Though much of PlayStation's success has come from its stable of first-party games, it has also benefitted from third-party titles that receive Sony's support. In an interview with Boardroom, Shawne Benson, who is the glo?bal head ??of third-party portfolio and acquisitions, shed some light on how some of these deals come about.

A typical workday will include meeti??ngs with prospective partners. During these meetings, it's not just the quality of the gam??es that's considered. The team also has to ask whether the titles resonate with the PlayStation brand and appeal to its audience.

By the end of it, if a partnership is established, "it doesn’t always end with a traditional deal." ?Some partners are disappointed by this because they think it means that the game isn't good. However, that's not the case at all.

One of the notable success stories when it comes to PlayStation supporting third-party teams is Stray. Released in 2022, the cyberpunk game has you playing as a cat trying to find its way home. According to Benson, PlayStation's "team worked really closely with Annapurna Interactive and the development team behind it, Blue?Twelve Studio" and guided them on how to make the most of the DualSense controller.

This guidance is important, as haptics give a layer of immersion when it comes to playing as a cat and feeling sensations such as a purr. Though PlayStation's team, which consists of 11 people, provides their input, they are sure to not tell partners how to make their games. They "just give them tips and tri??cks on how to be best on PlayStation."

While on the PS Plus catalog, Stray has "brought in the highest number of players that have accessed that title over the first 12 months" according to Nick Maguire, who is PlayStation's vice president and global head of subscriptions. Several other titles have received support from Sony with successful results, including games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

The post Sony explains how Stray and o??ther third-party games found support appeared first on Destructoid.

BlueTwelve Studio's cat-centric action-adventure game Stray is about to venture into new territory. Publisher Annapurna Interactive's own Annapurna Animation is working on an animated adaptation of the material. The feature is in development, and it won't be the last from the studio's library to rec?eive such treatment.

Annapurna shared an update on its creative leadership, including the addition of Nimona co-director Nick Bruno and producer Julie Zackary. The only other project listed for development is Foo from Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge (Bunny, Ice Age). 

There isn't much in the way of further info on the adaptation of Stray. Beyond mentioning it as part of the slate, the press release says there are plans to "adapt more titles from th??eir extensive Annapurna Interactive library."

[caption id="attachment_401984" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Annapurna Interactive[/caption]

The cat's pajamas

Considering Stray's relatively brief length, it seems like a solid fit for a film adaptation. BlueTwelve's futuristic feline fantasy launched on PlayStation consoles and PC in July 2022 before heading to Xbox platforms in August 2023. It garnered a lot of positive attention along the way. The story follows a stray cat as it prowls the streets of a walled city and attempts to unravel its mystery with the help of trusty drone B-12. How well the film will capture exploring a decaying cybercity through the eyes of a cat remains to be seen. 

Annapurna announced the launch of its animation division in December 2022, with former Disney Animation execs Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein on board. While we wait for more on Stray, you can catch the studio's adaptation of ND Stevenson's Nimona on Netflix. 

The post St??ray has animated adaptation in the works at Annap?urna Animation appeared first on Destructoid.

[Insert cat pun here]

Let your mind wander back to summer 2022. This period saw the release of a new Xenoblade Chronicles after five years of waiting. The anticipated reboot of Saints Row was a huge let-down for many. But among all these was BlueTwelve Studio's Stray?, a dystopian-looking adventure game that lets you control a cat los??t in the city.

It was very well-received (in fact, we nominated it for Best PlayStation Game of 2022, putting it up against such titans as Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok), so you Xbox owners might be interested to know that Stray is coming to Series X/S on August 10. This information was revealed at the recent showcase for Annapurna Interactive, the publisher behind the gam??e.

//twitter.com/Xbox/status/1674559605471412225

While we were pretty certain that Stray would be coming to Xbox, it's nice that it's finally been confirmed. What's interesting abou?t this announcement is that it's also coming to Xbox One, so i??f you're still on previous-gen consoles, you're in luck.

Curiosity...did something to the cat

In an era of remasters, remakes, reboots, sequels, and prequels, the likes of Stray provide so?mething a little different. I mean, who among us wouldn't want the chance to take control of a cat on an exciting (if somewhat gritty) adventure?

When it launched last year, it was available on PC and PlayStation, so a lot of you Xbo??x users out there were probably hoping you'd get to play it at some point. The fact that the game hasn't been in the public eye much this year (if at all) means that this Xbox announcement could renew intere?st across the board.

So, just to reiterate: Stray will be available on the Xbox S??eries X/S and Xbox One this?? August 10.

The post Cat game Stray is coming to Xbox on August 10 appeared first on Destructoid.

Kit-E-Kat... That's Livin'*

Annapurna's sci-fi kitty adventure Stray is seemingly headed to the Xbox platform, at least according to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which has uploaded a listing f?or a new port the award-winning dystopian tale, currently available on PlayStation and PC platforms?.

First spotted by Twitter user MACOS380, (and reported thereafter by VGC), the ESRB rating all but confirms that the interesting and unique release will be headed to Xbox One and Xbox Series X at some point in the near future, bringing the futuristic feline's adventures to a wider audience. Annapurna Interactive is yet to announce an Xbox port of Stray, but ?the revelation of the rating may mean that one is imminent.

//twitter.com/MACOS380/status/16583873465201459??24?s=20

Released in the summer of 2022, Stray, sees the player guide an inquisitive kitty through a miserable walled city, devastated by an A.I. run amok and abandoned by all human citizens. Utilizing deft movement, adaptation, and ingenuity, the moggy embarks upon a quest to reach the surface of the city, aided by a robot drone, B-12, and threatened by the city's security droids and a mysterious, sentient bacteria known as "Zurk". Stray was praised on release for its worl??d-building, animation, and uniqueness, as well as its ability to tell a deep and complex tale through minimal dialogue.

Stray is available right meow on PlayStati?on and PC platforms.

An Xbox versi??on of Stray has been rated by ?the ESRB [VGC]

_{*If you get this reference then you're old and British and my condolences.}

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This is the stuff I live for

The horizons of my video game tastes have broadened pretty significantly over the past few years, but my undying love for narrative games first and foremost has never wavered. While 2022 has been a great year for games in general, from heavy hitters like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok to indie darlings like Cult of the Lamb and Vampire Survivors, I think this past year has been one of the best we've seen for narrative games in a good while due to the breadth of stories that were told both ?thematically and mechanically.

Whether those stories were rooted in lighthearted, optimistic sentimentality or a grounded, gritty introspection, I was reminded time and time again why I'm so?? excited for games to continue paving the way forward as our youngest and most dynamic storytelling medium. Here are some highlights of what I consider to be some of the most compelling narrative games to have come out in 2022 �if you're interested in interactive storytelling and haven't played through these yet, I suggest adding them to your backlog ASAP. Keep in mind that I'm only touching on my absolute favorite narrative games of 2022 with this short list, so if I missed a truly groundbreaking game narrative this year, make sure to let me know down in the comments!

Stray

I was so pleasantly surprised by Stray. It's a game I excitedly jumped into as a cat lover, but I'll admit that ??I didn't expect much more from it than some cute yet vapid interactions and some run-of-the-mill gameplay. While I actually found myself enjoying the platforming mechanics that helped me see the world from a cat's perspective (especially in the game's most open hub section, The Slums), it was its story that I found to be unexpectedly poignant and uplifting.

I certainly didn't expect to come to care for a tiny AI robot whose introduction at the time seemed to only be for tutorial purposes, or that a game with a cat as a protagonist would provide one of the most delicate and thought-provoking stories about the end of the world that I've seen as a fan of apocalypse fiction.

For me, what really worked for Stray was more in its minute, su?btle interactions with NPCs and the environment than in its overarching narrative itself, but the game managed to keep its hold on me the entire way through to my tearful conclusion of its story. This is a game I've thought about a lot over the months since I played it, and I look forward to returning to it sometime in the future.

NORCO

I've followed NORCO since it was previewed at Tribeca's Games Festival back in 2021, and while it was absolutely snubbed at this year's Game Awards, I'm still so pleased that it's gotten the love that it has. Being from the South myself, I'm partial to southern gothic storytelling, and NORCO did the subgenre proud as the best to delve into the American South since Kentucky Route Zero.

Also similar to Cardboard Computer's modern classic, NORCO leaned hard into surrealism and used it to deliver some truly unforgettable commentary about capitalism and our connection to the land on which we live. NORCO's writing is poetic and sometimes downrig??ht hilarious, and it has some of the most beautiful pixel art I've ever seen in my life. Some of the gameplay elements weren't exactly my favorite, but it's overall a good time if you like point-and-clicks, and its storytelling should certainly not be overlooked.

Signalis

Signalis is a game I wasn't sure I was going to be able to play at all on account of my aversion to horror, but I'm thrilled that I was able to push through. Signalis' story is told in a less traditional manner, and in more of a way that I can only describe as "vibes" outside of its journal entries scattered around the map, and I think it was brilliantly done. I love a story that poses a lot of questions, and while Signalis provided many m??ore questions than answers, it succeeded tremendously at exploring the lengths we're willing to go for the people that?? we love, especially when we have nothing to lose.

As you make your way through a ruined space station, the story of Signalis almost feels like it's already happened, with the player left to wander around in the aftermath wondering how it all could have gone down diff??erently. It leaves you with this sense of futility, and yet somehow still hope. It's a story you feel more than think your way through, and in that sense, it has more heart than any game I've played in a long time.

Pentiment

I feel like there are two types of gamers in the world: those who like Pentiment, and those who don't. Point-and-click is already a polarizing genre, but I feel like when people saw the game's authenti??c medieval art style, they decided right then and there that the game was or wasn't for them. To those who were quick to write it off, I'm begging you to reconsider, because this is one of the most compelling murder mysteries I've ever played in a game, which is also helped by the streamlining of some of the more cumbersome point-and-click conventions.

Pentiment is a game that surprised me again and again in the absolute best ways, but what really stands out the most is how it refuses to give the player definitive answers, wh??ich not only re-contextualizes the whodunit genre, but also how a lot of us think about video game storytelling in general. This is a game that has incredible replay value, so I'll likely be starting another playthrough before the year's out just to see how much everything changes on a different path.

Immortality

To me, Immortality is not only the best narrative game of the year, but also a milestone of the medium's continued innovations in storytelling, following in rank with Disco Elysium and The Last of Us as one of my favorite interactive narrative experiences of all time. It explores its themes so intimately and in such compelling ways, and I can't get over how well the three "movies" of Marissa Marcel play off of each other. This game has some of the most incredible acting performances of recent years as well, and the gut-wrenching twist is one of the gaming?? moments that will truly stick with me for the rest of my life.

When people talk about video games as art, especially a storytelling art, Immortality needs to be at the top of that list. It's a narrative that could truly only be told through an interactive experience. I feel like I could write volumes on the depth and complexity of this game, and I likely will in the future after subsequent playthroughs. For now, though, I'm still kind of basking in it �and of course, going ba?ck, again and again, to try to find every last clip that I'm missing.

The post 2022 was an amazing year for narrative games appeared first on Destructoid.

Can you even buy a PS5 yet?

2022 has been a pretty action-packed year for Sony's premier gaming brand. And while arguably the first year that saw its two-year-old platform, PlayStation 5, accelerate its sales past the 25 million mark, the past 12 months have still seen a wide variety of new releases squeezed ??onto its best-selling predecessor, PS4, hardware that simply refuses to go gently into that good night.

Even visual stunners such as Guerrilla Games' Horizon Forbidden West and Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok were causing the PS4's modest CPU to sweat away, ensuring that the full transition to the ninth generation remains mired in a strange limbo. It's a good situation for the players, as the PS4 has an incredible install base of over 100 million us??ers. But, as someone who previously worked retail for many generations, I can'?t remember a gaming generation that took this long to become mainline.

Still, there were some PS5-only releases, many of which boasted incredible visuals, dazzling effects, and very welcome high-speed load times. All in, it's a pretty good time to be a PlayStation owner. Many new titles are still compatible with PS4, while its bigger brother spearheads the charge into the next half-decade of gaming... Even if the physical console itself is still far, far too large for anybody's TV stand.

Here are the nominees for Destructoid's Best PlayStation Game of 2022:

• Cult of The Lamb
• Elden Ring
• God of War: Ragnarok
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Sifu
• Stranger in Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
• Stray

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best PlayStation Game of 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Five gongs for The Lands Between

Last night saw the arguable start of awards season, with the return of the annual Golden Joys?tick Awar?ds, an institution that has now run for some four decades. Presented by GamesRadar, the 2022 edition of the veteran UK ceremony saw almost three million votes cast by the gaming public, hoping to shine a spotlight on the many titles that have entertained them over the past 12 months.

And, in what may prove to be something of a portent for things to come, Bandai Namco's challenging fantasy adventure Elden Ring was the big winner on the night, walking away with five awards in total including Ultimate Game of the Year and the Critic's Choice award, (as well as, curiously, Best Multiplayer). Devolver Digital's Cult of the Lamb took home the Best Indie Game gong, while actor Mahon Mage won Best Performer for her memorable turn in FMV mystery Immortality.

Steam hit Vampire Survivors won Best Breakthrough, while Goat Simulator 3 bagged Best Game Trailer for its amusing Dead Island 2 pastiche. Finally, as voted for by the public, the Most Wanted Game for 2023 was won by Nintendo's highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcYAU1c0lMk

Here are the winners for the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards:

Best Storytelling: Horizon Forbidden West

Still Playing Award: Genshin Impact

Best Visual Design: Elden Ring

Studio of the Year: FromSoftware Inc.

Best Game Expansion: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

Best Early Access Launch: Slime Rancher 2

Best Indie Game: Cult of the Lamb

Best Multiplayer Game: Elden Ring

Best Audio: Metal: Hellsinger

Best Game Trailer: Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer

Best Game Community: Final Fantasy XIV

Best Gaming Hardware: Steam Deck

Breakthrough Award: Vampire Survivors (critically chosen)

Critics�Choice Award: Elden Ring (critically chosen)

Best Performer: Manon Gage - IMMORTALITY (critically chosen)

Nintendo Game of the Year: Pokemon Legends: Arceus

PC Game of the Year: Return to Monkey Island

PlayStation Game of the Year: Stray

Xbox Game of the Year: Grounded

Most Wanted Game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Ultimate Game of the Year: Elden Ring

The post Elden Ring? wins big at the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

You ever think about how short cats are?

Nothing makes a game feel fresh like looking at it from a different perspective. I'm not just being philosophical here �someone modded Stray so you can play the game in first-person. Personally, that might make me a bit motion sick with all the jumping and such, but if you're looking to replay and switch up your Stray experience, this mod might be the perfect fit.

Aptly named Stray - First Person Mod, it allows you to see the game as if you were the cat himself (or herself? I don't think I ever figured out what gender the cat is supposed to be in the game). The mod was created by a user named Jessica Natalia, and you can download it over on NexusMods (via The Gamer).

I could definitely see how the first-person perspective would make the experience more immersive, but it's better saved for at least a second playthrough considering many of the puzzles are better suited to a third-person view. Just based on the demo video of the Stray mod, though, it is pretty cool to see the world through a cat's eyes in a game that was designed for you ??to see the world f??rom a cat's perspective.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU2r1xwBZD0

As can be common with mods, there are a few bugs to be aware of with this one?.

Nothing game-breaking, but the cat ca??n become visible if you move quickly, or when walking too close to a wall which makes the camera pop out of place �this happens because the modder moved the placement of where the camera is situated to be where the cat's head is, rathe??r than removing the cat's character model altogether.

Of all the games I've seen get first-person mods, I think it probably makes the most sense in Stray?? considering perspective is part of the game's narrative themes.

Now I'm just waiting for the Stray VR mod.

The post See the world through fe??line eyes with this first-person Stray mod appeared first on Destructoid.

The beloved game inspires a slew of charity fundraisers

As if Stray couldn't get any better, the game that has cat-lovers and gamers alike fawning over its adorable, fuzzy protagonist is also helping out cats in real life. Streamers and Annapurna Interactive, the game's publisher, have facilitated a whole host of events and services to benefit animal shelters and other cat-related charities, as initially reported by AP.

Annapurna reached out to the Nebraska Humane Society ahead of the game's launch on July 19 to give them copies of the game to be raffled off as a fundraiser for the shelter. Within a week, they had raised over $7,000 for the cause, including a $1,035 donation from Annapurna themselves. A vast majority of those who donated to the?? shelter were also new to them, including some international fans of the game.

Annapurna also rented out a cat cafe and cat adoption agency in New York called the Meow Parlour to host an event where visitors could play the game (while being surrounded by cats, no less) and purchase exclusive Stray-themed merchandise.? The publisher also donated $1,000 to the institution.

[caption id="attachment_338376" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: GamesRadar]}[/c??aption]Gamers themselves have also taken up the mantle of doing some good for the stray cats of the world.

A platform called Tiltify, which allows streamers to donate their earnings to nonprofits, has shared that their platform has at least nine new campaigns that mention Stray, and another charity livestream organization JustGiving has identified two more. North Shore Animal League America, a no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, said they received over $800 from a gaming campaign. A streamer named TreyDay1014 also teamed up with the Nebraska Humane Society, helping them raise over $1,500 by the end of a four-and-a-half-hour str??eam.

Stray is an undeniably sweet, uplifting game, so it's not a surprise in the least that the community behind it has rallied ?to make some awesome real-world change.

The post Stray is helping raise money for real-life strays appeared first on Destructoid.

This feature contains massive spoilers for the entirety of Stray. Do yourself a favor and go play it before you read this.

Putting the cat in catastrophe

The second I saw the announcement trailer for Stray, I knew it was a game I was going to play on release day, no questions asked. I am a cat mom, after all, so anything with a cat, let alone as a playable character, is a big win in my book. While it was pretty easy to get me on board with the premise of Stray alone, one thing I wasn't expecting was just how rich and compelling the story was going to be in this game. I mean, it was published by Annapurna so that s??hould have been my fi??rst clue, but even so, it slipped my mind.

To start, the worldbuilding was incredibly detailed and made talking to NPCs, a pretty important mechanic when you're trying to gather information for your quest, a? fun and surprising part of the game??. It's the details that really got me, like the robot laying on the roof in the Slums looking up at the "stars" that are actually just lights on the roof of the city, or the robot in Midtown who was sitting reading a book and philosophizing about the "metaphor" of the Outside, or the grim detail that robots in jail can have their entire memories wiped so that they're left as the perfect model citizen.

A story in vignettes

A vast majority of the NPCs had their o??wn little stories, not just in what they were physically doing, but in what they thought of the city they live in and how they cope with?? being stuck there. We have a clear throughline with the cat and B-12 having their own narratives respectively, but most of what we learn about the state of the world and the underground city comes from NPCs giving us glimpses into their lives and inside their heads.

While the whole story of how the city met its demise is an interesting one, what I found most fascinating was how everyone talked about the Outside. Some were afraid of it, because it was unknown and because of the risks they would take to get th??ere. Some were mystified by it (like the Outsiders). And some didn't even believe it existed at all. Regardless of what they thought individually, the Outside had become something of a legend among the robots after hundreds of years in the city, and I can't say I blame them.

I also found it so interesting how the robots would speak about humans �they seemed almost sentimental about who the humans were and what they left behind. With the world seemingly in constant decline these days, I've had a lot of existential panic about the idea of humans all dying out one day. I actually find the way Stray discussed life a??fter human? existence comforting rather than terrifying, which isn't usual for me.

One of the most charming games I've ever played

The whole game has this underlying charm that runs through everything, because it not only has an adorable cat protagonist and cute mechanics like scratching at carpets or taking a nap on a cozy pillow, but because it ??somehow manages to be really hopeful in the face of a bleak situation. All of the characters that help you along your journey, alth??ough they may be dreaming of the Outside themselves, selflessly put themselves in harm's way or stay behind just to keep you moving forward.

Even?? what you might consider the antagonists of the game, the security robots, weren't acting with any kind of malicious intent �the protocols that they were carrying out to keep everyone in the city are just remnants from a time when the Outside was still a dangerous place.

Hope, even in the end

What Clem?entine said in that final moment where?? she helped us escape the prison really stuck with me �even if it meant she couldn't go with us, just the idea of someone making it to the Outside was enough for her. Then, of course, there's the heartbreaking finale of B-12 sacrificing himself so that the cat could open the door.

The image of that little orange cat curled up with his friend on the floor of the Control Room made me cry more than a game?? has in years. They leave us on the note that while there has been great loss, this cat, and the residents of the city, are at a new beginning full of new, beautiful possibilities. Even in a world where people have gone extinct, love and hope can still thrive, and that's one of the most comforting sentiments I can think of in the face of�well what we're facing.

Stray is certainly one of my favorite games not only of this year, but maybe of all time. Its story is one that I find myself still thinking about, and Stray honestly might have helped change my perspective when it comes to dreading the end of the world. It's only a matter of time before I dive back in and immerse myself in its st??ory again, because I'm certain there are still plenty of hidden details I missed. There's certainly so much more to it than I was even able to touch on in this article.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

The post Stra??y has a refreshingly hopeful view of the end of the world appeared first on Destructoid.

The purrfect game to play on Twitch

Hey guys! Got some hot days ahead, huh? I’m sweltering without AC through this heatwave and my tech has felt it too; tonight I may have to run without a camera as it overheats and freezes nearly immediately. I know, it feels weird. I thought tonight we could fullscreen the rest of Stray, the atmospheric kitty game taking the internet by storm, and then focus on doing some more wildly difficult puzzles in Baba Is You or The Witness. See you tonight!

I’ll need your brainpower. Be sure to drink plenty of water an??d stay?? cool.

Drop by Destructoid’s Twitch channel at 9:00 p.m. Eastern to hang out.

The post We’re streaming Stray tonight appeared first on Destructoid.

The heartfelt cat mods are off to a great start

While Stray has a set-in-stone look for its adventurous orange tabby, if you're playing the game o?n PC, there are some convincing mods to alter the look of the "purr-tagonist."

Chris already highlighted a funny Garfield mod, and Eric nudged me to mention a cursed "joke mod" that squishes Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas star CJ into a cat-shaped body. After all the laughs, it'll be nice to have some realistic alternate coats. It's early days on Nexus Mods, but Stray fans have already replica??ted their own cats in the game.

Poking around the site, I found Stray cat mods for a tuxedo, calico, gray tabby, tortie, siamese, and even a sphynx. A creator named Hacktix uploaded some commissioned mods based on other players' real cats, and their own, Jessy. My heart is melting.

Another good one: Antonio El Gato, from modder Angel?oloo �it's "a texture edit of the main cat but instead it's my cat Antonio." And yes, the mod page incl?udes a few real-world shots for comparison. The wholesome levels are off the charts with this game.

[caption id="attachment_336566" align="alignnone" width="1899"] _{The Pick of the Litter mod from SpaceD0lphin has a nice attention to detail.}[/caption]

Pick of the Litter, a multi-coat mod from SpaceD0lphin, ??????????????????????????has some lovely hand-painted designs. I'm sure a lot of people will be looking for a classic black cat.

Installing these mods should be as simple as extracting the files and dropping them into the game??'s install directory on your PC. (steam\steamapps\common\Stray\Hk_project\Content\Paks, for instance.) I'm excited to see how the scene grows from here.

One of my favorite parts of reviewing Stray on Destructoid was seeing readers share a bunch of heartwarming cat pics �y'all flooded the comments with the best possible show-and-tell. Since then, I've seen disappointment that the game lacks customization, and while I'd have a hard time playing through this occasionally tense, perilous, monster-filled game with a cat resembling our own little troublemaker, I do get the appeal.

Mods or no mods, it sure is nice to rally around a game like Stray, isn't it?

The post Stray players are swapping in their own cats appeared first on Destructoid.

A simple mod for a simple premise

A Stray Garfield mod? I mean, I don'??t think I've been sold?? on something so quickly in 2022 as when I first eyed this clever creation.

When you think about it, it's something that almost should have been in the game already as a parody/unlock skin. ??But modder crubino managed to just say what we were all thinking, and has allowed every?one to play as Garfield in the fur with a mod that's fairly quick to install and get working.

I've said it before many times as an action game fan, but skins/outfits are such an easy way to get me to replay something; especially with added mechanics and VFX. While the Garfield mod doesn't have that yet (it's currently just a skin), that's the beauty of the modding community: someone could theoreti?cally add quips/sound effects into the mix that are relevant to what's happening on screen.? I'd play a "Quest for Odie" mod.

Stray Garfield mod download and instructions

To install it, it's as easy as heading to this page from creator crubino, and ex?tracting it into Stray/Hk_project?/Content/Paks. That's it!

There are no restrictions on the mod, nor are there any? known conflicts or extra requirements.

The post A Stray mod that lets you play as Garfield? I’m in appeared first on Destructoid.

The classic meme lives on in a Stray mod

Long after the conversations about David Cage's infamous 2010 game Heavy Rain have faded away, one meme lives on in a single word: "Jason!" For those who may be blissfully unaware, in the game, there's a moment where the player has to hit X to yell for their missing son Jason. It became a classic meme pretty much overnight, and cemented Heavy Rain's plac??e as one of the mo??st notorious games of all time.

Fast forward to 2022, and Stray is winning the hearts of gamers everywhere with its adorable, fuzzy protagonist. Because you're playing as a cat, there's even a whole button dedicated to meowing... oh wait, I see where they're going with this. Modder Gibrietas took one look at that button and knew what they had to do -- mod Stray so that instead of meowing, your cat yells "Jason" (originally spotted by IGN).

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJIsgvTYxII

Now I guess I need to buy the PC version of this game too so I can mod it, because the idea of running around a dystopian cyberpunk city as a cat yelling "Jason" at everyone seems like a pretty awesome way to get to experience the game. Not only that, but you're also gonna be yelling "Jason" in various tones and inflections, as is true to Heavy Rain. Kudos to you, Gibrietas, for dedicati?ng yourself to that level of detail.

While the JASON mod is easily the most ridiculous we've seen of the Stray mods, it's only one of many. I personally love that most of the mods for the game on Nexus are reskins of the protagonist so that gamers can play with a cat that looks like their own. Other highlights include one that allows your cat to wear glasses, one that turns the loading screen into Nyan Cat, and one that makes the cat slightly fatter.

The post This Stray mod turns a meow into the “Jason” scream from Heavy Rain appeared first on Destructoid.

Can't Cat-ch Me

When I cracked into Stray for the first time, I didn't think I'd have to worry about how best to zig-zag, juke, and even "d??rift" as a cat �but when a coveted trophy is on the line, everything's on the table. Half an hour of failed attempts and several slow-mo guide videos later, I've finally gotten Can't Cat-ch Me, a simple yet deceptively hard trophy.

It's one of the earliest trophies/achievements you can (theoretically) get in Stray, but I'm here to say that it might be best to save it until after you've finished the game. It could put you into a sour mood if you try to force it??, so don't let it gnaw away. Come back later.

**Spoilers below**

[caption id="attachment_335683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The hungry Zurk horde.}[/caption]

In the second chapter, there's a tense chase sequence on the city streets with Headcrab-esque creatur??es called the Zurks. They'll scurry, leap, and glom onto ??your cat, and if you don't shake them off quickly enough, that'll be the end of this journey. Try again.

In a puzzle-solving adventure game that is overwhelmingly chill, these little creeps are very threatening. They're relentless, as they're meant to be,?? and that works well in the context of the ruined city's story. But when it comes to this trophy, the struggle is real.

• Can't Cat-ch Me: Complete the first Zurk pursuit without being caught.

The chase sequence is about a minute long �how hard could it be? I feared the two-hour speedrun mo?re than anything else, but that seems way less stressful by comparison; there's room for error, at?? least. Here, you have to memorize every rushdown and pray.

That's your home!

In gene??ral, zig-zagging is the play. But sometimes, it's best to strategically run into a group of Zurks and swerve at the last second. Other times, you might need to take a wide swing from one wall all the way to the other, to draw out certain Zur??k leaps. It's not so much avoiding coming into contact with them as it is making sure they don't land on top of you.

Of course, in practice, i??t feels like devious RNG is pulling the? strings.

Are you too good for your home?

Here's a successful Can't Cat-ch Me run from Stone Edge Gaming:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0o695DxlH8

And another from PowerPyx:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSOPHZcmmXU

Visualizing it can help.

If you're going for the Can't Cat-ch Me trophy in Stray, I would recommend rebinding the run input to something comfortable (not the default R2 on PS5), just in case you're stuck here for a while. Other players recomm?end increasing the sensitivity, but I kept it as is.

Misery loves company

A few reactions from other Stray players to help ease the pain:

• "This is purely on random luck."
• "Took a solid 45 minutes, sometimes zig-zagging works sometimes they get you no matter what."
• "This trophy really makes me wonder why we trophy hunters do this to ourselves."
• "Stray isn't free if you want the platinum. It costs at least one controller."

Good luck. You can do it!

The post A surprisi?ngly tricky trophy is driving Stray players up the wall appeared first on Destructoid.

Homeward bound

Stray isn't just a good time for cat lovers, it's a good video game, period. A?? great one, even.

The unassuming protagonist �a normal cat in a not-so-normal sci-fi world in which humans are long gone �is the star of the show. But the game's surprisin?gly endearing robot companions, and strange, decaying yet vibrant city they inhabit, are also high points. I didn't expect the setting to draw me in and capture my imagination this much.

If you like the sound of a puzzle-adventure game that rewards curiosity and stays fresh the whole way through with a wonderfully fleshed-out world, you've gotta play Stray.

[caption id="attachment_335077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The lighting and color deserve a shout-out.}[/caption]

Stray (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed])
Developer: BlueTwelve Studio
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Released: July 19, 2022
MSRP: $29.99

Just as a general concept, I was afraid Stray would end up feeling too one-note �anyone else? Coming into this review, I feel like that's on??e of the main questions to answer.

It's something we've seen before with games that capture the wider internet's attention with a flashy idea. And a??s a fan of more simulation-minded games that try to nail a specific animal's ??vibe while still being fun to play, I've been burned before, definitely.

Stray pulls off the balancing act, though �it's inherently engaging to explore as a cat, and the ruined city is a perfect playground. There's so much space to explore vertically as a nimble cat, yet the "way forward" is never overwhelming or obtuse. In less capable hands, this game wouldn't have nearly as much flow, and I think th??at's the crucial ingredient.

In Stray, if it looks like the cat can leap onto a surface, chances are, it can. And to keep things moving along, instead of manually jumping and landing like in a 3D platformer, you'll just tap "jump" when you see a visual "land here" prompt. The result is a game about mentally cha??rting a path ahead, rather than one where you need to make meticulous precision jumps. You'll never worry about falling off, and it all feels believable? enough.

[caption id="attachment_335080" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{With your helper B-12, you can chat with the locals.}
[/caption]

Look up (and every which way)

Early on, in the first of two major hub-like chunks of the city, I spent so much time leaping on pipes, air conditioners, walls, roofs, you name it �all sorts of stuff that would just be a background detail in any other game. I was determined to find energy drinks to trade with a merchant, sheet music to ??give to a musician, and collectible "memories" for my little drone companion, B-12, who is the guiding force for this great-escape story.

I didn't *need* to comb over the Slums to t?he point of memorization, but I was so absorbed in finding every tucked-away nook and cranny, I didn't mind �I was having a blast, and the effort wasn't wasted. The same can be said for a hustling, bustling later area, Midtown, with a couple of tricky critical-path puzzles to think through. The challenge felt right to me. When in doubt, ask around, and let the neon lights draw your gaze.

With your drone's help, you can communicate with the city's robots, and easily store puzzle-solving items, presenting them to characters mid-conversation when the situation calls f??or it. It's a really streamlined system �you're never juggling too many items or worrying about inventory space �and the NPC chatter?? is concise, yet personable.

The screen-headed bots all have names, and you'll likely remember them, too; they leave a lasting impression. Grandma, a knitting fiend, is a p??ersonal favor??ite. (Detail-wise, it feels like there's a reason everything is the way that it is, including the robots' clothing.)

[caption id="attachment_335076" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{You can actually die in Stray �and these are why!}[/caption]

Unexpected Half-Life vibes

In between the larger zones, you'll push forward in linear sequences, some of which are hectic chases. The main threat? A ravenous horde of leaping Zurks that even the robots fear �one of a few elements in Stray that reminds me of the all-time-great Half-Life 2.

At ?first, you don't have any real recourse other than to run �or mash a button to shake off the Zurks if they leap on you. Later though, you'll get a weaponized light to zap 'em.

Thankfully, in both cases, the developers don't overdo it with this creepy crawly horde. The Zurks raise the early stakes, for sure, and the action sits nicely alongside the stress-free exploration. But Stray has more up its sleeve in the later chapters. I wouldn't say there's "combat," ??a?nd even if I did, it's very limited. So if that was a concern (same!), don't worry.

Further in, you'll need to be sneaky, and I appreciated all the room f?or stealth slip-ups. If you're spotted, there's a chance to leap in a cardboard box. You know, cat stuff.

[caption id="attachment_335079" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Stray has stealth sequences, but they aren't too demanding or overdone.}[/caption]

How long is it?

I have to commend the pacing, too. I ended up (happily) finishing Stray in one sitting.

That said, the game is longer than I expected �it took me a good five to six hours. I searched thoroughly in most are??as but still came up short on several collecti??bles.

If you know precisely where to go, you could speedrun this game in a couple of hours (there's a trophy, in fact), but that's not indicative of a first-time playthrough. I'm sure it'll take me a few more hours t??o find my missing secrets, and thankfully, there's a chapter select option after clearing the game, so you can mop up without needing to start over.

All around, the scope feels spot-on �Stray will likely be more expansive than first impressions suggest, but it doesn't keep tacking on new problems to solve for the sake of it. Toward the end, you'll know when the fi?nal moments are near; they arrive right on cue.

[caption id="attachment_335075" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{This club looks like a scene out of Hitman 3.}[/caption]

The best of both worlds

To really drive it all home, I think Stray would be worth talking about even if you didn't play as a cat. But because you do �and because the cat looks and feels and ac??ts exactly as it should �the game ends up hitting th?at much harder. At times, it can be emotional without saying a word. The little behavioral details in the animation go so far.

Again, you don't have to be a "cat person" �there's a lot to appreciate about this post-human cybercity setting, which feels appropriately lived-in (and doubles as a fun vertical play space). You can tell the creators know the full picture of this universe, but they leave room for our imaginations to fill in certain gaps. Stray ends up feeling complete.

This ruined yet hopeful sci-fi world is built in an authentic, thought-through?? way, and throwing in a normal cat �who likes to? shred couches, knock over paint buckets, and snuggle up in the most random cozy spots �is such great foil. Playful mischief and other cat tendencies won't get in the way of you, a human player, feeling like you're "in control."

Stray's expressive art direction, curious music, stop-and-snap-a-pic lighting, and thoug??htful level des??ign coalesce into one of my favorite gaming experiences of the year.

I'm so happy Stray exist?s and that BlueTwelve Studio stuck the landin??g.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Stray appeared first on Destructoid.

Here's what PlayStation Plus' higher tiers get this month

We're just about halfway through July, and Sony is locking in the Premium and Extra catalog for this month's PlayStation Plus offerings. Futuristic cat-platformer Stray and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade headline a pretty s??olid month for the upper tiers.

In case you missed it, PlayStation Plus stratified out into three different tiers last month. While the Essential tier retains access to the same Plus users have had for a while, Extra and Premium get some extra goodies; namely, some PS4 and PS5 games for Extra, and a r??etro catalo??g for Premium members.

A new PlayStation blog today runs down the list of ?what's coming for?? Extra and Premium-tier members in July's Plus lineup.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgPRPi--F5E

Stray was already confirmed for the PlayStation Plus Extra tier during the June State of Play. So good news: if you have the Extra tier, those feline escapades will be ready for you ?day-one.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the second headliner. This is the PlayStation 5 version of the Remake, with added content, improved visuals, and DualSense controller integrations. But most importantly, Fort Condor. So much Fort Condor. PlayStation 4 owners will get Final Fantasy VII Remake available as part of this month's Game Catalog.

Marvel's Avengers also joins the lineup, as it just recently got Jane Foster and will also, apparently, be looking to add She-Hulk at some point. Plus, there's a bevy of Assassin's Creed games coming to the service, as Ubisoft says it plans to keep on expanding the Ubisoft category on PlayStation Plus. And for Premium members, there are a c??oupl??e PSP games joining the classic catalog. Here's the full lineup.

PlayStation Plus Extra games for July

• Stray | PS4, PS5
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade | PS5
• Final Fantasy VII Remake | PS4
• Marvel's Avengers | PS4, PS5
• Assassin’s Creed Unity | PS4
• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag | PS4
• Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered | PS4
• Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry | PS4
• Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection | PS4
• Saints Row IV: Re-Elected | PS4
• Saints Row Gat out of Hell | PS4
• Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition | PS5
• Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure | PS4
• Jumanji The Video Game | PS4
• Paw Patrol on a Roll! | PS4
• ReadySet Heroes | PS4

PlayStation Plus Premium games for July

• No Heroes Allowed! | PSP
• LocoRoco Midnight Carnival | PSP

The post PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium lineup for Jul?y includes Stray, FF VII Intergrade, a?nd more appeared first on Destructoid.

As well as an exclusive edition from iam8bit

One of the most intriguing games of the summer is an adventure starring a cat �being, well, a cat �in a human-less city. Stray ??releases? digitally for PS4, PS5, and PC on July 19, but if you're looking to pick up a physical copy, that's coming later. You've got two options.

The most basic physical edition of Stray on PS4/PS5 is due on September 20, for $40, and there's also an iam8bit exclusive edition for $45 that's shipping in Q4 2022.

According to iam8bit, pre-orders for the standard retail edition of Stray will "start to open up this week," so keep an eye on your preferred retailer. The exclusive edition, however, is up for grabs today with no deadline to ?worry about yet �it's an "open pre-order."

Here's what comes in the (slightly pricier) box:

[caption id="attachment_334617" align="alignnone" width="1365"] _{The physical Exclusive Edition of Stray for PS4/PS5.}[/caption]

Stray's exclusive edition has a matte black sleeve, a 14.4" x 24" poster featuring our ??inquisitive hero, a "fuzzy, pettable" chenille patch, and six art cards.

Something else to keep in mind: digital copies will normally cost $30 (though there's currently a 10 percent off discount on Steam), and Stray will also be playable at no extra cost on PS4/PS5 if you're subscribed to PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium.

I'm glad the wait isn't too long for the physical version, as that can be a frequent concern. Best case, maybe you can check out the game with PS Plus Extra to see if it's w?or??th adding to your shelf, without needing to fully double-dip (or wait until September).

Annapurna Interactive and BlueTwelve Studio recently posted a "spoiler-free introduction to Stray," if you're curious to see a bit more about the game and i??ts world. This knocki??ng-stuff-over tweet is also another biggie �I feel like it sums up the game's whole vibe.

//twitter.com/A_i/status/1546558650600148992

The post Stray is getting a physical edition in September appeared first on Destructoid.

Act like a cat (for the most part)

As we inch closer to launch day on July 19, one of the most fun games to think about right now is Stray, an adventure game about being a cat in a futuristic world run by robots. The trophy list is now out in the wild (courtesy of sites like Exophase and Powerpyx), and some of the descriptions give us a better idea of what to expect from Stray's scope.

Most notably, there's a pacifist challenge, one for meowing 100 times, another for being sneaky enough to go undetected, and a speedrun trophy for finishing the game in under two hours. From everything we've seen of Stray so far, I'm not surprised that it can be completed so quickly �and to be honest, that actually sounds wonderful. Two hours seems like a nice runtime for a b?etter-informed, more efficient second playthrough.

If you rush too much, you'll miss the collecti??bles: badges, memories, and sheet music. It's reassuring to know there's a reason to comb the city beyon??d just the story.

Note: there are some location spoilers in a few of the trophies.

Stray PS4/PS5 trophy list

• All Done - Unlock all trophies.
• A Little Chatty - Meow 100 times.
• Cat-a-Pult - Jump 500 times.
• Productive Day - Sleep for more than one hour.
• Boom Chat Kalaka - Dunk the basketball.
• Can't Cat-ch Me - Complete the first Zurk pursuit without being caught.
• Sneakitty - Go through Midtown without being detected by the Sentinels.
• No More Lives - Die 9 times.
• Scratch - Scratch the vinyl in the club.
• Pacifist - Complete the Sewers without killing any Zurks.
• I am Speed - Complete the game in less than 2 hours.
• Missed Jump - Fall inside the city.
• Not Alone - Meet B-12.
• Cat Got Your Tongue? - Have B-12 translate a robot.
• Catwalk - Reach Midtown.
• Al-Cat-Raz - Go to jail.
• Eye Opener - Complete the game and open the city.
• Meowlody - Bring all the music sheets to Morusque.
• Curiosity Killed the Cat - Wear the paper bag.
• Cat-a-strophe - Try to play mahjong with the robots.
• Cat's best friend - Nuzzle up against 5 robots.
• I Remember! - Gather all B-12 memories.
• Télé à chat - Browse through all of the TV channels.
• Badges - Collect all badges.
• Territory - Scratch in every chapter.

When they say "scratch," they mean it.

//twitter.com/A_i/status/1545454411345842176

I'm planning to play Stray with my PlayStation Plus Premium subscription (heads-up: the PS Plus Extra tier also includes access to the game), and as good as it looks, this isn't the sort of experience I'd want to drag on and on. When it comes to game length, I always think back to Inside �a fantastic, gripping, potent-t??he-whole-way-t??hrough adventure.

Apart from PS4 and PS5, Stray will also be on PC �in fact, it recently topped Steam's "Top Wishlists" list. Clearly, a bun??ch of us would rather just be a cat rig?ht now.

The post Stray should have a pleasant platinum trophy appeared first on Destructoid.

The future is lookin' bright for narrative games

So, that's another year of summer game announcements on the book. There are a few more streams on the horizon, but for now, we've gotten a taste of just about all of the upcoming games we can handle. Developers threw what felt like an endless stream of new titles at us, and while a lot of the space horror games kind of blurred together after a while, there were plenty of titles that stuck out to me as games I'd be looking forward to the most. Naturally, most of them are narrative games, and so for my sake and yours, I decided to compile a list of what I think are the best-looking narrative g??ames that were highlighted these past few days/weeks.

Keep in mind that some of these d??on't advertise the story being the central mechanic or the main focus of the game, but the narrative looked intriguing enough that it's o?ne of the features that drew me to it the most. Whatever, it's my list and I'll do what I want.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmx0w-eAoTk

The Invincible �Annihilation meets Firewatch

This one kind of came out of nowhere, and it was one of the most pleasant surprises of the weekend for me. Based on the influential 1964 hard sci-fi novel of the same name, The Invincible follows a scientist named Yasna as she attempts to piece together what happened to a lost crew on a hostile alien planet. The premise alone doesn't sound like anything to write hom?e about, but the trailer sent a chill down my spine.

I consider myself a pretty voracious reader, so hearing that we're getting a game based on a novel definitely makes my ears perk up. The trailer had a slow-paced sense of dread that really works, and while I haven't read The Invincible, I imagine it captures the feeling of the novel quite well. I just finished reading the first book in the Southern Reach trilogy, Annihilation, and I think the trailer we saw captured a?? similar sense of awe mixed with horror.

Like I said, I had never heard of The Invincible before I saw the gameplay trailer during the PC Gaming Showcase, but now it might just be the one game I'm looking forward to the mos??t.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpT-74avAR0

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals �a return to an old favorite

This is one of the games I was fortunate enough to play a preview of for the Tribeca Games Fest this weekend, and I am pleased to report that it's everything I want from an Oxenfree sequel, considering the first one is one of my favorite narrative games of all time.?? It's got the same spooky flair and atmosphere you'd expect from the series, but one of the things I'm most excited about is seeing the series move away from a cast of teenagers to a protagonis??t in her 30s.

The new player character Riley is returning home and dealing with her past after being away for a long while, which I think is a cool direction to move in after the first game was about high schoolers trying to figure out their places in the world. I've done a lot of growing up myself since I played the first Oxenfree, so having each game relate to me at different parts in my life is a pretty cool thing. I'm looking forward to the creepy, sentimental rollercoaster ride that Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is likely to be.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBgA7zRbhKY

American Arcadia �The Truman Show with a twist

I'm not gonna lie �I love The Truman Show. When I saw that there was a game on the horizon inspired by the film, I knew it was going to be right up my alley, and it turns out, it very much is. American Arcadia is another game I got to preview for Tribeca, and it exceeded ??the expectations I had going in. Not only does it look absolutely stunning with its colorful-retro-future-70s aesthetic, but it has a ton to offer by way of gameplay.

It's part 2.5D sidescrolling platformer, part puzzle game, part first-person stealth game �and while I was worried that it had too much going on, it all fit together surprisingly well to create an experience I've never quite seen before. Sure, any individual element of American Arcadia isn't exactly reinventing the wheel, but it's the final product that I think is? going to blow me away. As far as narrative games goes, it ticks ?all the boxes for me so far.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEStlPKIGL8

Immortality �FMV is yet again revolutionizing narrative games

Sam Barlow has been one of games' most creative minds for years, and now he's back with his most ambitious project yet. Immortality is a full-motion video game (a rare breed at thi?s point) that centers on the disappearance of a woman named Marissa Marcel. Players are tasked with going through old reels of three different unreleased films she starred in to piece the mystery together, and it's one of the most stylish-looking games we got to see this w?eekend.

I'm always looking for games that are doing things we haven't seen before, and Immortality looks like it's going to give us a newer, even more complex take on the ideas that Barlow masterfully executed in his earlier titles. The writing team includes talent that worked on shows like The Queen's Gambit and Mr. Robot, so I have nothing but high hopes fo???r this narrative-centric FMV mystery.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXq20gant-4

Pentiment �Ye old video game

Wacky art styles are a surefire way to get me interested in a game, and in that regard, Pentiment had my attention right out the gate. It's a medieval-themed narrative game that looks balls-to-the-walls crazy, and we certainly haven't seen anything like it from Obsidian, the studio behind The Outer Worlds and Pillars of Eternity. They had a smaller internal team break out to work on Pentiment �something I would love ??to see from more big-budget studios who have the capacity to make some awesome smaller-scale projects.

It's got a painterly, storybook art style that's evocat?ive of the period it's set in, and features classically medieval things like writing beautifully decorated manuscripts, discussing the latest news from Italy, and of ??course, violent mobs burning buildings down. It looks like an exciting adventure full of twists and turns, and as something of a casual history buff, this one is already sitting pretty on my Steam wishlist.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=au_ek16Bm-o

The Alters �Clones? Clones.

The newest title from 11 Bit Studios, The Alters follows Jan, who creates alternate versions of himself to survive on an isolated planet. In terms of gameplay, each one of the clones is supposed to have d?ifferent powers that the player can use to their advantage, but each will also have a different personality that's based on different mo?ments and paths in Jan's life.

The announcement trailer didn't give us much information about what it will feel like to play just yet, but on premise and 11 Bit's reputation alone, I can tell that this is going to be one hell of a ride. The studio always does an awesome job of incorporating a well-told story into games that also have really solid gameplay, so I'll be looking forward to hearing more about The Alters as the studio continues its development.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCk1__TYksU

High on Life �The Rick and Morty guys finally got me onboard

Okay, I'm gonna be honest here, I've never seen Rick and Morty. Maybe I just never got around to it, maybe it was the fandom that turned me off, but it was never something I felt drawn to. That's why I was so surprised when I saw the trailer for High on Life, and actually thought it? seemed like a hilarious, goofy time.

The idea is that you're a bounty hunter who needs to take out aliens who are using humans as some kind of drug. It's got a colorful, eccentric art style, the quippy, zany tone you'd expect from Squanch Games, and of course, the real highlight of the trailer, talking guns. Games like High on Life aren't usually my kind of thing, but it looks so out there and different that I know I'm gonna be ?itching to try it. Plus, I'm just a ??sucker for an FPS, and this one looks like it'll have some really unique shooting mechanics.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4l6uWxe-vk

Stray �/em> a cat-centric narrative game