Review: We want more reverse horror games like Carrion
Source: Devolver Digital
Reverse-horror game Carrion puts you in control of an amorphous tentacle creature from places unknown. This is an indie platformer, developed by Phobia Games and published by Devolver Games, that’s set inside a laboratory facility where you must slither and worm your way to freedom, snacking on humans and growing larger, more powerful, and more ferocious!
While there are some games where the player is the monster, none do it quite so well as Carrion. This has all the earmarks of a classic.
Dems Good Eatin’!
Carrion
Pros
- Uncommon concept
- Deep dark soundtracks
- Great retro-art style
- Moreish gameplay
Cons
- Teeth gratingly challenging (yet fair)
What you’ll love about Carrion
Category | Spec |
---|---|
Developer | Phobia Game Studio |
Publisher | Devolver Digital |
Players | Single-Player |
Genre | Action, Adventure, Indie |
Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Nintendo Switch |
Cross-play | Yes |
Age-rating | Mature |
Price | $20 |
I know Momma always said not to play with your food, but dangling them around the room before you tuck them safely into your maw is quite fun. After you have ripped a human in two, I loved how you can get parts of them stuck to you, the monster equivalent of dropping spaghetti down your shirt.
It’s addictively fun, but you’ll soon run up against a sharp difficulty curve once you start having to deal with obstacles, which had me sighing in frustration but determined to continue. It’s almost as though the facility was one day expecting a breakout to happen because the artillery used against you hurts. Not all humans are helpless either, though you will have your fair share of easy pickings, there are plenty of humans armed and ready to shoot if they even catch a whiff of a tentacle.
Source: Devolver Digital
Dying doesn’t come with any massive drawbacks unless you had managed to make progress without finding the next checkpoint first. The checkpoints are cracks in walls and masonry that you slither into and spread your corruption. Enemies do not respawn, and this is somewhat of a blessing given how squishy you are.
Switching perspectives and changing up gameplay
Source: Devolver Digital
I also believe it might be possible to complete the game without eating anyone, or at least very few people. A lot of the room design allows for stealth, which you develop a skill for later on anyway, but my first playthrough was more geared towards snacking than sneaking. I enjoyed taunting the humans into position, ripping the grate from above them, and snaking my grip around their head. You will even get an achievement for your first tasty brain!
The soundtrack is supposed to represent the monster’s perspective and it’s full of howling horns, dancing drums, and scratchy synths — the sounds of nightmares, hopelessness, and angst propel you toward your goal. Cris Velasco, the composer of Carrion’s soundtrack, is quoted as saying, “the score is the monster’s inner dialogue,” and It feels very true. I intend to go back and try to play through it without killing anyone and appreciate the sounds more closely.
Thankfully the controls are simple to use, and the on-screen HUD is tucked neatly into the corners where it doesn’t obstruct the view of the game. There is also the bonus of going back and finding extra DNA powerups that I missed. Replayability! Yay!
What you might not love about Carrion
Source: Devolver Digital
It’s worth noting also that some areas that you visit will not be fully traversable until you return later in the game with a skill to punch down wooden barriers, or even draw out plugs. Some puzzles were so challenging I believed I was trapped and had done something wrong and might have to restart the game (I didn’t). The solutions are often so simple you will kick yourself for having struggled over it, and it’s something I wish would’ve been clearer at the top of the game.
Should you buy Carrion?
Source: Devolver Digital
Carrion will be great fun for people who enjoy horror B-movies, Metroidvania-esque level design, and using their brains (mmm brains). I enjoyed this “Reverse-Horror” game and hope to see more like it.
Carrion will cost you $20 of your finest bones on Xbox and PC, and is available on Xbox Games Pass. It’s also available on the Nintendo Switch. For more games, we highly recommend, check out our list of best Xbox One games available today.
Dem’s Good Eatin’!
Carrion
Carrion is a feast in more ways than one.
Crunch your way to freedom, eat all the people, grow fat, and spread your corruption! You won’t get enough of this reverse horror and will definitely go back for seconds.
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