Kotaku Carrion Review

PC, Xbox One, Switch

Hello. I’m sorry it’s been quiet on the site this week. I’ve suddenly got the most ridiculous amount of work on in one week, working 16 hour days to try to keep on top of it all.

It’s going to be worse next week – I’m on holiday. But the site will be back up to full speed on the 3rd August.

Then to make matters worse, I figured that Carrion might be a good inclusion for Buried Treasure, and sank a whole bunch of time into that. Which made me far too aware there was no universe in which this game would be buried, because bloody hell, it’s amazing. And yeah, it’s had 29 reviews on Metacritic already, and the embargo was supposed to be today (Xbox screwed up). (Gosh, some of them are really dumb.)

What makes this game so fascinating to me is not the gimmick that you’re the enemy, which it delivers better than any previous game that’s tried it. Nor the gore, which is just the best. It’s not even the movement, even though it is, because I’ve never experienced a game where moving feels this good before. It’s that there’s no boss fights. My only real criticism is that the game’s slightly too easy, and even then, I barely mean it. Because goodness me, a game that’s not trying to be moronically difficult! It sounds like something only spoken of in legend.

So of course there are dumbass reviews saying, “WAH WAH I didn’t get to feel like I was better than other people for being able to finish this!” But ignore those buffoons, who appear to think every single game should be like every other single game. Embrace the absolute pleasure of being the monster, being the boss fight yourself. This game simply wouldn’t work if it were hard, because it would make your role as the offal-beast monster completely idiotic if you were vulnerable to the humans. The whole point of this is you’re not. You’re almost invincible, and it’s a game about feeling that way.

Anyway, Kotaku picked up my offer to review it for them, so I got to write about it anyway, and you can read it all here.

10 Comments

  1. If it helps at all I’d be happy paying the two quid a month I’m paying now if this was just links to other stuff you’d written. Also it’s good news that is not hard as that means I can play it on the Switch without fear of needing cheats or a trainer.

  2. This is from the Butcher devs, I think, even though there’s a different name on the shingle? Good contrast to that game, then, in which you also played the bad guy but were 100% not invulnerable, and which made fun of you for wanting an easier difficulty mode.

  3. Independent of its quality, the game itself is from what I’d consider a top 3 indie publisher and has been marketed for over a year on a variety of channels, with dozens of online reviews already out.

    The reason I keep visiting is to discover something I haven’t come across yet. This still rings true for most posts, but the subject of this one is more on the ‘famous’ side, with all due respect. Anyways, have a good time during your holidays!

    1. @Juan – I’m really confused by your comment. I made it really clear that this isn’t BT material, hence why I didn’t post it here. I just linked out to it elsewhere, while acknowledging how well covered it already was. I think the hundred other reviews of games barely or never covered elsewhere should probably keep the balance in the right place.

      1. I mean, it’s alright if you just didn’t want to let all of that work go to waste.

        For me personally, this sticks out quite a bit, since it’s in stark contrast to the nearly flawless track record of obscure games so far. Just a little anxious there could be more popular titles covered in the future.

        1. I understand your coment, I’m a little surprised to find Carrion here, even following a link. But, well, it’s John decision eventually 🙂

  4. Congrats on the high amount of work! I suggest it speaks to some extent to the esteem you are held to. Or that they think you are Mr Walker himself, Lord of All Fried Potato Discs… and, unless they please you, you shall curse them forevermore to know only prawn cocktail and nothing else.

  5. Would never have paid attention to this, assuming it to be scary horror, without your recommendation. Have now grabbed it and can confirm that is belongs in the wheeeee! gleeful horror genre.

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