WEBVTT

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(alarm blaring)

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(cat meows)

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- Like you, I've been playing
a lot of "Stray" recently.

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It's a fun, novel take

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on the action puzzle platformer genre,

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but there's more to it than that.

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It's also secretly a Valve game.

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There are three core reasons why.

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Linear level design, leading by lights,

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and physics based gameplay.

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Both "Stray" and the "Half-Life"
games do an excellent job

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of making you feel like
you're not on rails.

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Even when the levels
are completely linear,

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you always get the sense that
you're going around the game,

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doing something sneaky and subversive,

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only to realize that you
were taking the only path

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through the level that existed.

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A lot of this ties in with the verticality

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in level design too,

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where you're constantly
ascending or descending

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like a cat in a bucket.

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Valve also loves to lead
the player through levels

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with lighting,

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and nowhere is that more clearly seen

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than "Half-Life 2's" Ravenholm,

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a dark, dreary map occasionally dotted

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with well-lit areas to grab
the player's attention.

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Sound familiar?

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"Stray" functions in exactly the same way.

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It's explicit in the
early minutes of the game

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but becomes more
environmental as you progress.

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If an area draws your
eye with bright visuals,

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you're probably supposed to head that way.

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"Half-Life 2" and the Source
engine as a whole were known

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for their integration of
physics for puzzle solving.

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"Stray" isn't quite the same,

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but instead integrates
physics into the platforming,

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whether you're pushing a paint bucket down

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through a skylight or using
the weight of your cat

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to push a plank down to create a bridge.

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Also, the Zerk are headcrabs.

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(creatures chirping)

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They're totally headcrabs.

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I feel like nobody's talking about this.

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They look exactly the same,

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they jump on you in the same way.

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I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

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I'm done.

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Were there any I missed, or
do you think I'm full of it?

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Let us know in the comments below.

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(whimsical music)

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(alarm blaring)