Decarnation (2023)

It's quite hard to recommend Decarnation, because the game itself is rather bleak, depressing and melancholy-inducing. But then again - that's the whole point.

Decarnation is a game I really wanted to love more. It has an undeniable style. Its grounded and painfully real horrors are genuinely spine-chilling, and the flair of its cinematic presentation is top-notch. It's just a shame that some clichéd writing, a flawed ending, and a generally repetitive gameplay experience (especially in the back half) hold it back from glory. Decarnation is still a game worth experiencing, especially for fans of horror and the inspirations Decarnation wears on its sleeve. But tread lightly. You never know who might be watching...

Decarnation is an incredible and well written video game, supported by an intelligent and always engaging and impactful storytelling. Furthermore, the play structure fascinates and surprises. Must have absolutely.

Had Decarnation not fumbled with its gameplay, I’d probably be giving this a perfect score. Its disturbing, yet engaging narrative, and top-notch presentation all come together in a way that somehow managed to exceed my already lofty expectations that the preview build had left me with. It’s just a shame, then, that those gameplay issues are so very intrusive. All too often I had my immersion broken and found my interest in continuing through Gloria’s plight waning due to how often Decarnation forces the player into irritating mini-games, or fussy stealth segments. On the whole, though, Decarnation still ends up being more than the sum of its parts, and I can confidently say that it’s worth the time of any horror fan.

Decarnation is a unique horror puzzler that tries to make sense of the main character's emotional breakdown in ways that don't make sense. It effectively keeps players off balance throughout, but also in ways that knock the gameplay off balance, unfortunately.