Some developers try to pad out their games to make it seem as though there's more content than there actually is. This is far from the case with Blue Twelve Studio, however, with the developer instead choosing to celebrate the short length of its debut title Stray by including a speedrun-oriented trophy.
The "I am Speed" trophy encourages players to complete the game in two hours or less. For those who know what they're doing, this shouldn't be too taxing, although, for beginners, it may well prove to be a little stressful. Even for more skilled players, there are a few sections of Stray that can add on a decent chunk to a player's total playtime, so a good strategy may be needed to avoid going over the two-hour mark.
How Quickly Can Stray Be Beaten?
A typical playthrough of Stray will last about five hours, but players can shave a considerable chunk of time from this total by completely ignoring side content. In fact, some have been able to complete the game in around ninety minutes, though players should allow another thirty minutes or so for accidental deaths and other mishaps. Even so, a sub-two-hour run is certainly achievable, as evidenced by Game ZXC's "I am Speed" playthrough.
Chapter | Time | Total |
|---|---|---|
05:30 | 0:05:30 | |
08:15 | 0:13:45 | |
05:15 | 0:19:00 | |
11:30 | 0:30:30 | |
09:15 | 0:39:45 | |
10:15 | 0:50:00 | |
10:45 | 1:00:45 | |
11:05 | 1:11:50 | |
02:25 | 1:14:15 | |
16:55 | 1:31:10 | |
16:15 | 1:47:25 | |
07:40 | 1:55:05 |
The above times should serve as a pretty decent point of reference for those trying to unlock Stray's "I am Speed" trophy. It's also worth noting that these times use real-time rather than the in-game clock, which actually finished at 1:46:46. As such, it seems safe to assume that loading times are not included in the total time, though things like cutscenes, conversations, and checkpoint restarts almost certainly are.
In order to unlock the "I am Speed" trophy, players will need to start a new game from an empty slot rather than simply restarting the game via the chapter select menu of an already cleared save file.
Tips for Completing Stray Quickly
There are a lot of things that players can do to ensure that their final time comes in at under two hours, the most important of which is to understand the layout of each chapter. As such, it's better to attempt an "I am Speed" run after completing the game once, though guides and walkthroughs could potentially help those who want to attempt to unlock the trophy on their very first playthrough.
Those who have played through the game already will know that conversations and cutscenes can add a considerable amount of time to a player's run. Unfortunately, cutscenes remain unskippable at the time of writing, though players can at least shave off a few seconds while B-12 and other characters are talking. Players should mash the Square and Circle buttons during all conversations, which should shave off a considerable amount of time.
It's also a good idea to completely ignore all of the game's side content during an "I am Speed" run. To be clear, some players have reportedly managed to unlock every trophy in a single playthrough, but for most, this will likely prove to be far too difficult. Besides, assuming players have already played through the game once, they should have already obtained most of the other trophies in Stray.
Finally, some players may want to back up the save file on a USB stick between chapters just in case things go horribly wrong. This probably won't be necessary but isn't a terrible idea for those who want to guarantee that they get the trophy on their first attempt. Failing certain sections, such as sneaking through the factory and reaching Clementine's apartment in the residence (both in Chapter 10) can add two or three minutes to a player's total time, as too can dying while rescuing B-12 from his confinement cell in Chapter 11.
Stray is available now on PS4, PS5, and PC.
