Stray is a charming adventure game centred on a cat that becomes separated from its group. After falling into an underground city, the cat must find its way out with the help of those it meets along the way. The game was originally released a few years ago on consoles and PC, with a Switch version following shortly after. A native Switch 2 version has taken longer to arrive, but it is finally available. For those who already own the game, is the upgrade worth it?
Stray remains a remarkably beautiful game, and playing it on Switch 2, I was surprised by how well it holds up. The visuals are clean overall, aside from the cat’s fur, which has been a challenge even on PS5. Based on my observations, the game appears to use upscaling technology similar to DLSS to render at a higher resolution, and it works well for most of the presentation. I did not notice any major issues while playing on a 4K OLED display, aside from minor artefacts associated with the upscaling.
The gameplay is quite simple. Stray primarily revolves around guiding the cat back home by solving environmental puzzles and dealing with various threats along the way. During the journey, the cat also forms friendships with the robot inhabitants of the city. The game uses its environments to gradually reveal lore about what happened to humanity in this world. B-12, a robotic companion, joins the cat on its adventure while also trying to uncover its own identity. The cat behaves much like a real one, and the developers deserve credit for how accurately they have captured its movements and animations.
The world-building is one of Stray’s strongest aspects, maintaining a sense of curiosity and engagement throughout the narrative. While the ending is fairly predictable based on the opening moments, the journey is what truly matters here. On that front, Stray delivers an adventure that is well worth exploring.
The game has a simple gameplay loop. Stealth sections are occasionally mixed in alongside puzzles that do not require much thought to solve. Jumping is mostly handled through contextual actions, so holding the jump button takes care of most platforming sequences. B-12 also assists the cat by hacking terminals and translating dialogue. While there are some minor combat elements through the inclusion of a UV weapon, they do not add much depth or bring any meaningful changes to the core gameplay loop.
Of course, you can also simply behave like a cat, and the game provides plenty of opportunities to do so. You can knock objects over, interact with the environment in various ways, and trigger unique animations through contextual actions. These small details add a lot of charm to the experience.
The cyberpunk aesthetic of the underground city helps Stray stand out from other games in the genre. The upgraded visuals on Switch 2 do a great job of showcasing the vibrant world. The most impressive aspect of the game remains the cat’s animation, which is exceptionally well done.
One area that does not seem to have received a significant upgrade is the frame rate. I do not believe the game runs at 60 FPS on Switch 2, so it is disappointing that performance still appears to target 30 FPS. The good news is that it largely maintains that target, resulting in a much smoother experience overall compared to the Switch version.
While the upgrade may not be worth replaying the game for, those who have not yet experienced this feline adventure will find that the Switch 2 version offers the best portable way to play. It strikes a good balance between improved visuals and stable performance. The enhanced reflections and lighting noticeably transform the environments, which is particularly important for a game like Stray. The 30 FPS frame rate is a slight drawback, but Stray is not a game that demands fast controller responses, so it is easy enough to adjust to.
In conclusion, I feel this is a very impressive port for Switch 2. The 30 FPS performance target aside, it looks almost as good and clean as the PS4 version while incorporating some of the visual improvements seen on PS5. Load times are also solid, and the minimal UI helps create an immersive experience that works equally well in both portable and docked modes.
Stray Game Information
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Developer: BlueTwelve Studio
- Platform: Switch 2 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
