https://nerdist.com/article/stray-the-video-game-cat-release-date/

Who wouldn’t want to spend some time going on quests as a ginger cat wearing a backpack? Starting July 19, we all can thanks to the new sci-fi video game Stray. The latest trailer includes incredible graphics of the stray kitty exploring a neon-lit cityscape. The game from BlueTwelve Studio will be available for PC and PlayStation 4 and 5. It’s included for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members.

The creators of the game share some insights in a blog post on PlayStation’s website. Producer Swann Martin-Raget writes about the difficulties of controlling a cat. Every cat owner knows the struggle, but it turns out it’s true in game design too. They used the internet’s most valuable resource—cat videos—as references. So those of us who upload them are actually helping professionals do their job.  

The trailer includes action sequences, but also everyday cat activities like knocking things over for no reason. Or, as we call them in my house, gravity experiments. The video also shows a small flying drone named B-12 joining the quest. The team-up gives real Leia and her droid Lola vibes.  

After releasing a teaser trailer in 2020 and more gameplay videos last year, we’re excited that the wait is nearly over. According to the game’s website, Stray takes place in the seedy underbelly of a decaying cybercity. It instructs us to “be stealthy, nimble, silly, and sometimes as annoying as possible with the strange inhabitants of this mysterious world.” Sounds like a cat. 

It’s a huge advancement from the first computer animation in 1968, which was also of a cat! Other studios have used motion capture of cats. All cat videos are good cat videos! 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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