If you have ever watched a horror movie and found yourself secretly rooting for the monster, CARRION is exactly the kind of title you need in your library. Developed by Phobia Game Studio, this unique indie gem flips the script on the entire genre by dubbing itself a "reverse-horror" experience. Instead of playing as a terrified human hiding in lockers and desperately scrounging for ammo, you are the terrifying, amorphous red blob doing the hunting. It stands out as one of the most satisfyingly gross and innovative PC Games you can pick up today. While the pixel art style gives off a cool retro vibe, the fluid, physics-based movement of your writhing tentacles makes slithering through air vents and smashing down doors feel incredibly modern and visceral.
Storyline
The plot drops you right into the carnage without overcomplicating things with long cutscenes. You awaken as a captive biological anomaly locked deep inside a sprawling underground research facility owned by a shady corporation. Unsurprisingly, you break out of your containment tube and decide it is time to make everyone regret putting you in a jar. As you slither through different sectors of the laboratory, you consume scientists and armed guards to grow larger and reclaim stolen pieces of your genetic code. Through occasional playable flashbacks, you slowly piece together the grim origins of how humanity first discovered you, culminating in a brilliantly chaotic escape to the outside world.
gaming experience.
When it comes to the actual gaming experience, CARRION plays like a blood-soaked Metroidvania with a heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving and stealth action. Moving the creature is an absolute joy; you zip across ceilings and dark crawlspaces with terrifying speed, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush unsuspecting guards from the shadows. As you consume more biomass, you evolve through different size tiers, unlocking devastating new abilities like cloaking invisibility, a defensive shield, and even the power to temporarily possess humans and turn them against each other. While the lack of a traditional in-game map can make backtracking slightly confusing at times, the pure power fantasy of tearing through an underground bunker as an unstoppable nightmare makes every second incredibly fun.
