In horror games, we are often the weak victims. We run away from maniacs, psychos, dangerous ghosts and aggressive monsters. All these creatures are passionately eager to feel the sweet smell of the main character’s fear, because there is hardly anything he can do to oppose their strength, ferocity and unquenchable thirst for blood. We run away as fast as we can, hide and cover our mouths and noses, praying so that the creature does not hear the agitated, gasping breath. We are afraid to leave our shelter, because we know that IT is very close, IT knows the territory, we do not. IT is confident of victory, but we often think that in such a deplorable situation the next breath will be the last, and the only thing that will loom before our eyes is the full-screen “Game Over” icon, making us better feel our loss against the backdrop of a rapidly beating heart from an unexpected screamer.
But what if you imagine yourself in a completely different position?? Having complete control? Rising above emotions, spreading this most unbridled animal fear? The idea is not new, however, it is not widespread in our virtual reality. There are no well-known projects in which the player would be given the opportunity to contemplate the horror of game creatures, to watch how, in a panic, they turn into mindless, frightened animals, hoping to merge with the wall and avoid a terrible fate. Yes, this is not at all what was discussed above. The control is in your hands, you have already sentenced every unfortunate NPC. After all, you are the main character — the organizer of the wild massacre. A plot that is unmerciful to them revolves around you, the game itself allowed you this violence and cruelty.
But new feelings come: the excitement of the chase, the joy of destruction, the desire to crush the whole world under oneself. After all, what more could an amorphous creature, consisting of flesh, teeth and brutality, want?? Swallow the whole world, the entire universe with your huge mouth, so that everything around you consists of a pulsating mass of meat and blood with streams of swollen veins.
Last year’s project will help fans of virtual violence and destruction feel like they are in the role of something so vile and aggressive that can only be born in the head of another dark genius of thought of our species. All the instincts to inflict pain, the desire to contemplate the fruits of one’s intoxicating power, all the darkest and most evil will pour out here — in this indie horror of the same terrible 2020.
"Carrion" is an indie horror and platformer game, work on which began back in 2017 under the leadership Sebastian Kroskevich from Polish studio Phobia Game, and horror was born July 23, 2020 thanks to an American company Devolver Digital. The development team presented the product as a “reverse horror”, in which the player is asked to take on the role of a predator rather than a victim, which will definitely attract attention. Among players, the game is described as a platformer with elements metroidvania.
Metroidvania — the concept of the computer game genre, a subgenre of action adventure. Named after the series "Metroid" And "Castlevania", which combine sets of game mechanics and processes.
In these games, there is a large, connected world that can be explored, but access to some parts of it is blocked by all sorts of obstacles and insufficient character development. These difficulties must be overcome by selecting suitable tools and abilities. This collection will help the main character defeat more difficult enemies, find secret places and passages. The main feature of a metroidvania is the skillfully intertwined plot and gameplay.
In this project, the player will have the opportunity to wander through the underground intricate corridors in the form of a dangerous, shapeless monster the color of fresh blood, with many flexible tentacles and deadly teeth. All these delights are scattered in different places of the body and form a destructive weapon that can bring chaos not only in the scientific complex, but throughout the world, which is what we will be doing for a good three to four hours of gameplay.
Like in the unshakable classics of scary cinema by type "Something" or "Drop" amorphous living beings never turn out to be friendly and peaceful. As soon as the highest minds of the biological society begin to study hitherto unseen strange creatures, conduct experiments on them, etc., it all ends in tragedy and an incalculable number of cruel deaths. "Carrion" has the same very standard plot.
A creature without a specific life form, but with high aggression and appetite, breaks free from the experimental flask, and from the first seconds the player is surrounded by screams of horror from workers and guards, he needs to move through pipes and ventilation passages in search of his biological material selected by scientists for successful evolution into a more deadly and destructive form.
Along the way, you will have to destroy barriers of varying strength, skillfully use tentacles to open levers and doors, at the same time destroying the living population of the base in order to feed and build up new mass. You can develop both basic abilities, without which it is simply impossible to get to the next protected level of the base, and additional ones, which will give your insatiable creature a more threatening appearance. As you enter new blocks, the complexity of obstacles, terrain and security increases, the player needs to skillfully use abilities and apply them in the right places, while trying not to get lost in endless passages of the same type, since the game map is really vast and confusing, difficulties in orientation may arise.
The plot of the game is quite weak, this is noted among the general disadvantages. There is no backstory or plot presented, the player is immediately offered to escape from his confinement and plunge into a world of screams and blood. Only three times in the entire game you can see early events and play as a person, one of the scientists who studied this very monster. In the future, one interesting episode will be shown, but it will turn out to be very predictable for the horror of this concept, and rather does not introduce the player to the meaning of what is happening, but rather shows the attitude of military structures to the scientific community and their warnings about the dubious use of a new type of living organism. Honestly, even the animated announcement trailer for the game looks more exciting than the final product. But you can definitely get a bit of pleasure from destroying the game world.
In general, the game received fairly positive reviews . The pluses of critics are the interesting game graphics and design style, as well as a not particularly memorable, but very atmospheric soundtrack, the likes of which can be heard in relatively modern films with an intense atmosphere or plot scene. The disadvantages do not drag the game down so much in the ratings, however, because of them, on a ten-point rating scale it can be given a seven, or even called “passing”. For example, according to the critic "Gambling Mania" by Denis Pavlushkin, "Carrion" "failed to grow from an interesting idea into an interesting game of the level "Hollow Knight" or "Rain World".
Game designers didn’t seem to know what https://casinomrpunter.co.uk to do with this idea and how to challenge the player within its framework.”. Of course, this game certainly cannot be compared in terms of complexity and involvement with the vast and deep world of “Hollow Knight”, but still, our devourer of underground base personnel can be called a “successful experiment” in terms of visuals and the very possibility of telling the story from the perspective of a bloodthirsty monster.
Game structure
Like a game with a core metroidvania element, character development and strengthening matter more than story depth. Moving forward level by level and infecting the very structure of the base, contributing to its rapid corrosion, the creature piece by piece regains its genetic code, acquiring an increasingly dangerous form for all living things. But what exactly is this monster?? How and where did he come from?? For what purpose, besides study, was it kept at the base in a “disassembled” form?? What would happen to the world if such a creature were to break free?? Unfortunately, the game will not give answers to many questions even after a complete playthrough, which will have a strong impact on the player’s perception and involvement in this world of deaf, blood-splattered corridors.
Who exactly is our deadly creature?? The game itself can provide at least a possible version of the modern prototype of this virtual monster. While controlling the scientist, the player wanders around the base and collects samples of some worms that may be parts of the monster. They are similar to common tubifex (lat. Tubifex tubifex) — a type of oligochaete worms. These are thin, thread-like, pink creatures up to 40 mm long.
They have 4 bristles on each body segment; they feed on decaying particles, swallowing and passing silt through the intestines. Such associations can be prompted by Hydrophilia — an ability that allows a monster to disintegrate into a swarm of worms in the water in order to swim through a mesh or grate. So we can assume that the main character is a clot of incredibly highly mutated worms. It looks like that, only with a huge number of spikes, jaws, tentacles and eyes (they also change color depending on the stage of evolution). There are 3 in total for 15 biomass cells.
1) First stage (1-5 biomass) — eye color and health bar are green. At this stage the monster is small, fast and very vulnerable. The abilities used are more defensive in nature and for attacking from a trap. In combat, you should be patient and build a plan of attack, since the creature will not be able to use brute force. For the most part, this stage is used to solve puzzles and find a way further along the map.
2) Second stage (6-10 biomass) — yellow color, increase in size and strength. The monster is capable of releasing keratin spikes (it turns out something like armor) and moves the weight of its body to the front, becoming a living battering ram, which allows it to knock out wooden and metal obstacles, as well as inflict significant damage to the enemy.
3) Third stage (11-15 biomass) — blood red, warning color. The last, most powerful and bulky stage. Most problems can be solved only by force and a battering ram in the form of yourself. Keratin armor covers the entire body and can withstand the power of homing explosive projectiles. You can use a piercing attack at this stage — a strike with a flurry of tentacles, capable of destroying large military structures, such as mechs or heavily equipped soldiers. However, at this stage there is a problem with movement — the creature is too large and loses maneuverability, it is more difficult to penetrate narrow passages and dodge on the battlefield.
The player must skillfully use all three stages depending on the territory where the monster is located. It is possible to leave fleshy cocoons with biomass in special tanks, and then safely return for them.
The creature has entire classes of abilities: from active and used on an ongoing basis, to passive and serving as resistance to aggressive external conditions. In most cases, they are of a protective nature (invisibility, armor). For a more powerful and effective attack, the last stage of evolution is used with previously acquired power amplifiers. The most useful and basic ability is Parasitism two-level. At the first, the monster releases a very small part of itself, penetrating a living person or someone already killed and forcing them to open doors for themselves, you can even shoot your doll’s comrades. The final and plot-important level of parasitism is the complete infection of the victim by the creature and the takeover of its body and nervous system.
There are enough different abilities in the game, and it would seem that together this makes the monster completely invulnerable. However, you still understand how fragile the disgusting main character is when you face the onslaught of his motley enemies head-on.
There are really a lot of opponents in the game with different levels of difficulty and danger. On the way you will meet defenseless workers screaming in horror, who are only good for feeding, and more armed, hard-to-reach soldiers who will not be afraid to use flamethrowers, machine guns and force fields against you. Although it is worth noting that the intellect of both of them is at the level of a vegetable, because as soon as they leave sight, the survivors will immediately forget about the huge carnivorous creature, lower their guns and continue a calm walk through the half-destroyed room littered with pieces of their comrades.
But the tool of humanity in this horror is smarter and more dangerous than the creators themselves, who is really capable of bringing you problems and forcing you to regenerate several times. Drones and turrets are the most problematic enemies, since the former swoop in en masse and quickly annihilate you, while the latter need to be disabled yourself if you manage to slip past sensitive sensors unnoticed.
If you’ve played the Founding Fathers of Metroidvania, you can definitely say that "Carrion" is rather weak in this regard. She captures the eye-catching visuals and the most rarely used concept of the main character of the monster, so to speak. As was appropriately noted by critics, one feels the incompleteness of the intriguing idea, mostly due to the boring and sometimes inconvenient gameplay.
Gameplay
Definitely, it’s worth playing on a gamepad, the monster’s movements are felt much better, which only enhances the feeling of an unharmed cannibal, which the game so kindly allows the player to be. An unknown creature is easy to control with just one movement of the stick — it already automatically extends its tentacle and grabs an object. Other buttons and pressing them are responsible for using different abilities. At first, it’s really exciting: slipping right in front of the noses of unsuspecting people, attacking them on the sly, absorbing their mutilated bodies, leaving not a single living soul on the floors. Destroy everything in its path, infecting every corner of the base with itself. Turn combat vehicles into a pile of useless scrap metal. A wonderful feeling of omnipotence, really? Unfortunately, it may not last long, although this is quite individual, maybe you will penetrate much deeper. It would seem that there are as many as 12 different locations of the pleasure of chaos and destruction, and yet the process becomes the same. It all comes down to the fact that the player wanders around similar levels, looking for new loopholes where he has not yet destroyed everything. The situation is worsened by the complete absence of a game map, so the player is forced to strain his memory and try to navigate on his own. Of course, basically the game itself guides the monster through the level, but it’s easy to get lost, especially on the final floors of the base.
Since accurate orientation on the ground seems difficult, a caring user Demajen a whole set of maps of the main locations was created indicating all the biological materials for fully upgrading your monster. Also, the difficulty in control is visible at the last stage of evolution, where the bulky and clumsy, but no less dangerous, creature must squeeze into narrow passages or interact with small levers and other puzzles. Obvious vulnerability can also be annoying. How is such a powerful creature, at the last stage of its development, consisting entirely of powerful tentacles and strong teeth that can pierce literally anything, capable of harming anything?? Despite this, the monster dies too quickly from fire and bursts of shots, the player is forced to frequently recover in order to attack again and again until he can successfully clear the location.
In general, it’s attractive, of course, to feel like you’re in the role of a monster, but in the first hour, then you’re just looking for levers, tearing off bars, squeezing through pipes to get to a similar place and start all over again.
Again, this is a generalized opinion, maybe you find the game to be the missing element in the gaming experience. Personally, I liked quickly dealing with levels, looking for passages and additional abilities, but I was confused by the lack of a map, and the same transitions from level to level put pressure on my head. However, this did not stop me from enjoying the unusual role of a monster.
Graphics
The game will definitely attract your attention at first glance with the interesting style of the good old eight-bit cards and competent animation of the monster. Elements of murder, tearing apart bodies and their further absorption will definitely justify its high age rating.
An interesting point: in the pre-alpha version of the game, the developers showed a slightly different design and interaction.
The style itself looks a little different. It’s as if the human figures were enlarged, but the monster itself was the opposite. And the attack on the victims was even more bloody (it was possible to grab a person by the head with a tentacle, hit him against the wall and tear him off the body along with part of the ridge with a rather unpleasant sound, admiring how blood flows like a fountain from a hole in the corpse), however, the details of the already high level of violence were reduced, and now the creature simply feeds on bodies for its own development. The patterns of blood and infection on the walls in the corridors look very fascinating.
Musical accompaniment
Of course, the extremely atmospheric soundtrack for the game was recorded Chris Velasco. And while it may not be memorable, it does serve as a good backdrop for what’s going on. Thanks to him, you can feel the impulses that run through the player before the next attack on the victim, predetermining his fate for a long time. The sound is moderately tense, moderately energetic, does not particularly affect the player’s mood, just plays in the background, as if in an elevator, the journey in which will be your last and worst.
Well, to sum it up, we can safely call “Carrion” an entertaining project for several hours. Yes, it most likely will not be remembered, but will simply be listed on the list of completed games due to the problematic gameplay, the paucity of the surrounding world, the general history, the same type of actions and tasks. Even the search for new abilities for perfect pumping is not particularly helpful, since in the end all improvements will be tailored to pressing levers and knocking out obstacles.
And yet, one should not lose sight of the fact that the idea itself can already be very captivating, coupled with an interesting graphic style and a sense of control of an unstoppable, cruel monster. This horror platformer will allow you to be in the skin of a creature for a good three to four hours, entirely consisting of pure cruelty, deadly teeth and perfect hunting instincts, fulfilling your only desire — to feel the fresh air with its tentacles and destroy everything that could interfere with this.
Working in an underground secret laboratory, being an important scientist, soldier or simple security guard, pay close attention to your colleagues. Does any of them have nosebleeds?? Does it move somehow unevenly and jerkily?? Does a tired, tortured look? And don’t be so dismissive of noise in ventilation or pipes. Rarely do they turn out to be simple technical problems.