These days games are more plentiful and consistent in terms of release schedules then ever before; a result of the many engines that have become available to AAA game developers. With the recent explosion of game engines being offered as free or monthly pay models(Unreal, CryEngine 3) the industry has seen more games being made then ever. AAA titles aren’t the only games taking advantage of these free engines however, as many indie games have basically been built from the ground up from new engines such as Unity and RPG Maker. These engines tend to be more simple when it comes to creating games, but sometimes the simplest tools can create something great. We have seen a huge surge in horror RPG Maker titles as of late (Omori, yume nikki) and with that being said, Stray Cat Crossing is one of the latest entries in this weird little sub genre of horror games.
Stray Cat Crossing opens with our nameless protagonist walking along a road on a dark night, where she is stopped by a small girl named Cat. The girl says she is lost and can’t remember anything, so you decide to help her out by giving her your scarf and a helping hand. Shortly after you come across a large spooky mansion, with cat running inside, leaving you to find her and figure out the mysteries of the mansion. The set up is pretty light on narrative and doesn’t explain a lot, but soon enough you find yourself wrapped up in a disturbing tale of family ties, murder and jealousy. The plot isn’t exactly what I’d call original, but it’s helped by the many horrifying yet sweet characters you meet along the way. The story is never too complicated that you feel lost, but sometimes loses track of what exactly it wants to do. I can point to the theater section as a prime example of this, as sometimes there is a little too much style rather then substance in the story department. The pacing also somewhat dies towards the end, with everything wrapping a little too easily, yet still leaves just enough open to interpretation that its not too big of a complaint.
In terms of gameplay, there isn’t exactly a whole lot to discuss here. Being an RPG Maker title, the level of interaction you have with the world is pretty slim, as this is more of a story driven puzzle game with light platforming sections. While I’d like to say the game does either of these things well, sadly there are some major stumbles that leave the game feeling a little clunky and broken. While there is only about one section where precise platforming is needed, the sequence feels incredibly frustrating due to the poor controller mapping and instant failure state if a monster catch’s you, forcing you to relive the same jump scare over and over again until you get it right.
While I wish I could say differently about the puzzles, there really isn’t a whole lot on offer here. Some puzzles are actually quite interesting and use the games aesthetics and world to their advantages, such as spinning a large clock to get across a lake, or traversing a fog laden maze, but some puzzles are straight up game breaking. One such puzzle comes in the third act, where you are tasked with participating in a play and giving multiple characters the items they need so you can progress in the story. However, if you don’t get this exactly right on the first couple of tries, you will run out of the items and are forced to replay the first section of the play, without any possible way of triggering the second and third parts, essentially breaking the game. I was forced to restart the game due to this and create an extra save file for this specific section as it was so complicated and actually forced me to fail multiple times to get all the items needed. This element of the game made me realize just how shoddily put together the game is at times, which is a shame, because with a little more polish these problems wouldn’t have been an issue.
Visually, Stray Cat Crossing is one of the most polished and detailed looking RPG Maker games I have ever seen. The whole world has a distinctly graphic and horrific style to it, with some monsters looking similar to something from Junji Ito’s work (Gyo, Itou Junji Kyoufu Collection). The tone and atmosphere established in the original trailer for the game comes across perfectly here, as the whole thing seems like if Studio Ghibli was to create a horror film, complete with animal spirits and creepy baby faced monsters. The games score compliments the visuals perfectly, both of which done wonderfully by the talented jurlo. The games soundtrack does what any good horror game score should, build up tension and mystery yet still remain enchanting and haunting, even long after you have stopped playing.
To me, the problem with Stray Cat Crossing is that its frustratingly laid out. All the pieces there would make for something great, but its the lack of any real polish in terms of its gameplay and puzzles that lets it down. The world is fascinating and unique, something you need from a good RPG Maker game to real your audience in, but when you hold the product in your hands you feel like its going to fall apart at any point. As the premier game from developer JetPackGone, its an admirable first attempt at an original horror game, but is weighed down due to the developer not really knowing how to design compelling puzzles.
Look into it if you want a short dark fairy tale, otherwise maybe don’t cross this black cat’s path
