Newsletter
  • Guides
  • Previews
    • Indie Games
    • PS4
    • PC
    • Xbox One
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo 3DS
    • PS Vita
    • PS3
    • Xbox 360
    • Wii U
  • Site Info
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Staff Directory
    • Join Our Team
    • Privacy Policy
      • Cookies Policy
    • RSS Feeds
    • Social Media
      • Youtube
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Twitch
      • Instagram
      • Tumblr
      • Linkedin
      • Pinterest
      • Discord
  • Discord
  • Store
  • Logitech G
  • green man gaming
  • Affiliates
    • GAMIVO.com
    • Logitech
    • Astro Gaming
    • Nord VPN
    • Best Buy
    • Namecheap Hosting
    • Blue Mic
    • Ultimate Ears
    • Jaybird
Friday, May 23, 2025
BG
  • News
    • All
    • Esports
    • Interviews

    Bungie Premieres Gameplay For Marathon

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Top Played Sport Games in Canada

    The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Releases 2025

    esports new frontier

    The New Frontier: Exploring the Thrills of Esports Betting and its Impact on Traditional Sports Betting

    XDEFIANT REVEALS INFO FOR SEASON 1

    KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS IS COMING TO XBOX

    Trending Tags

    • Top Stories
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • Nintendo
    • Retro Games
    • Mobile Games
    • Indie Games
    • Square Enix
    • Sony
    • Microsoft
    • PAX
    • EGX
    • Gamescom
    • Rockstar Games
    • Electronic Arts
    • Activision Blizzard
    • E3 Expo
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Flash Game Reviews
    • Google Stadia
    • Indie Game Reviews
    • Mobile Game Reviews
    • Nintendo 3DS Reviews
    • Nintendo Switch Reviews
    • PC Reviews
    • PS Vita Reviews
    • PS3 Reviews
    • PS4 Reviews
    • PS5 Reviews
    • Retro Game Reviews
    • Reviews RoundUP
    • Xbox 360 Reviews
    • Xbox One Reviews

    Wild Assault Early Access Review

    Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land PC Steam Deck Review

    ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist PC Review

    Ninja Gaiden 2 Black PS5 Review

    Atomic Heart

    Atomic Heart Enchantment Under the Sea DLC Review

    Tomb Raider I-III Remastered PC Review

    ATOMIC HEART: TRAPPED IN LIMBO Review

    Granblue Fantasy: Relink PS5 Review

    Crymachina

    CryMachina PS5 Review

    Trending Tags

    • Resident Evil
    • Call of Duty
    • Final Fantasy
    • Destiny
    • Borderlands
    • Halo
    • The Elder Scrolls
    • Fortnite
    • PUBG
    • Bioshock
    • The Witcher
  • Opinion
    • All
    • Second Opinion
    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    Why Gamers Are Flocking To Online Casino Apps

    casino games you can play on your mobile phone

    Most Casino Games You Can Play on Your Mobile Phone

    Sport Betting and sports bets or online sporting events gambling as football betting and draft picks or basketball game bet and Hockey betting with 3D illustration elements.

    Overlooked Strategies That Can Improve Your Betting

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Online Games That We Always Keep on Playing

    Online Games When You Have Only 15 Minutes

    Trending Tags

    • Is It A Classic?
    • Remember When
    • Do We Even Care Anymore?
    • Humpday Haikus
    • Top Series
    • Thirsty Thursday
    • Aging Gamer
    • On The Way To E3
  • Podcasts
    • All
    • The BagoCast
    • TSR BagoCast

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Politics in Video Games Games

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist 2

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Titan Fall and Apex: Legends Hacked

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist

    BagoCast EP: 12 – Code Vein and the DLC

    Debate/Discussion: Bad Video Games That We Love

    Discussion/Debate: Is Bioware Gone?

    Trending Tags

    • Film Fallout
    • 8Bit Proof
    • Gaming Historia
    • Bago Anime Cast
    • Gamers In Beta
    • Gamers Unscripted
  • Videos

    Controller Guide For Wild Assault

    Trevor Bogan Interview

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden’s Gets Gameplay Trailer

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Gets New Story Trailer

    Stephen Oyoung Interview

    Jacqueline Pinol Interview

    So, You Wanna Play Junker Queen?

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Void Slayer – Review

  • Geek Culture
    • All
    • Anime and Manga
    • Anime/Manga Review
    • Collectibles
    • Comic Books
    • Cosplay
    • Movies
    • Tech
    • TV Shows

    Tickets Are Now on Sale for OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom

    Crunchyroll Announces Blu-ray Titles Coming in January 2025

    MY BOYFRIEND IS A DOG Manga gets English release

    Jae Woo Kim Interview

    Crunchyroll Anime Award 2024 Winners Announced

    GAYMING AWARDS 2024 NOMINEES & HOSTS ANNOUNCED

    The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Anime Review: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Crunchyroll Acquires Anime Film The Concierge in North America, Reveals Trailer

    Crunchyroll Announces New Titles Coming Next Year at NYCC

    Trending Tags

    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie News
    • TV News
    • TV Episode Review
    • Episode Guide
    • Competitive Gaming
    • Tech News
    • Tech Review
    • Anime and Manga News
    • Anime and Manga Review
    • Comic Book News
    • Comic Book Review
  • Forum
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Esports
    • Interviews

    Bungie Premieres Gameplay For Marathon

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Top Played Sport Games in Canada

    The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Releases 2025

    esports new frontier

    The New Frontier: Exploring the Thrills of Esports Betting and its Impact on Traditional Sports Betting

    XDEFIANT REVEALS INFO FOR SEASON 1

    KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS IS COMING TO XBOX

    Trending Tags

    • Top Stories
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • Nintendo
    • Retro Games
    • Mobile Games
    • Indie Games
    • Square Enix
    • Sony
    • Microsoft
    • PAX
    • EGX
    • Gamescom
    • Rockstar Games
    • Electronic Arts
    • Activision Blizzard
    • E3 Expo
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Flash Game Reviews
    • Google Stadia
    • Indie Game Reviews
    • Mobile Game Reviews
    • Nintendo 3DS Reviews
    • Nintendo Switch Reviews
    • PC Reviews
    • PS Vita Reviews
    • PS3 Reviews
    • PS4 Reviews
    • PS5 Reviews
    • Retro Game Reviews
    • Reviews RoundUP
    • Xbox 360 Reviews
    • Xbox One Reviews

    Wild Assault Early Access Review

    Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land PC Steam Deck Review

    ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist PC Review

    Ninja Gaiden 2 Black PS5 Review

    Atomic Heart

    Atomic Heart Enchantment Under the Sea DLC Review

    Tomb Raider I-III Remastered PC Review

    ATOMIC HEART: TRAPPED IN LIMBO Review

    Granblue Fantasy: Relink PS5 Review

    Crymachina

    CryMachina PS5 Review

    Trending Tags

    • Resident Evil
    • Call of Duty
    • Final Fantasy
    • Destiny
    • Borderlands
    • Halo
    • The Elder Scrolls
    • Fortnite
    • PUBG
    • Bioshock
    • The Witcher
  • Opinion
    • All
    • Second Opinion
    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    Why Gamers Are Flocking To Online Casino Apps

    casino games you can play on your mobile phone

    Most Casino Games You Can Play on Your Mobile Phone

    Sport Betting and sports bets or online sporting events gambling as football betting and draft picks or basketball game bet and Hockey betting with 3D illustration elements.

    Overlooked Strategies That Can Improve Your Betting

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Online Games That We Always Keep on Playing

    Online Games When You Have Only 15 Minutes

    Trending Tags

    • Is It A Classic?
    • Remember When
    • Do We Even Care Anymore?
    • Humpday Haikus
    • Top Series
    • Thirsty Thursday
    • Aging Gamer
    • On The Way To E3
  • Podcasts
    • All
    • The BagoCast
    • TSR BagoCast

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Politics in Video Games Games

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist 2

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Titan Fall and Apex: Legends Hacked

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist

    BagoCast EP: 12 – Code Vein and the DLC

    Debate/Discussion: Bad Video Games That We Love

    Discussion/Debate: Is Bioware Gone?

    Trending Tags

    • Film Fallout
    • 8Bit Proof
    • Gaming Historia
    • Bago Anime Cast
    • Gamers In Beta
    • Gamers Unscripted
  • Videos

    Controller Guide For Wild Assault

    Trevor Bogan Interview

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden’s Gets Gameplay Trailer

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Gets New Story Trailer

    Stephen Oyoung Interview

    Jacqueline Pinol Interview

    So, You Wanna Play Junker Queen?

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Void Slayer – Review

  • Geek Culture
    • All
    • Anime and Manga
    • Anime/Manga Review
    • Collectibles
    • Comic Books
    • Cosplay
    • Movies
    • Tech
    • TV Shows

    Tickets Are Now on Sale for OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom

    Crunchyroll Announces Blu-ray Titles Coming in January 2025

    MY BOYFRIEND IS A DOG Manga gets English release

    Jae Woo Kim Interview

    Crunchyroll Anime Award 2024 Winners Announced

    GAYMING AWARDS 2024 NOMINEES & HOSTS ANNOUNCED

    The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Anime Review: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Crunchyroll Acquires Anime Film The Concierge in North America, Reveals Trailer

    Crunchyroll Announces New Titles Coming Next Year at NYCC

    Trending Tags

    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie News
    • TV News
    • TV Episode Review
    • Episode Guide
    • Competitive Gaming
    • Tech News
    • Tech Review
    • Anime and Manga News
    • Anime and Manga Review
    • Comic Book News
    • Comic Book Review
  • Forum
No Result
View All Result
BagoGames
No Result
View All Result

BagoGames > Articles > Game Reviews > PC Reviews > A Tentacle for Your Thoughts – Carrion Review

A Tentacle for Your Thoughts – Carrion Review

Now you're the one that goes bump in the night!

Endyo by Endyo
August 1, 2020
in Game Reviews, PC Reviews
1
Share on FacebookShare on Bluesky

Carrion DEALS

  • Steam
    $19.99 VIEW
  • Nintendo Switch
    $19.99 VIEW
  • Xbox
    $19.99 VIEW
  • PlayStation 4
    $19.99

“Reverse Horror” is a genre that seems to have become a little more popular these days.  The idea of playing the bad guy and hunting people down has grown from games like Aliens vs Predator to a variety of other titles with similar designs. Carrion takes this concept quite literally with you playing a tentacle-covered monster pulled straight from classic horror fiction.  However, does this single-player Metroidvania-style experience hold up beyond the cool concept?

Carrion escape

ESCAPE

Carrion wastes no time putting you in control of the living ball of chaos that is the protagonist. You bust out of a stereotypical sci-fi containment tube and you’re off to the races.  The movement is frenetic as your many tentacles lash in the direction of your mouse cursor (or controller).  You can cling to any surface and the fluidity makes it extremely easy to pick up.  This is a good thing since the game ultimately requires some quick reaction throughout.

The layout of the environment is comprised almost entirely of hallways and tunnels.  This makes sense contextually as the perception is that the majority of the facility you inhabit is underground.  The 2D perspective allows you to easily make out the various secondary routes and paths you can use that aren’t inhabited by your enemies/food, the humans.  You can use these to easily escape or outflank them in many situations.  Nearly every encounter is set up like this.

Exploring this web of tunnels is part of the challenge though.  Many routes are one-way tubes and numerous sealed doorways block your path. Much like any Metroidvania-styled game, the ways you progress generally involve basic puzzle solving using skills you accumulate.  The twist is, however, that even after you find new skills, you have to be the right size to use them.

 

Carrion outside

GROW

The size of your character, its biomass, is determined by how much you eat.  The many helpless humans you encounter serve as a wonderful nutritional boost for this process.  As you pounce upon them and gobble them up, you’ll gain health and become larger.  Once you reach max health, you won’t grow anymore, but you’re free to continue your feast.

One thing to consider though is that, for some reason, you can’t eat the various soldiers you have to fight.  From a gameplay perspective, this makes sense.  You’d be stacked with health.  However, there doesn’t seem to be a narrative explanation for it and that always bothered me.  Often when the floor was littered with corpses, it was hard to tell who you could and couldn’t eat for health.

As you progress, you’ll find more sci-fi containment tubes you can break open for more skills. These come in three forms: passive, offensive, and defensive.  Passive skills stay with you forever, such as growing larger and having more health. Offensive skills provide things like shooting a web that can flip distant switches or entangle your foes.Defensive skills range from sprouting deadly spikes to just plain turning invisible.  However, unlike a typical Metroidvania, you can’t just simply swap these.

To use different offensive and defensive skills, you have to change the size of your biomass. Your web-shooter is only available in the smallest of the three forms.  Yet the middle form is the only one that can use the ramming ability that can break wooden barriers that block entry.  In order to switch between these you either have to take damage or, more often, drop some of your biomass off in these special pools for later retrieval.

 

on fire

SURVIVE

The use of this mechanism for solving the various puzzles feels well balanced throughout.  I was rarely stuck with any part that seemed too overwhelming.  Every time I came across a switch or a blocked path, I could consider what tools were available to me and keep Carrion flowing.  That’s probably why I rarely even considered how frustrating it should have been not having a map.

I can’t recall a game of this style ever skipping a map button.  It makes sense in concept, but at the same time, the large facility can be daunting.  The only time it ever stuck out to me was toward the end when you get to explore without any inhibitors.  The levels aren’t too complex or filled with tons of secrets, so that certainly made it easy to keep cruising from room to room.  Without respawning enemies, there also wasn’t anything keeping me from backtracking at will just to see if there was anything I missed.

It’s probably best that there aren’t respawning enemies though since even the most basic armed opponents can take you out if left unchecked.  The monster’s numerous abilities for nearly instantly dispatching these people is offset by their abilities to take you down just as fast. Later in the Carrion, things like flame-throwing soldiers and big mechs prove to be near-instant death sentences if you don’t approach them properly.  I can’t imagine how much tougher the game could be if you had to fight them every time you turned around.

 

carrion cozy

CONCLUDE

Carrion delivers a unique take on a game genre that tends to require many hours to get through.  It doesn’t fall into the familiar 2-3 hour range many Devolver-published games do, but it is only about 4-6 hours. Yet that period is packed with action, puzzles, and exploring a wonderfully crafted world.  I almost played through the entire game in one sitting because of the fluidity of the gameplay.

Every path you clear, each door you unlock, and the passageways you squeeze through leads you to more adventure. There is no fluff in this game. The only natural stopping points are the various save points you infest with your biomass.  Even then, they work as progress to unlocking the next doorway forward into this dark dangerous lab you’re slowly destroying.

Carrion delivers everything it promises.  The player gets to be a remorseless savage while unlocking a wordless story.  The way you achieve this is enjoyable from start to finish.  While it does have some minor frustrations, it was never enough to take me out of the experience for long.  Both the gameplay and the general style and concept are things I would enjoy seeing more of in the future.

 

If you’d like to check out some other Devolver Digital games, see our reviews for Katana Zero and Metal Wolf Chaos XD!

The Review

Carrion

9 Score

Carrion is a "reverse horror" game that uses its fluid gameplay to deliver a thrillingly brutal adventure in being a deadly monster.

PROS

  • Fluid and addictive gameplay
  • Great sense of progress throughout
  • Attractive pixelart design of underground labs and cave areas
  • Innovative mechanics with a twist on a classic genre

CONS

  • Could use a little more narrative explanation in a some areas

Review Breakdown

  • Score 0

Carrion DEALS

We collect information from many stores for best price available

Best Price

$19
  • Steam
    $19.99 Buy Now
  • Nintendo Switch
    $19.99 Buy Now
  • Xbox
    $19.99 Buy Now
  • PlayStation 4
    $19.99
Tags: Carrioncarrion gamecarrion reviewDevolver Digital


Previous Post

Paper Mario: The Origami King Review

Next Post

GTA 5 Online – The Diamond Resort and What It Has To Offer

Next Post
Diamond Resort GTA 5 Online

GTA 5 Online – The Diamond Resort and What It Has To Offer

Subscribe
Connect with
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
guest
The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us to keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser cookies for the next time I comment.

I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
guest
The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us to keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser cookies for the next time I comment.

1 Comment
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
trackback
Amnesia: Rebirth Review - BagoGames | Smiling Gamer
4 years ago

[…] Do you want to try Frictional Games’ Amnesia: Rebirth? What do you think of my Amnesia: Rebirth review on PC? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Are you interested in more horror games? Check out our reviews for Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Remothered: Broken Porcelain, Maid of Sker, SIMULACRA 1 & 2, and Carrion. […]

0
0
Reply
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz

BAGOGAMES WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Get this week's top news, reviews, guides, videos and opinion for your favorite games, movies, TV and tech in your email every Friday.

Don't worry, we don't spam.

NEW ON BAGOGAMES

Game Reviews

Wild Assault Early Access Review

by Michael Mosley
2 weeks ago
From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience
Opinion

From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

by Trevor Kincaid
2 weeks ago
Guides

Controller Guide For Wild Assault

by Michael Mosley
3 weeks ago

LATEST PODCASTS & VIDEOS

Currently Playing

Void Slayer – Review

Void Slayer – Review

Game Reviews

The IDEAL Spider-Man VR Game

Opinion

BPM: Bullets Per Minute – Shooting to The Beat (Review)

Game Reviews

She Will Punish Them – Warning: Mature Content (Early Access Review)

Game Reviews

Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

Opinion

FOLLOW US

BagoGames

BagoGames.com © 2023 BagoGames LLC. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Staff Directory
  • Join Our Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Discord Server
  • BG Store
  • OpenCritic
  • green man gaming
  • Logitech G
  • GAMIVO.com
  • ASTRO Gaming
  • Logitech
  • Namecheap Hosting
  • Nord VPN
  • Best Buy
  • Blue Mic
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Guides

Follow Us

  • Login
  • Sign Up
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Geek Culture
  • Previews
  • Guides
  • Short Videos
  • Forum
  • Site Info
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Join Our Team
    • Staff Directory
    • Privacy Policy
    • Newsletter
    • RSS Feeds

BagoGames.com © 2023 BagoGames LLC. All rights reserved.

wpDiscuz