Rival consoles – this week’s top games
Stray
PlayStation 4/5, PC £23.99, PEGI12
Stray is a cat lover gamer’s dream. Inaneon-filledcity,playersexplore as a small ginger cat, meowing at the various robot inhabitants, to find their way home. Ultimately, the brilliance of Stray comes from the fact that you are a normal cat. Rather than having over-charged superpowers, players (with the help of a small robot) navigate through the brilliantly detailed world by scratching carpets, pawing at doors, and deliberately knocking items off of ledges – all in third-person view, in a well-paced, perfectly challenging game. 10/10
Xbox, PC £24.99, PEGI 16
A failed heist in the late 1990s in small-town America sees the lives of a number of characters forever changed. Using a series of quicktime events, players make choices thatwillimpacttherestofthegame in serious,unexpected, and sometimes tragic ways. The captivating storytelling is the game’s strong point, pulling players back in for repeat plays. However, as with a number of other drama-based games like this, the story could be hugely condensed. The first three episodes could realistically be one to one-and-a-half episodes. 7/10
InthemedievalScottishHighlands startingwithonlyyourclosestfamily and an empty plot of land, you must build your homestead and clan into a legacy that you can leave behind for generations to come. The graphics and characters are simple yet full of detail, with an ‘8bit’ feel to them, that adds to the relaxed and fun atmosphere of the early-access game. Clanfolk is detailed and involved but a thorough tutorial continually pops up as you progress, leading you through a game you can become thoroughly immersed in. 6/10