Stray, a rather neat little puzzle-platformer about a cat in a post-apocalyptic robo-world, was fairly well received back in 2022. We gave it a solid 82 in our review, which made publisher Annapura's collapse late last year all the more concerning for studio BlueTwelve. At the very least, however, Stray's former writer is going places.
You see, after writing a science-fiction game about a cat in a gritty neon-coated world, Steve Lerner is branching out by making a science fiction about a cat in a gritty neon world. Except this time, the cat has a gun. Also, there are more cats in it.
Per the game's website, Cat Assassin is being developed by Titan1Studios in cooperation with Dogbone, the production company of none other than Dave Bautista. As in, the wrestler and actor: If you're not caught up on your storylines, you might otherwise recognise him as Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, or Glossu Rabban from Dune. Now he's making games! Good for him.
Cat Assassin's destined to be a multimedia rollout, complete with an animation series and, of course, videogames.
"Set in a gritty neo-noir world inhabited by anthropomorphized cats of all types, Cat Assassin centers on Hugh, a highly skilled assassin caught between various cartels and power brokers in a dark and twisted city. The franchise promises a unique blend of humor, action, and stealth."
Titan1Studios is mostly unproven, having only made The Events at Unity Farm—a game that appears to have had an early access release in 2023 with almost no fanfare. They're also developing something called Love Is a Roguelite, a deckbuilder thing where you have an AI-driven companion that looks… fine, I guess.
It's a shame my expectations are currently tempered, because otherwise the pitch sounds sick as hell: "Titan1Studios is already well underway with a stealth action video game inspired by the immersive gameplay of Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), the tactical espionage of Splinter Cell (Ubisoft), the immersive feline agility of Stray (Annapurna), and the fluid combat of Sifu (Kepler)."
As a Sloclap appreciator, any time Sifu or Absolver are mentioned, I get my neurons all activated. I also like a roguelike, which Cat Assassin also seems to be, based on the site's main page: "Every death sends you back to early adulthood, but the fight's not over. You and your targets reincarnate in a dynamic roguelite system, forcing constant strategic adaptation."
Here's hoping Titan1Studios, much like a cat, inevitably lands on its feet. The press release concludes: "Further details regarding the animated series, feature film, publishing partners, and additional video game titles will be announced in the coming months."
