosfere is PURfect

Edited July 20, 2022 by lowenz

[Shadow]

And so far it seems to be doing pretty decent. 84% rating on Metacritic so far. And it's about controlling a cat. It's gonna have instant fans just for that. I mean Thief II The Metal Age rates at 87%. I think I'll have to check it out, at least for the exploration of a new video game world.

[lowenz]

The problem of this "Cat World Mirror's Edge" as any other parkour game.....is that the world is amazing but amazingly empty too.

Still, perfect UE4 crafting.

Edited July 20, 2022 by lowenz

[AluminumHaste]

It's not Mirror's Edge though, you can't climb on anything, you can jump or crouch when you want, only in scripted sequences.

Even the first ad video on the steam store page shows the cat running from the little robots that chase you, and the cat jumps over the water to land on the other edge. You'd think in the game you'd have to time your jump to make it across but no, just wait til the Press X prompt appears and press X. Bleh, no thanks.

It reminded me so much of the limited climbing/mantling in Thief 4, where you could rope arrow or claw climb, but only where the map designer decides.

[AluminumHaste]

Also, the distances that prompts would show up weren't consistent either. In one area I had to jump onto a chair, then an airconditioner thing, then onto a roof.

In another area, the same height roof I was able to jump from the table directly to the roof.

In one area I can climb onto the hand railing and walk along it, but in several other areas I didn't get the prompt so couldn't.

[lowenz]

You can avoid "prompt" and just use the cat look hint  It's more immersive

Still beautiful craft (QHD+High Settings......with a simple RX 570)

https://postimg.cc/Lh3q52j7

 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by lowenz

[lowenz]

12 hours ago, AluminumHaste said:

It's not Mirror's Edge though, you can't climb on anything, you can jump or crouch when you want, only in scripted sequences.

Well, it's the same in Catalyst (not scripted but locked).

And the vibe is really the same Just like more cartonish and cute

 

 

[AluminumHaste]

Oh it's certainly beautiful, that's for sure.

[chakkman]

Beautiful, but a primitive gameplay. Again, today's games in a nutshell.

[Shadow]

On 7/21/2022 at 3:45 PM, chakkman said:

Beautiful, but a primitive gameplay. Again, today's games in a nutshell.

Meow. You are a cat. You're not going to be swinging swords and quoting Shakespeare and developing complex strategies to outwit enemies. In fact the only reason you have a task list and can decode e-doors and talk is due to your AI companion. Cats tend a lot more than humans to think in a linear fashion, so I think for the limited intellect of your MC, this game is pretty good. Think like a cat, albeit in a dystopian techo-punk-ish environment.

[AluminumHaste]

That....wasn't the complaint at all.......

Have you ever had a cat? Or watched them traverse the world? Especially younger cats full of energy.
I grew up with cats, watching them climb on everything, go everywhere, in trees alone walls, fences etc.
Nimble and quick, able to jump super high.
But in this game, all that stuff is abstracted away from the players control behind one button press. It's shallow, and boring and just makes me sad about what could have been.

[Shadow]

Indeed. Lifelong cat companion here. I think that's part of the appeal to this game for me. You're right, the young ones in kitten stage are crazy wild, but they do slow down and get methodical and routine, and even conniving and manipulative, aka territorial, and feral cats tend to be laser focused on survival techniques, and I think this game seems modeled on a feral cat, although it doesn't explicitly go into that cat's life or human interactions before his journey, though it does show him roaming above ground in a cluster of other cats. If I have any issue with the game, it's just that it's gritty, not terribly pretty, and somewhat uncolorful. I mean there is essentially no backdrop except for stars. It feels a little like No Man's Sky alien interactions without the lush gorgeous environment.

 

[AluminumHaste]

Except there's nothing routine about where the cat/player ends up in the under city. Cats never been there before, lots to explore.

It's okay, the game is super cute, and graphics are wonderful. I gave it a second chance and re-purchased it and played for about an hour in the under city (whatever it's called). Talked to a few robots, did some puzzles (very basic).

There were parts of the map that I should have been able to go, to reach areas that required 5 or 6 extra X presses to get to.

Reminded me too much of the limitations baked into Thief 4, and I died on the inside.