Many people may play Stray expecting a game about a cute cat going on an adventure, and while that's not an inaccurate description, there are some unexpectedly scary moments throughout the game. These moments keep the gameplay and story interesting, but they could take some players by surprise, especially when expecting Stray to be about a cute kitty trying to get home and making friends with robots along the way.
Stray is a third-person puzzle adventure game featuring a cat exploring an underground city with a drone companion called B-12. Together, the two are trying to escape the city and help other robots escape, too. As the cat protagonist tries to reach the surface with his drone companion, many cute cat things can be done in Stray, but they're paired with a story that has more than a few moments of darkness and danger someone would typically associate with a horror game.
Stray takes place in a dystopian underground cyberpunk city that is devoid of humans, but the problems caused by humans are still in effect. So, it turns out that many bad things still happen in the game's world, and with the protagonist being a cat, there's not much that can be done to fix them. Instead, Stray's lead feline needs to find creative ways to deal with its harrowing experiences.
Stray's Pipe Moment Of Doom Is One Of Its First Scares
The first unexpectedly scary moment in Stray occurs at the beginning of the game. When Stray begins, players first encounter a gorgeous green world and four cat friends. This is the typical introductory chapter with tutorials, showing players such tricks as scratching to mark territory on Stray's various objects. But then, suddenly, things take a darker turn. At one point, the cats jump a gap and land on a pipe, but when it is the protagonist’s turn to jump, the pipe breaks. It's horrifying to see the cat fall, clinging to the edge as its friends look down at it before it plummets into the darkness below. Seeing and hearing the poor cat fall, and then hitting the ground far below, sets the tone for Stray, showing that it may be more heartbreaking and scary than players might have expected when they initially purchased the game.
Zurks & Scary Eyes In The Sewers Offer A Touch Of Horror In Stray
While Stray does feature a cute cat, the game has enemies called Zurks that players must avoid at various points. Missions will require the cat to run through parts of the Slums that are full of Zurks and gross fleshy material that covers the buildings. While this may be gross, it gets even creepier in the sewers. When the cat reaches the sewers in Stray, it will have a weapon that helps it fight off the Zurks, but they are not the scariest things anymore. First, there are fleshy pods filled with Zurks that will explode when the cat approaches them. Walking slowly and not getting too close to the pods will prevent them from exploding. As gross as the pods and flesh-covered walls are, the scariest things in the sewers are the giant red eyes. And these eyes will summon Zurks to attack the player. Memories in the game imply that the eyes and Zurks operate like a hive mind, but the scariest question from B-12 is the thought that the player is inside a giant organism.
Stray's Midtown Is A Police State
Midtown is the third settlement full of robots in the game and the most well-functioning location. However, it is run by a police state. Clementine wants to leave Stray's underground cyberpunk city, which makes her a threat to the police. There are surveillance cameras in locations to monitor the citizens, along with prohibiting them from specific actions. When players reach the jail portion, they see what the police state does to robots who do not obey the rules. There is evidence of torture and the revelation that some robots are reset and lose everything about who they are. It is a threat that all the jailed robots fear, and adds some more psychological horror to Stray's story.