Stray has delivered a truly fresh experience for players to enjoy, giving them control of a cat surviving in a post-apocalyptic world where humans no longer exist and societies of robots stay hidden away from a major threat. From the simple gameplay to the stunning visual scenery, Stray has exceeded expectations and has many fans hoping that a sequel for the game will be announced soon. While many are calling for the return of the orange cat, there are other avenues that future titles of Stray could take, including giving players the chance to experience life as a different city-dwelling animal in the same futuristic setting.
While cats are famously known to be agile and quick, they are not the only city-dwelling animal that has a high chance of survival in the streets. Cities are often filled with wildlife, be it stray animals or wild animals that thrive in a community of humans, so the studio can justify including different animals in future titles. From squirrels to raccoons, animals that live alongside humans are often resourceful, quick, and in some cases, powerful enough to survive in the world of Stray and stay away from the threat of the Zurks and the Sentinels.
Squirrels – An Animal Parkour Game
Cats are extremely agile creatures, which gave Stray a boost in terms of vertical travel as the cat was easily able to reach the rooftops and descend back to the streets if needed. However, they are by no means the most agile city-dwelling animals as squirrels are capable of much more in terms of traversal. Quick on their feet, able to scale up vertical surfaces, and the capability of surviving high falls, squirrels would be a perfect fit and could be a great ally for many of the robots and a slippery target to the Zurks and Sentinels.
If Stray were to include a squirrel in the next game, it would need to include better traversal methods and could also pick a squirrel capable of gliding to allow for better movement. The gliding alone would make squirrels extremely well-equipped to survive in the world, but they are also considered to be clever enough to solve puzzles. With puzzles being at the forefront of Stray’s gameplay, squirrels would be the best fit for a future Stray title, and its small size could allow it to reach spots that even the cat was unable to.
Raccoons – The Resourceful Survivor
With Stray set in a world without humans, it would be difficult to imagine a lot of city-dwelling animals remaining alive many of these animals relied on humans to provide them food and shelter. While cats are more than capable of hunting, future Stray titles could also include raccoons as they are resourceful enough to find a way to survive in the post-apocalyptic setting. Raccoons are also much more powerful than cats and this could add a lot more combat options, especially when fighting off the Zurks, something that would give players a new style of gameplay.
While raccoons do not possess the traversal abilities of cats and squirrels, they make up for it in intelligence, strength, and stealth. If Stray were to include a raccoon in a future title, there would need to be fewer options for vertical traversal and more of an emphasis on combat and stealth to let the raccoon survive on the streets. Further, raccoons can pick up objects thanks to how their hands are shaped, and this could prove to be instrumental in the Stray world as the animal would be capable of fixing certain things or unlocking new traversal methods.
Dogs – A Robot’s Best Friend
Dogs are extremely loyal animals, and while many people may think that they would not be able to survive in the wild, many dogs have proven their adaptability by surviving on city streets. Dogs can be included in future titles thanks to their strength and speed, allowing them to stand up against the Zurks and Sentinels rather than find a way around them. In fact, using dogs as the next protagonist for a Stray game could see the robots fighting back against the things that threaten them.
Thanks to their loyalty and affection, dogs could grow to trust robots enough to start living alongside them, giving robots a sense of protection while the dog gains some companionship. Like cats, they also travel in groups when living in the streets, so a similar storyline could work. Further, while the dogs would prefer to stay with the robots, a group of dogs would be extremely useful for the robots living behind the walls. Certain dogs are also large enough to carry a bigger drone which can help unlock new areas or gain new interactions that were not possible with the tiny drone on the cat.
As more and more players pick up Stray, they are realizing that the simplicity of the game is one of its major selling points, and while having a cute cat is a major plus, the game’s true strength comes from its level design and freedom in gameplay. The game also gives players insights into how a cat would survive in the post-apocalyptic world, which could expand out to show how other city-dwelling animals would thrive in this setting. Whether the next game will feature the return of the orange cat or will include a different animal altogether, fans are hoping that Stray 2 will be announced soon and will expand the brilliant world of Stray.
Stray is currently available on PC, PS4, and PS5.
