Stray: Beginner's Guide

thegamer.com:

Being a cat is pretty darn awesome. Not only do you have nine lives, but you also get the power of unlimited meows and a free pass to accidentally knock things off shelves. Stray is the latest cat-based game, and we are fairly certain it manages to deliver the most accurate depiction of a cat in recent years.

Related: Stray's Trophies Want You To Laze About Like A Cat

Stray, when taken as a whole, is not that complicated mechanically, but that doesn’t mean it is simplistic, or lacking in nuance. In fact, Stray is excellent at delivering a meaningful experience, whilst also maintaining a fair challenge in all of its Chapters. We are here to ease that entry even further.

One aspect of Stray that may come as a surprise is that just about everything is context-sensitive. Whether that be scratching a post, knocking down paint pots, or even just jumping. This limits your freedom somewhat as you can’t just jump whenever and wherever, but don’t let this initial shocker deter you from digging deeper.

Despite all of these scripted jumps and whatnot, Stray has a lot of freedom hidden in its world. Just because you can’t jump on the spot doesn’t mean you can’t climb just about any building if you can find the right path. Think of platforming less as a restricted system, and more of an Assassin’s Creed-esque free-running system.

Stray has a lot of Chapters, and within those Chapters, the game tends to focus on a specific type of gameplay. For example, in The Slums, the game takes on more of a classic adventure style of play. In other areas, however, you will be expected to do some running since, well, you’re a tiny cat.

There is very little combat in Stray, and most encounters with enemies will require some degree of evasion. In the