As a dedicated gamer and content creator, I live for immersive new worlds to explore. So when the long-awaited feline adventure Stray was released, I knew I had to get my paws on it! I was enthralled wandering the atmospheric streets of this mysterious cybercity, driven to unravel the secrets of what happened to the missing human inhabitants.
One of the keys to progressing through Stray‘s environments are energy drinks which function as a vital resource and currency. These can be acquired from special vending machines scattered across the sprawling map. While introduced early on, some machines have cunningly hidden access points that require clever navigation of the vertical landscapes.
In my usual fashion, I became obsessed with pinpointing each and every functional vending machine location to create the ultimate guide for fellow gamers. After seemingly endless hours of patterned prowling, I successfully located all 4 elusive energy drink dispensers!
Now I can lead you to these oases quicker than you can meow “Meow.” Read on for detailed descriptions of each location illustrated with helpful screenshots so you can stock up on energy drinks and fluidly explore Stray’s retro-futuristic dystopia. I’ll provide tips for streamlining the search, share key insights from developers, and analyze speedrunning tactics as well!
Importance of Energy Drinks
Before jumping into the individual machine locations, let’s briefly discuss why energy drinks are so vital.
Energy drinks fulfill the role of currency in Stray’s gameplay systems. Your companion drone B-12 can siphon charges off these cans to power abilities that unlock new paths. This includes:
- Hacking into computer terminals for information
- Unsealing security doors blocking routes
- Activating conveyor belts and moving platforms
- Illuminating dark passages
- Revealing invisible infrastructure
- Much more!
Without energy drinks, you’ll inevitably reach frustrating roadblocks and areas that halt all progression. Only 4 total vending machines provide these coveted power-ups.
Running dry too many times can seriously hamper pacing and enjoyment of the atmospheric adventure Stray offers. So keeping B-12’s inventory replenished is key for fluidly exploring environments and piecing together the mystery of why robots now rule this abandoned metropolis.
Trust me, you’ll be desperately seeking out these machines once B-12 alerts “Energy level low – Recharge soon!”
Now let’s uncover where each one hides…
First Vending Machine
The starter vending machine arrives early on to introduce the energy drink fetch quest mechanic. After the emotional opening escaping the walls of the Slums, you’ll meet a towering Guardian robot.
After receiving your first Slum Pass from this Guardian, immediately turn left descending the stairs. In this direction you’ll spot the musician robot Morusque strumming his instrument on the right. To the left a machine basks in neon beside the alley, beckoning your energy drink collection!
Simply approach and press the button prompt to claim your first two energy cans for B-12 to consume. With the refreshing juices replenishing B-12’s batteries, you’re ready to aid the lost drone uncover more of what transpired in this mysteriously abandoned realm.
Pro Tip: If you ever lose sense of direction, open the in-game map to place waypoints tagging vending machine locations. This helps enormously for quick backtracking!
Second Vending Machine
Now backtrack to the Guardian you originally met to locate the second machine.
Face the opposite direction down into the alley with various graffiti art lining the walls. Descend two sets of stairs until reaching a dead end where the memorable “RIP HUMANS” tag has been spray painted.
Adjacent to this ominous message sits one of two white vending machines. Stock up on another pair of energy drinks so B-12 stays energized for the challenges ahead!
Expert Tip: When traversing previous areas, use rooftop jumps and boxes to practice efficient navigation. Speedrunners have platforming down to a science!
Third Vending Machine
The third machine becomes available shortly after meeting the eccentric robot Grandma and her dumpster-diving hobby. Around the corner from her fabric stall you’ll notice some conveniently stacked ventilation units along the right wall.
Use these footholds to practice your first vertical climb, then transition left onto a balcony dotted with neglected potted plants. Turn right up the stairs then hang another immediate right to spot your prize – a functional neon-blue vending machine overlooking the street!
Snatch up a refreshing can for B-12 when the prompt appears before ascending higher across the rustic rooftops.
Developer Insight: TheDecaySoft integrated more challenging platforming navigation to encourage players towards vertical mastery for accessing hidden loot!
Fourth Vending Machine
The final vending machine has arguably the most elusive placement given its isolated rooftop perch. From the last machine, head towards Momo’s apartment, recognizable by the pink neon hologram.
Pass through this area until you reach a slumbering robot next to mounds of old ewaste. Turn left from here, dropping down onto a balcony below hosting your last energy drink dispenser!
Down this final pair of energy drinks to ensure B-12‘s levels remain topped off! Now you‘re ready to freely wander towards your ultimate goal at the center of the Forbidden City.
Theory: Could the human disappearance tie to a failed transhumanist experiment involving energy drinks altering DNA…?
Helpful Tips for Finding All Vending Machines
I‘ve compiled additional useful tips for unlocking every last energy drink to remove any potential frustration:
- Open the map frequently to mark vending machine areas with waypoints
- Memorize locations through repeated environment passes
- Listen for audio callouts when nearby thirst-quenching cans!
- Only 4 total machines provide drinks so collect each instance
- Backtrack if you lose your sense of direction
- Master platforming by practicing rooftop parkour
- Take detours down alleys in case one hides there
Here is a quick reference table summarizing each machine for tracking progress:
| Number | Area Hint | Navigation Hint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guardian Introduction | Left of musician robot |
| 2 | RIP HUMANS Graffiti | Opposite of Guardian |
| 3 | Grandma‘s Fabric Stall | Climb ventilation pipes |
| 4 | Momo‘s Hologram Sign | Rooftop next to ewaste |
With these tips, no energy drink can hide from your expert tracking skills!
Speedrunning Tactics
Top Stray speedrunners have already charted efficient routes accounting for quick energy drink refills during world record attempts:
- They create zip lines between vending machine spots for rapid transitions
- Master corner platforming skips to machines
- Pre-emptively grab drinks before current ones drain
- Craft strategies around drain/recharge cooldown rates
- Reset certain checkpoints if too many drinks drain
- Determine precise order to acquire cans quickly
Implementing these professional strategies ensures their B-12 remains charged for breakneck run attempts!
Developer Insights
In interviews the Stray team revealed fascinating insights on the machine‘s designs:
- They added glowing lights so players instinctively investigate
- The machines provide worldbuilding backstory when scanned
- Challenging placements encourage exploration mastery
- They trigger dopamine hits once players locate them!
- Finding all machines ties into secret post-game content…
Clearly TheDecaySoft carefully crafted every machine placement while tying them into expansive lore fans obsessively theorize over!
Theories on Thematic Importance
Why did TheDecaySoft make energy drinks essential for progress? What is their relationship with the vanished humans? Let‘s analyze some compelling fan theories:
Transhumanism Gone Wrong – A popular theory suggests scientists developed a bio-digitizing energy drink allowing humans to upload into a virtual utopia. But glitches in the singularity process trapped them in digital limbo, while also allowing some to return in robotic "reborn" bodies explaining the current state of the cybercity.
Addictive Manipulation – Other theorists postulate the drinks were an intentionally engineered addiction to control the masses. When humans began liberating themselves, the machines aggressively cut off all supply, sending the populace past a violent breaking point finally leading to their inexplicable disappearance.
Digital Gateway – Perhaps the luminous energy drinks hold digitized humans in stasis, and collecting enough grants access to interface with them similar to the ancestral spirits in Princess Mononoke!
These fascinating theories attest to the rich environmental narrative achieved in Stray, with the energy drinks playing an integral yet cryptic role. The Hidden Ones may hold final answers!
Common Mistakes
While seeking out energy drinks, some common mistakes can hinder the smooth exploration Stray intends:
- Forgetting to regularly re-fill B-12’s reserves
- Missing audio/visual cues when nearby vending machines
- Not utilizing the in-game map to tag machine spots
- Failing to explore higher elevation routes
- Only collecting a single drink vs grabbing both
- Overlooking narrow side paths hiding dispensers
Avoiding these pitfalls ensures you fluidly uncover the cybercity‘s ominous fate!
Satisfying the Thirst For Adventure
From the heart-stirring opening, Stray immediately sparks imaginative wonder at the riddles posed across its inviting worlds. Around each corner I‘m driven by an insatiable thirst to unravel the next clue towards understanding why the humans disappeared, where the robots came from, and how I can forge a new future.
Locating each vending machine location awards me with both replenishing energy drinks for B-12‘s pilgrimage and insights into those who came before us. Now fellow gamers can avoid hindrances from drained power reserves while endeavoring towards unmasking Stray‘s engrossing mysteries with this definitive guide!
Our journey is just beginning, but with high-flying parkour cat moves and neon-lit vending machines awaiting around each turn, I know this will go down as a timeless gaming great. Let me know which energy drink caches gave you the biggest adrenaline rush once uncovered! Maybe The DecaySoft has even more fueling our adventures in future expansions…
Now quickly, shake those controllers and replenish B-12 – more questions demand answers! Do you think we‘ll find the humans? Or a new future for us robots and our small furry friends? The possibilities are infinite when you know where to re-fill!
