Not only is the feline protagonist of Stray adorable, it's brought to life by its equally adorable and talented voice actor. Stray has been one of the most anticipated games of the summer, first garnering attention from its unique concept of letting players play as a cat and explore a run-down cyberpunk city. It didn't hurt that the design of the little orange cat was exceptionally cute, but what has now caught the attention of players, and their cats, is the protagonist's voice actor.
Stray features several fun mechanics that turn the puzzle-adventure into a mini cat simulator. Such mechanics include clawing carpets and furniture, scratching at doors, rubbing up against NPC's, and, most importantly, having a dedicated "meow" button. This feature in particular was one of the cute cat things players can do in Stray that made many excited to get their hands on the game.
Since Stray has a dedicated button to allow players to meow whenever they please, that means it needs to have a voice actor. Thanks to Twitter and musician JANKENPOPP, players got to meet Lala, who is reportedly the source of Stray's meows. Thanks to the decisions to record unique sounds from Lala, the protagonist of Stray feels truly alive to both players and their cats.
How Lala Brings Stray's Cat Protagonist To Life
Stray developers BlueTwelve Studio could have easily chosen to use pre-recorded cat sounds as there are plenty of high-quality recordings available online. Instead, it chose to bring in a real cat to meow, hiss, and more to provide something more personal and integrated into the game. It's this personal touch that gets players more invested in this cat who, in this big and dangerous city, could possibly die in Stray with one wrong move. This personal connection doesn't just end with the players however, as many on Twitter have shown that their own cats have become quite invested in the little orange explorer.
A video by Twitter PS Plus Extra, especially if the player has a cat of their own who might like to make a new friend.
Sources: JANKENPOPP/Twitter, Lhugy/Twitter
