This article originally ran under a different banner/website in August of 2020 and is now being here re-uploaded for purposes of convenience and consolidation. Please enjoy.
MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!! I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ALL!!! Have you ever been watching a horror movie late at night, and wishing you could experience the story from the monster’s point of view? I recall a scene from Stranger Things, where the Demogorgon was chasing the kids down the hallway of the school. The thrill of the hunt pushing you forward as their screams flood the hallways. While I have no desire to be a creature of the Upside-Down, to take control of one does sound entertaining in a twisted way. Well, it seems the developers at Phobia Game Studio agreed with me and aim to capture that feeling with their debut title … Carrion.
You play as a monster resembling a combination of John Carpenter’s The Thing and Carnage from the Marvel Universe. Your goals are simple: eat anybody who crosses your path, spread your masses through the lab, and escape the lab before the humans find a way to kill you. The monster itself is drawn and animated so well, you can make out the horrific detail amongst its pixelated body. As you move throughout the facility, numerous tentacles lash out from your fleshy red mass to pull you along. Hearing light bulbs crackle and break when the monster rushes by, reminds me of horror movies like Aliens and Event Horizon. Watching those tentacles reach out toward its victim only to drag them into the mass containing multiple hungry mouths with razor-sharp teeth, never gets old. With an eerie soundtrack composed by Cris Velasco, the composer behind Bloodborne and Resident Evil 7, we finally see how satisfying it is to be the monster chasing those teens down the hall can be.
Now I was initially worried about how Carrion controlled after playing the demo at PAX East. However, I am here to report controlling the rampaging monstrosity was not an issue. I used a controller at PAX, I chose my trusty mouse and keyboard during my time with Carrion. I found the control scheme for mouse and keyboard to allow for more fluid movements and attacks. I simply left-click where I wanted to go and right-click to grab objects or humans. The controls gave me enough versatility that I could burst into a room to consume my prey in a vicious fashion or lurk in the shadows until my target was just close enough.
Unfortunately, the game isn’t content to present simple humans for you to consume. Soon reinforcements arrive. Enemies in hazmat suits arrive sporting superior weapons and a laser shield. While most levels are built to allow you to duck into a vent and attack these enemies from different angles, sometimes, you won’t have that option. You’ll be forced to attack these enemies head-on, which becomes more frustrating than cathartic. Drones will be added to the mix. They will bounce around rooms, making it hard to grab them while they are decimating your health bar. Finally, you’ll find some Aliens-style mechs patrolling certain hallways. While they seem like a good idea for enemies, they completely arrest the flow of the game. If you face them head-on, they will rip you to shreds. You must resort to using guerilla tactics to rip off a piece of armor and hide before they can aim their guns at you. I AM THE TERRIFYING MONSTER!!! THESE MECHS SHOULD FEAR ME!!! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!
Fortunately, eating humans is only half the battle. Your other objective is to escape this maze-like research facility so you can consume the world. Each level, within this facility, contains a tunnel that will lead you to the next level, but it is usually blocked off. To destroy these barriers, you must find the various hives throughout the level. Infecting a hive will cause one of the plates on the barrier to decay, allowing the barrier to fall off once all hives are infected. To reach these hives, you will have to use various vents and sewer drains to transverse the level. You will also be able to unlock various genetic augmentations throughout the levels, like invisibility and projectiles to help you unlock additional paths. My favorite power was the ability to mind control humans. I just imagine the other humans asking their buddy if they feel ok, only for them to kill all their friends cause they were under my control. It makes me unleash a burst of maniacal laughter. The mind control power also came in handy unlocking various paths forward, as mind control enemies could often reach switches I could not. If it is starting to sound like Carrion is a Metroidvania game, then I would praise your astute observation.
Now, while my experience with Metroidvania games is limited, I do like the ideas Carrion is experimenting with. Some of the powers only work when you are at certain sizes. When you’re massive, you can easily smash through metal barriers, but you can only go invisible when you are smaller in size. Thematically, it makes sense. Unfortunately, your size is directly tied to your health points. It makes sense that a massive monster can take a larger beating than a smaller smile, it becomes extremely frustrating in certain parts. At one point, the game asks me to shed two-thirds of your health bar so I could use one of my abilities to unlock a door, only for the game to throw a challenging combat section at me in the next room. The idea behind your monster’s size and powers is great, but I felt the idea worked against the game’s combat.
Another thing that is in much need of fleshing out is mapping out where in the level you are located. The monster is unaware of cartography. He can only roar which causes hives to roar back to help you locate them. I am sure Metriodvaina fans can see why that is a problem. You might be able to find a path to the hive, you might find it blocked by a gate that requires you to flip a switch. The switch could be anywhere within the level and you will have no direction towards it. I frequently found myself running laps around the levels trying to find the next switch or lever that will light my path forward. I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was wasting so much time stumbling around, which never feels good. I honestly believe having a roar that points you in the right direction could have helped tremendously.
Being lost in the maze doesn’t feel like the only time Carrion wastes your time. Occasionally, the game will flashback to some human wandering around the facility, foreshadowing how our monster came to be. While I appreciate the game trying to answer the mystery, I can only say we don’t need it. Some mysteries don’t need to be solved. I am satisfied with believing the monster is a result of the hubris of science. Along with answers we don’t need, you advertised the game as one where I play a horror movie monster. I don’t want to play as a normal human. If this is not the most interesting part of your story, you don’t need to tell it. It honestly reminded me of the Mary-Jane sections in Marvel’s Spider-Man, which is not a compliment. Frankly, I would have rather these sections be cut in order to provide more polish to the combat and exploration.
My loyal followers, I recognize I have been extremely critical of this debut title. I lay hard critique at its feet because I can see a great game buried deep within Carrion. However, so many missteps keep it from being the next groundbreaking Metroidvania game. The concept of being a horror movie monster is so unique and they nail being the thing that goes bump in the night. Unfortunately, the aspect that makes Carrion a game, combat, and exploration, needed a lot more polish. I can only hope the developers can see the potential that we see and work to make a sequel that takes the Metroidvania genre by storm. At the moment, I can only recommend Carrion to those who are as hungry for a new Metroidvania as the monster is for human flesh. However, like most horror movie monsters, I am sure this is not the last we will see of Phobia Games Studio.
