Lost in an unknown area with no means of communication or sense of direction, Stray’s cat seems to be at a loss. However, during its time in the robot-city, the cat meets a friendly robot who acts as a useful companion throughout the adventure. This robot, B-12, serves as a guide and robot language translator for the cat, and together they are able to navigate the city and unveil its mysteries.
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B-12, The Friendly Drone
Though not much information has been given about exactly who the cat is in Stray is or how it is significant, it seems to maneuver and act like a normal cat. This means it is able to run, jump, and crawl its way around this city and its inhabitants, but has a difficult time utilizing certain items or machines and cannot communicate, aside from the occasional meow.
The beginning sections of the game have the cat finding its way around the city alone and interacting with whatever is around in order to communicate with the humanoid robots and navigate through the city’s environments in order to progress through the mysterious world. Eventually, Stray’s cat discovers a different kind of robot, one that is friendlier than the others and joins the cat on its journey through the city. This bot’s name is B-12, and it seems to be willing and able to help the cat in any way possible.
B-12 is a little droid that can not only interact with the cat but also with the robots, items, and mechanical systems that are scattered around this dystopian world. Annapurna Interactive has shared gameplay trailers that have shown off B-12’s abilities to interact with different objects in the world and speak to the friendly robots to try and learn more about the mysterious town and its inhabitants.
Exploring and Fighting Through Stray’s City
The cat and B-12’s main objective is to escape the city while also exploring its streets and alleyways. On their mission, the two are able to communicate with many unique robots. B-12 not only allows for conversation with the robots but also provides the cat with storage for useful items that are given to the pair or found in the world.
Stray looks like it is taking a simplistic approach to gameplay that requires cooperation between the cat and B-12. Footage seems to suggest that the player will be able to control the cat freely through the city and interact with many different objects and robots, some of which require the assistance of B-12, who will gladly read signs, use items, or operate machinery for its furry friend.
In addition to dealing with friendly inhabitants, B-12 and the cat discover that the city is full of dangerous creatures that threaten the lives of the duo as well as the docile robots. Gameplay trailers have shown the cat running and hiding from predatory robots and Zurks that stalk the city streets and have also shown B-12 using a type of flashlight with a purple hue that is able to eliminate the aggressive Zurks, allowing B-12 to protect its fellow robots and newfound feline companion.
B-12’s name is likely an homage to the game’s developer, BlueTwelve Studios, and the little robot seems to play a crucial role in the cat’s journey through Stray. Even though the cat is the main protagonist, B-12 acts as the liaison between the cat and other robots as well as the cat and the player. It looks as though this drone companion will help provide a voice and personality for the world of Stray.
Stray launches July 19th for PC, PS4, and PS5.
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