This Stray Mod Lets You Live Out Your Feline Dreams

BlueTwelve Studio's "Stray" puts players in the paws of an adorable cat lost in a strange cyberpunk city populated exclusively by robots. The furry little protagonist has to navigate the neon-lit alleys of this mysterious techno-metropolis in order to find their way home with the assistance of a friendly droid named B-12. The game captured the imagination and excitement of fans who were delighted by its ambiance and design. Critics have likewise praised "Stray" for the uniquely cat-like way it approaches gameplay. Players can knock objects off shelves, rub against the legs of robots to get pets and there is even a dedicated meow button that can be abused as much as the player wants. Basically, it allows them to roleplay being a cat doing cat-things.

It seems that the modding community has also seen a lot of unique potential in the game's design. Several mods alter "Stray" in creative (and sometimes strange) ways. One turns the cat into CJ from "GTA: San Andreas" while another transforms them into everyone's favorite Scottish ogre, "Shrek." A more conventional mod simply allows players to redesign the ginger tabby using any color palette they want, making cat owners' dreams come true by letting them insert their own cat into the game. Now, a new mod puts players right in the driver's seat as they get to become the cat and play in first-person.

JessicaNatalia created and uploaded the "Stray – First Person Mod" to Nexus Mods. It places the camera right in the cat's point of view instead of hovering behind the feline as it solves puzzles and navigates the various dangers of the cyber-city in which it finds itself. JessicaNatalia has only uploaded four mods to the platform to date, but this will be their third time creating a first-person mod for a game, as she has also made them for the action-adventure "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" and the multiplayer prison escape puzzler "A Way Out."

There is a trailer for the mod that JessicaNatalia posted on their YouTube channel to showcase what "Stray" looks like from this new perspective. Being in the cat's point of view places the camera very close to the ground. This makes the city and its residents seem much bigger, which lends itself to the premise of being a small mammal in a massive machine settlement. Some of the movement seen in the trailer when the cat turns its head is jarring, with multiple commenters expressing concerns about nausea. Those prone to motion sickness may want to approach the mod with caution.