Little Strays 2 Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

I would love to say that Little Strays 2 was the ideal love letter (a worthy spiritual successor to the likes of Stray, even) to feline-centric adventure tales. Yet, I just can’t bring myself to say it. Initially, I thought that it would pull on all of the right strings and give me something to fall in love with. I loved the opening sequence—the photorealistic setting and the premise, mostly. But then, rather than having a laser pen for me to chase, it coughed up one of the worst hairballs I’d ever seen. A wholesome story about stray cats and their livelihoods being tarnished somehow led to a dull and frustrating journey—a furry exploit that, with no help from its owners, consisted entirely of bad camera work, shoddy mechanics, and god-awful UI that gave me little to no indication of where I should be going or what I should be doing. And that was all in the first seven minutes, believe it or not.

Little Strays 2 was quick to fool me into believing that it was a great game that just needed to be unboxed in order for me to enjoy to its fullest extent. Regrettably, I bought into it, remembering that, excluding Stray, cat-centric IPs were uncommon, and that if I didn’t pour my faith into one at some point, then I’d just be back in the Dead City running errands for robots all over again. With hindsight, I should’ve stuck with B-12 and the ginger tabby, mind you. It wasn’t that I made the mistake of comparing Little Strays to Stray; it was that it failed to deliver on its promise to bring a good adventure to the table. It hit the nail on the head with the playable kitten I’ll admit. However, it failed to pique my interest long enough to explore the breadth of its world. Maybe it was the motion sickness, or maybe it was simply due to the fact that it had little going for it other than the novelty factor. Either way, I couldn’t stick it out. Little Strays 2 lost me in the first round, and it didn’t do a lot to coerce me to venture back into the paws of its fur-addled protagonist.

It wasn’t long before the scratches began to grate on the skin. Forty, maybe fifty seconds in, and I wasn’t just battling against sloppy mechanics befitting a PSX platforming game, but a camera system that would frequently collide with every object, every wall, and just about every structure that Little Strays had to share in its bite-sized world. I figured, if I could just make it out of the window and start scratching through a series of tasks, then the training wheels would miraculously fall off and I’d be able to roam freely, without the weight, and without the burden of having to carry the slop on my shoulders. But, even after a number of minutes, nothing changed. I was still battling against the UI, and I was still chasing my own tail in the hopes that it would take me somewhere else. And yet, that same pattern carried me for the duration of the entire story.

In what felt like an uphill battle to bond with Little Strays’ wooden kitten and its seemingly broken world, I probably endured a dozen or more issues. Aside from the camera constantly clipping through the furniture or buildings, I also had the added luxury of having to figure out how to make ends meet and progress deeper into the story. At first, I could deal with it. But then, as time passed and the issues began to become more apparent, it stopped being so much of a challenge and soon started to feel more like a bad headache that I just couldn’t shake. Again, I loved the idea, but I just couldn’t familiarize myself with the teething issues.

Little Strays should be a good game. From the outside looking in, it reflects that quality that you crave when it comes to honing in on cat-based adventures. To be able to sink into the paws of a cat and roam a sizable world sounds like the perfect concept for any kitten-loving gamer. And to some extent, the game does just about scratch that itch. Sure enough, it lets you prowl the streets, and it lets you play the role in a way that feels authentically apt. Moreover, it gives you the chance to explore the nooks and crannies of a world that houses a good amount of objectives and odd things to unlock and explore. But it’s the execution, sadly, that pulls you away from the lovable qualities and forces you to deal with the poor design choices.

With all of the above said, Little Strays 2 is likely to scratch and itch or two, especially if you’re looking for a feline-based adventure game that lets you explore and complete odd tasks with cat-like reflexes. Mind you, I wouldn’t expect a perfect game with flawless mechanics here. It’s still a cute and wholesome game with a good amount of weight to it, but to call it the rightful heir to Stray would be a huge overstatement.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a feline-centric adventure game that looks like Stray and, more importantly, plays like it, then I’d suggest that you opt for another post to dig your claws into, for this is not the be all, end all of cat-based games that you want it to be. It isn’t that it’s a terrible game, or even that it it’s an unplayable game. That said, it is a difficult game to enjoy, mainly due to the fact that it struggles to capture a compelling world without accidentally stumbling over its own tail and countless technical issues time and time again. It’s a shame, really, as there could be a great little journey to embark upon here. But it’s the problems—the poor camera system, the wooden movement, and the vacant plot that has little purpose or major appeal, that make it difficult to recommend.