Kaser Focus: Everyone wants to be a cat

Want to learn more about the future of the video game industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry in October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Sign up today.

I spent most of the week playing Stray, the cat adventure game that everyone (including me) seems to have been looking forward to. It's not as exhilarating as last week's Bayonetta news, but it was still an enjoyable week. I really enjoyed Stray, given that it was relatively brief - it doesn't waste any space while telling a charming, albeit melancholic, story.

Part of me wonders how important his release date is to his popularity, though. It came out at a relatively quiet time of year. I'm not sure even the charming orange cat could have competed with Elden Ring.

In more recent news, Ubisoft has pushed back the new Avatar game to next year at the earliest. Whether that's for gameplay or to give other titles breathing room, I can't say. Skull & Bones could probably use the help, anyway. But I can't bring myself to be too pissed off at Ubisoft this week. I scolded them about removing Assassin's Creed Liberation, but in the meantime Nintendo has completely shut down two major stores. I can't be mad at one and just accept the other. I know Nintendo will never accept my criticisms or suggestions, but I can only hope that they will bring some of the 3DS and Wii U exclusive titles to Nintendo Switch at some point.

I'll admit I wasn't particularly thrilled with The Last Of Us Part 1. While I loved the original game, I didn't really lose my heart in it. The announcement of a remake was more of an "alright" moment than anything. But it looks like Naughty Dog is taking issue with the accusation that this upcoming remake is a "money grab". The company released a new trailer today showing off the remake's gameplay features, and Neil Druckmann describes it as "the definitive way to play The Last of Us." I more than a little take issue with the idea that the game I paid $60 for wasn't already the definitive way to play, honestly. But it has extensive accessibility features, and that justifies its existence, I think.

Event

MetaBeat 2022

MetaBeat will bring together thought leaders from across the Metaverse to advise on how Metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.

> register here

As for me, now that Stray is done, I think I'll move on to Live A Live. I've heard a lot about the game and wanted to try it out at some point, and it looks like it's as good as ever. I haven't sunk my teeth into a JRPG in a while, so I'm looking forward to it! God knows it's too hot here in Texas to go out, so any excuse to stick around and play a good fantasy story is fine with me. I'm also going to jump into the Multiversus beta, just to see if it's as absurdly fun as it sounds.

What's New:

Stray (GamesBeat Score: 4.5/5) As Dusk Falls (GamesBeat Score: 3/5) live alive RAM: Infi...