izigame.me

I once knew someone who pirated this game when it came out. They told me that they did this for most games, to "try them out before they wasted money on something they'd regret".
They beat the whole game, even using a guide get all the collectibles, (not shaming). When I asked them what they thought, they told me that they were glad that they never bought it. Claiming that the game devs were insane to charge $40 for such a short game with barely anything in it. "The whole selling point of the game is that you get to play as a cat," they said "People are stupid if they spend money on this, there's nothing else in this game."
When I bought Stray much later and played it for myself, I can see THEY didn't like it. They're shallow person, with no appreciation for art and only see value in games with swathes of "content".
Stray is a beautiful, hand crafted gem that I believe everyone should experience. Every single part of this game shows the clear love, talent, and dedication of the developers to create something they were truly passionate about.
Every part of this world feels lived in. The attention to detail in the environments and the NPCs are truly amazing, showing so much personality in the art design, so that every character you interact with and building you enter fells unique and alive. I loved simply exploring the game world, buildings a lit with neon and filled various trinkets, walls covered with grime and art, and the NPCs going about their days, looking for secrets and talking to everyone, and not once did I feel like the game fell short. Even the infested areas felt real and threatening, making me feel uncomfortable like I had entered an alien world filled with dangers.
The animations are purrfect, especially with the cat. The way they move, jump, and interact with the world feels real, and shows just how much the devs cared and hard work they put in to make it feel just right.
And finally, the writing is beautiful. Every dialogue with the various characters is filled with personality and charm that adds to the world building and story. I never had a bad experience talking to anyone, and they all felt believable, whether they were casually going about the routines or voicing their complaints. The story is surprisingly tragic, and tells a beautiful tale of desperation, adversity, friendship, and hope that I have very seldom experienced before, and I'm unafraid to say I teared up multiple times throughout.
I don't regret purchasing this game in the slightest, anyone who says that it has nothing in it, clearly needs to reevaluate their Idea of "content". I loved every part of Stray and I can absolutely see myself playing this again in the future.