KARMA: The Dark World

KARMA: The Dark World is an interesting debut from Chinese dev Pollard Studio, set in an alternate East Germany in which you play among a cast of characters with non-German names. It’s fun enough and graphically sumptuous to boot, just not particularly long. We kinda get why they set it in Europe as opposed to the actual oppressive regime they live under, but a little more effort in that regard would’ve helped.

KARMA: The Dark World delivers a strong dystopian atmosphere and an intriguing yet vague narrative. Puzzle-heavy gameplay and minimal hints can be frustrating, but lore enthusiasts may enjoy the extra depth. A solid pick for psychological horror fans, though action lovers might want to look elsewhere.

KARMA: The Dark World presents a wonderfully horrifying alternate history world to become enveloped in, thanks to its superb visuals, excellent soundtrack and engrossing themes. Its story is perhaps overly ambitious with plenty of confusion and its light gameplay elements may have some lamenting what could have been, leaving a mostly positive but somewhat diminished sense of karmic balance.

With a story full of twists and turns, Karma: The Dark World will equally draw you in and confuse you. Still, it's an interesting game on the whole, which tries to pack in a wide variety of gameplay elements and tackle some dark themes, though it doesn't always do so with finesse.

Karma: The Dark World may not be a game for everyone, but if you like games like Observer and Layers of Fear and games that try to push the boundaries of how games can be presented, then this is worth a look. Viewed in isolation as a game, it's very simple, but as an experience it's something very unique that we don't see very often.

A beautifully rendered but ultimately familiar adventure game, Karma: The Dark World is neither scary nor thrilling. Meticulously built and gorgeous to look at, the gameplay is nonetheless a slow roll through a pre-rendered Kafka-inspired story, with little in the way of interaction beyond some environmental puzzle solving. I can appreciate the artistry at work here, if not the final product.