If Disney's 1970 classic The Aristocats taught us anything, it's that everybody wants to be a cat. And so it proved this week with the release of Stray on PlayStation and PC. Cats! Cats everywhere! We've had pictures, videos, wild praise, hot-takes, and an entire sub-genre of social media has popped up overnight showing cats (and a few dogs) reacting to people play.

Stray's cat is the talk of the town - its own meme almost - but is there more to BlueTwelve Studio's debut game than the promise of letting you walk in the pawsteps of mankind's favourite frenemy?

I like animals, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not the kind to melt into a puddle of aawws when a pair of dilated pupils look up at me. I do think cats are cool though; they’re independent, mysterious, and you can never quite be sure whether it's love in those eyes or murderous intent. For me personally, it was the art style and world of Stray that grabbed me. And the fact that Annapurna Interactive (arguably the most consistent publisher in gaming) chose to slap their name on it.

Annapurna rarely miss. The games they put out are usually risky, unique, visually striking and of very high quality. And so it proves with Stray, a game in which our feline hero falls into a post-apocalyptic world filled with bored robots, cute Half-Life headcrabs and rain-soaked neon. Indeed, this probably isn’t the whimsical game that some cat lovers were expecting (those Half-Life headcrabs really aren't as cute as they first appear), and it can go to some pretty dark places at times.

This adorable protagonist has crept into homes everywhere before revealing itself as something far more interesting than the cat simulator some have labelled it as. The cat may have put this game firmly in the spotlight, but it’s the environments, the atmosphere, the characters, and the unexpected moments of levity that will stay with you.

Stray has attracted players who may otherwise never look twice at a game like this. Some will bounce right off it, some will enjoy running along gutters and pawing at carpets for half an hour and walk away happy. But some will discover a world filled with character and dripping in atmosphere. A world the likes of which they've simply never experienced before.

Whatever your view on cats, for that, Stray deserves celebrating.

A quick hello to the new subscribers this week, and thanks to those who have supported The Week in Games with a membership, by sharing it online, or simply by opening and reading it each week. This newsletter is completely reliant on shares and word of mouth, so your help and support is crucial, and hugely appreciated.

If you have any thoughts or enquiries please reply to this email directly or catch me over on Twitter.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

Take care everybody,

Jeff

NEWS

• How do you hold yours? A ResetEra poll this week sparked a heated discussion where players debated how to correctly hold a controller.

• Doom co-creator and legendary game maker John Romero is making a new first-person shooter to be made in Unreal Engine 5.

• Lego has officially announced an Atari 2600 set in celebration of Atari's 50th anniversary.

• As part of San Diego Comic-Con, Nintendo has constructed a 14ft tall Lego Mighty Bowser.

• Naughty Dog explains that most of The Last Of Us Part 1's gameplay improvements are AI based.

• Bungie has announced a new Destiny 2 showcase is coming August 23.

• Set photos from Amazon's upcoming TV adaption of Fallout have begun to circulate online.

• Capcom has announced a new set of perfumes inspired by The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures.

• Former Naughty Dog Director Bruce Straley opens new studio, Wildflower Interactive.

• Detroit: Become Human is making the jump from video games to manga. But unlike the game, will be set in Tokyo.

• Nintendo UK has announced that the 3DS and Wii U eShops will be closing down in March 2023.

• August's Girls In Games Jam has speakers form Sony and EA.

• Ubisoft has announced that Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora will be delayed to 2023-2024.

• Another huge No Man's Sky update has overhauled base building and freighters. Among other things.

• Stray has Easter eggs from Skyrim, Half-Life, Gravity Falls, and more.

• Dynamo Pictures, the visual production company behind a number of delightful Pikmin shorts among other things, has been acquired by Nintendo.

• Bayonetta 3 will be the largest game in the series.

• China's gaming crackdown causes its first ever market decline.

• Minecraft has banned NFTs and Blockchain tech from game servers

Heads-up:

• If you're not currently a PlayStation Plus subscriber, Sony are offering a 7-day free trial of their new Extra and Premium tiers.

• The PlayStation Summer Sale is also now on. With up to 75% off games.

• The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale has started. With up to 80% off games.

NEW RELEASES:

Forza Horizon's Hot Wheels update, Into the Breach on iOS and Andriod, and of course Stray were the big releases this week. All three are worth your time and worth checking out.

Next week Xenoblade Chronicles 3 arrives on Switch, and should divert some attention away from cats for a while.

Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels 

(Xbox, PC) – July 19

As Dusk Falls 

(Xbox, PC) – July 19

Endling – Extinction is Forever 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC) – July 19

Fallen Angel 

(Switch, PC) – July 19

Into The Breach 

(iOS, Android) – July 19 – Read review

Stray 

(PS4, PS5, PC) – July 19

Bright Memory: Infinite 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch) – July 21 – Read review

Coromon 

(Switch) – July 21

Live A Live 

(Switch) – July 22

UPCOMING RELEASES:

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town 

(PlayStation 4) – July 26 – Read review

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent 

(iOS, Android) – July 27

Bear and Breakfast 

(PC) – July 28

Lost Epic 

(PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) – July 28

Digimon Survive 

(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – July 29

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 

(Switch) – July 29

GAME OF THE WEEK

A randomly selected game each week! Any and all games are eligible for selection regardless of age, platform, popularity, or otherwise.

This week, the honour goes to…

Rockstar Presents Table Tennis (2006)

Not exactly what many had expected to emerge from the house that Grand Theft Auto built, Xbox 360's Table Tennis was nonetheless a highly polished, enjoyable and truly stunning-looking sports title from Rockstar. Genuinely impressive physics and mechanics and a surprising amount of depth made it a sleeper hit.

GAMING ANNIVERSARIES

Another round of gaming anniversaries to make you feel old… Sorry!

Click through the links to see what people had to say about them.

Bastion was released 11 years ago!

Limbo turned 12!

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is 21 years old!

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja is 31!

RECOMMENDED READS

Doom Creator John Romero On Dangerous Dave’s Legacy

Antony Terence - Superjump

Superjump bag an exclusive interview with the father of first-person shooters Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein.

Making subscription platforms work

Kostyantyn Lobov - GiBiz

Harbottle & Lewis' Kostya Lobov weighs up the factors developers should consider when trying to get their game included in a subscription service.

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS

Perfect Organism: An Alien: Isolation Companion

By Andy Kelly / Unbound

— unbound.com

Calling all Alien superfans! This is the ultimate unofficial guide to Alien: Isolation, considered to be part of the Alien franchise canon

[lock-on] Volume 004

By Lost in Cult - Campaign ends August 1st

— www.lostincult.co.uk

A premium gaming journal delivering thought-provoking stories, insightful features and carefully curated art from industry talent.

The Ranchers

By Ethan - Campaign ends August 4th

— www.kickstarter.com

An open world country-life sim game for 1-4 players on PC & consoles.

Abyssal Archive

Tune & Fairweather - Pre-orders close August 14th

— www.abyssalarchive.com

The most comprehensive study of Dark Souls' mythos ever published.

Kloa - Child of the Forest

Wildpad Games - Campaign ends August 18th

— www.kickstarter.com

An Action-Adventure filled with beautiful natural scenery, fast paced combat and intriguing puzzles

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...and that's it for this week!

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