Call Me Whatever

Feminina O'Ladybrain

Dec 1

Some spoilers for Stray

Butch:

OK, I played a bunch of Stray. Found doc, did the bit where he zapped zurk (satisfying, that), got him to install that on B12.

My main accomplishment was finding all the sports drinks and getting the "ancient relic." It's a picture that's just a memory for B12, but it got me thinking. The picture/memory was when the robots were just "mindless cleaning machines, there in the background...." and I thought "Hmm."

It's been striking, for a while here, that the robots talk to the cat/us as if we're equals. It's "I can't face the zurk, but you can! You can get the thingy! Oh, please, help!" It's very much not "Who can get the thingy? You can. You can. Go get the thingy for a treat! Good, kitty. Good, kitty, who's a good kitty?" This memory made me think maybe there's some kinship, some old fashioned bond between things that are "in the background." We have the serving robots that humans barely noticed and a pet, or, at least, an animal that humans kept as pets. Two things that the humans thought as "other," as "less," who have made more of themselves and see each other as equals.

As I have a feeling that class is going to be a thing (the big door and the memory about people always wanting to divide into classes was a tip off), I might keep this in mind.

Thoughts?

Feminina:

I concur, there's definitely something going on here about servants/pets and things in the background having something in common...in addition to the class thing.

I like how even though the robots apparently have no idea what a cat is, they still like having it rub around their ankles. Aww...

And I kind of like how being a cat gives us an interesting distance from the apocalyptic tragedy here. The entire human race has died off (replaced by very nice robots, but first...they all died), but as a cat, we don't really care that much. Again, this is kind of genius casting since we pretty much always wander around unimpressed by the apocalyptic tragedy that came before but it just makes so much sense for a cat!

Although to be fair, humans also have short memories/empathy and do more or less wander around ignoring the deaths of millions who came before us, so I guess that's also not unrealistic. But it's EXTRA realistic for a cat, which has presumably never seen a human and doesn't care a fig for them.

Butch:

I liked the guy who was all "I have this urge to pet you and I don't know why..."

Very true. The cat (who doesn't even have a name) is such a detached observer. It has a different perspective, quite literally. I noticed this last night when I had to follow Momo to Seamus' apartment. The whole "follow me" thing is common in games, but, usually, you're following someone your size, or, even, smaller than you. Following someone at ankle height really leaned into the perspective thing.

It is genius casting (though I highly doubt this poor cat will get many other gigs). Must admit, when I sat down to play what the internet described as "that cat game," I expected good cat platforming mechanics, but didn't expect THEMES from the very fact you're a cat.

Feminina:

Yes, being able to get into places the bigger characters can't go was interesting.

Oh, also in genius casting and how cats are the perfect PC, the way that you can't get through closed doors! We're always wandering around finding lots of doors we can't get through, and sure, in your average game we just assume they're locked or whatever, but come on, in a desolate post-apocalyptic wasteland we could break them down if we really cared, right? So the fact that many doors are impassible is an unrealistic quirk of the game (due, of course, to the fact that they don't want to do layout for 80,000 different buildings...nor do we, really, want to go into them all. Everyone is better off...and yet, it also requires us to suspend disbelief).

But for a cat, a closed door is in fact an insurmountable barrier, unless the game wants us to be able to get past it, in which case there can be a way.

Honestly, if it weren't for the lack of romantic banter, I would happily play every postapocalyptic game as a cat from here on out.

Except the next Horizon sequel.

Butch:

That's so true! I never thought of that!

It also makes a lot more sense loot wise. Were we human, we'd be picking up every can, every paper bag, etc. to sell for the witcher tax, which makes no sense because who needs cans (except barterman....ahem). Here? Big load of junk? Don't pick it up! Run through it because CAT!

You'd miss loot, though, wouldn't you?

Ooo! Ooo! I thought of two more reasons to play as a cat!

No crafting! How can cats craft? They have no thumbs! And...and.....

Wait for it......

NO SWIMMING!!!!!

That's it. I'm on the cat wagon.

Feminina:

I would kind of miss loot...but if I knew there was nothing to do with it, no merchant waiting to trade me caps or coins or shards I'll never spend...I'd be fine. The drone and the tiny backpack (which is SO adorable) lets us pick up quest-related loot, so it's cool.

CATS FOREVER!

Butch:

Except....shit. Now the music from the musical is in my head.

It would be kinda funny if, when you hit the radio five or six times, it would belt out "MEMMMMORIEEEEES I MUST WAIT TILL THE MOOOOOOOONLIIIIIIIIGHT"

Funny or awful. Can't decide.

Feminina:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Funny AND awful.

Extremely awful.

But also funny!

Butch:

Now, when I'm stumped by something, I'll just quietly sing "Oh, well I never was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mesophiles" for inspiration.

Until Mrs. McP clobbers me to shut me up.

Feminina:

Which will probably take...three and a half minutes?

Butch:

Two and a half. Maybe less.

From here on, the cat's name is Magical Mr. Mesophiles. MMM for short.

Feminina:

I was thinking Tabby, but...OK.

Butch:

Or....Tabby. That works. Sorta.

Feminina:

I mean, cats don't really care, we can call it two different things. Another point in favor of cat characters!

Probably part of the point, honestly, is that the cat is nameless. It doesn't have the human need to be called something specific: it knows who/what it is, and that's good enough.

Another interesting contrast with normal adventure games, where the named PC is the Hero and usually has either a name the player can choose, or a name intended to be memorable...we can talk about what Geralt did in that one fight, or that time when V collected those wontons, or what Hawke was thinking, or whatever. But here, we're just a nameless cat both to ourselves and to everyone around us.