Stray Cheats and Tips

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.

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 early-mid game, these tend to be running sequences. These are linear and not too long- just be prepared to hold that run button and avoid Zurks like they are the plague – heck, they basically are the plague. A tip is to remember that holding the “jump” button will have you jumping automatically – very handy.

There are a few hubs in Stray that make up a more relaxed, almost detective style of gameplay. In these areas, you have a lot of space to mess around in, and the game is not afraid to hide all kinds of things. These can be hidden items or even quests. The most notable is The Slums.

You can spend a large chunk of your playtime just running around this place finding all kinds of interesting gubbins. One robot wants to learn music, so go find him some sheet music. There is a vendor who will trade valuable items for various pieces of junk. These little side quests can often lead, or aid, in larger quests later in the game, so no exploration is ever wasted. You can even get little clues on how the story will progress if you look hard enough.

Earlier we mentioned you will spend a lot of time running away from enemies – and this is true – however, there is a section where you can fight back. This is a very short section in the grand scheme. It’s also pretty awesome being able to take the fight to the Zurks for a short while.

Combat is incredibly simple. You shine a light on something, and it dies. That’s it. The nuance comes from your inability to use your UV light constantly, and overheating will leave you defenceless. The best way to engage in combat is to use your cat-like grace to outmanoeuvre the enemy and blast them in a hit-and-run kind of way. Easy peasy.

One thing that might throw some people off is the lack of a map. Now Stray is not an open-world game, but it does have some larger hub areas. It can be daunting to players who love a good map. Don’t worry, however. Stray has some phenomenal level design, and a map is not needed to get around.

Even the largest areas of Stray have a wonderful sense of interconnectivity and flow. It may be overwhelming at first, but after a few minutes, you will be running around these open areas like a pro. Every street corner of each hub is instantly recognisable. The game doesn’t have a map, because it has been designed to not need one.