When I first learned of CARRION’s existence, I was quite enthralled to see its unique premise as fleshed-out as it was. More than just a gimmick game, taking full control of what would regularly be considered the enemy-held promise to be a blast. Now that the final product is sneaking and slithering its way into release, I took my sweet time and gave this game a run-through to see if it could surmount to the hype.

With welcome surprise, I can say that CARRION runs smooth as silk. Its pixel aesthetic is absolutely nailed, with the horrific monster maneuvering around the dank facility being a visual treat. Also commendable is the fact that, upon booting, you can get right back into the action within mere seconds. No long load times, no lackadaisical checkpoints, CARRION lets you return to where you left off in a jiffy.

As the gameplay trailers may have teased, the monstrosity you take control of can grow to be exponentially huge. You won’t start off that way, though. You begin the game by breaking out of your container to wreak havoc on the scientists studying you. As you progress, you will face more formidable foes; from civilians armed with pistols to flamethrower-wielding armored baddies (or goodies?)

More than just a slog from room-to-room, CARRION makes use of its intricate level design impressively. I’m not accustomed to Metroidvania games, but I found the backtracking to be succinct and clever. I did get lost a few times, but always managed to find my way. Between managing your size, orchestrating your attacks, and exploring to find helpful upgrades, it’s worth exploring this facility from top to bottom.

As a hulking being of indeterminate origin, you’ll find plowing through the humans in this game to be downright brutal. Sounds play for neck snaps and the necessity of devouring flesh to grow, provides tons of samples of shrieking, worried people. The lack of remorse in the monster is at the mercy of the hands of the player, as they acknowledge their path of terror from the first room to the last.

What’s interesting is there are sections of the game where you play as a human. This adds ample background so that there’s a purposeful premise to the monster, giving it motivation by showing, (not telling) how the monster came to be and why it’s so angry. Including these sections to craft a timeline and a sense of retribution give depth to CARRION, making it more than mere violence for the sake of violence.

CARRION is a unique experience, but it might not be for everyone. Those looking for a sandbox of destruction will need to look elsewhere, as the game’s elaborate nature nudges the player to be deliberate in their combat and not to go out tentacles-blazing. I had a blast from start to finish, even if some sections made me take a step back to think about how to progress. It’s rewarding to clear a tough room of enemies or to solve a head-scratcher, so CARRION‘s short-but-sweet story gets a thumbs-up from me!

A PC review copy of CARRION was provided by Devolver Digital for this review.

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CARRION

$19.99 USD

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Unique Execution
• Gorgeous Pixel Graphics
• You Feel Devastating

Cons

• Inconsistent Difficulty
• No Direction For Puzzle-Solving
• Short