Carrion

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 44
  3. Negative: 2 out of 44

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  1. Jakuzi
    Aug 4, 2020
    6
    Could be a better game and 8 for me if there would be a map, but it is what it is. I couldn't finish it without walkthrough in the begining and at the end. And both times i was exploring every hole on level without luck for 30 minutes. And useless rawr button only annoyed me and gave me frustration. But upgrade and skill system was fun and overall it was fun and new expirience.
  2. Adules
    Aug 8, 2020
    5
    Cool premise, greath pixel art, smooth fps and gameplay, decent level design. So what's the problem?

    The problem is that the game should be a metroidvania, which requires you to explore, progress, puzzle solve, and figure out optimal ways to clear rooms. The reality is that it's a 3 hour linear game with no decisions on the part of the player and so **** easy that it basically plays    Cool premise, greath pixel art, smooth fps and gameplay, decent level design. So what's the problem?

    The problem is that the game should be a metroidvania, which requires you to explore, progress, puzzle solve, and figure out optimal ways to clear rooms.

    The reality is that it's a 3 hour linear game with no decisions on the part of the player and so **** easy that it basically plays itself. The "puzzles" are an illusion of puzzle and really just nothing more than lock and key gameplay. It's an average linear romp that amounts to nothing, packaged to look like there's more going on than there actually is. I bought this, with the expectation of a metroidvania.

    I wouldn't recommend this game for more than 5 bucks. Had they designed it to be more open and labyrinthine, I would recommend it. But it's not. waste of time and money. Lots of promise here, but the game doesn't hold up.

    I've seen people complain that it doesn't have a map, but it doesn't need one, that's how small and limited it is. There is always a path forward, and it's always the only direction to go.    … Expand
  3. MisterMacys
    Feb 28, 2021
    6
    Game has great atmosphere and a decent look. Music is utterly forgettable. Carrion is not a Metroidvania; it is almost entirely linear with only a few backtracking spots and basically no secret or hidden items common to the genre. Mechanics are simplistic, and gameplay is short even for a first playthrough.
  4. Lemymatair
    Jul 28, 2020
    7
    Good game a bit short but enjoyable want to give it 7.5 almost 8 if they implement a Map into the game or guide system or what ever I lost in the game almost 1 hours on some part almost think it’s a bug but when I found the new place I beat it so fast I beat it 3 in hours one sitting waste my time on finding next stage for the most part and when you get new skill they almost not explainGood game a bit short but enjoyable want to give it 7.5 almost 8 if they implement a Map into the game or guide system or what ever I lost in the game almost 1 hours on some part almost think it’s a bug but when I found the new place I beat it so fast I beat it 3 in hours one sitting waste my time on finding next stage for the most part and when you get new skill they almost not explain how to use some abilities and you can’t re-examines your ability or how many ability you have. If they improved from I mentioned I can see this game deserves score 8 even it’s really short but now just 7… Expand
  5. tom974
    Feb 28, 2022
    7
    It's not everyday we get to play original games, Carrion is one of theses. Really interesting proposition. Playing the monster is fun and controls are quite neat once you get used to it. I'd like to rate it 7,5/10 , it could have been 8 with some adds (a map) and a less frustrating level design near the endgame (many avoidable rountrips). Globally a good proposition, with a good potentialIt's not everyday we get to play original games, Carrion is one of theses. Really interesting proposition. Playing the monster is fun and controls are quite neat once you get used to it. I'd like to rate it 7,5/10 , it could have been 8 with some adds (a map) and a less frustrating level design near the endgame (many avoidable rountrips). Globally a good proposition, with a good potential I wish to see again with further developments.… Expand
  6. kirrwed
    Nov 4, 2021
    7
    Carrion is a unique metroidvania. You play as a tangle of tentacles shimmying around laboratories and underground passages, hiding in vent shafts or in walls. Fans of stealth will enjoy sneaking up on unsuspecting enemies.

    The most glaring problem with this game is there is no map. Obviously metroidvanias have much backtracking and this can get dizzying as more and more areas open up,    Carrion is a unique metroidvania. You play as a tangle of tentacles shimmying around laboratories and underground passages, hiding in vent shafts or in walls. Fans of stealth will enjoy sneaking up on unsuspecting enemies.

    The most glaring problem with this game is there is no map. Obviously metroidvanias have much backtracking and this can get dizzying as more and more areas open up, and you have no map. It's a little bit linear in that the only open route is the one that progresses the game, but not always. And this is not the case for getting all the secret stuff either.

    The other problem is the sensitivity of the monster's motion. Sometimes you can barely push him around the corner and he will go flying out into the open amidst a bunch of armed guards. It felt inconsistent at times for when he would go springing off like that. As a result, much damage and missed passages were had because of overshooting.

    All in all, a good atmospheric 2-D platformer with stealth. Not a long game either, for those that enjoy one you can complete in a night or two.    … Expand
  7. FunkyBoi
    Jul 18, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Underwhelming and counter-intuitive. This game had an interesting premise, taking clear inspiration from classic horror films such as The Thing and transitioning these ideas to game format. The opening level of the game encapsulated that perfectly, the feeling of being a terrifying predator lurking through the vents of a mysterious laboratory. But it was after that point that the fun ended for me.

    The game has numerous flaws which significantly hampered my ability to enjoy it. The first, and most noticeable, is the controls. To play as an amorphous blob-entity sounds interesting in theory, but it controls like a rally car with wheels made of butter on a track lathered in frozen olive oil. With no discernible front or back, it's incredibly difficult to make fluid movement from A-B, which the game frequently requests of you in both puzzles and combat, leading to numerous deaths. Some might see this as a feature, I myself found it needlessly counterintuitive.

    The next is the format. The game markets itself as something of a metroidvania, but it only follows this format sporadically and loosely. In actuality, the game is a series of monotonous levels. It takes the 'lock and key' format of metroidvanias, and crams them into singular levels, which breaks the gameplay into a predictable pattern of enter level, find power, use power, leave level, rinse and repeat. This wouldn't be an issue if the majority of powers were remotely interesting. Some, such as the mind-control and invisibility, were incredibly interesting and complemented the gameplay tremendously, opening up new and exciting ways to engage with combat and puzzles alike. But others boiled down to 'now you can pull stuff' or 'now you can kill stuff by touching them rather than grabbing them'. The use of these is rarely encouraged in combat, particularly considering how forgiving the game is with checkpoints and health, so I ended up rarely if ever using the majority of the powers in favour of the ones I enjoyed the most. I could understand that perhaps the developer's intention was perhaps to allow for greater player freedom in engagements, but without any actual challenge even combat became incredibly tedious and bland towards the end.

    My last issue is with the level design and hub world in general. Why on earth did they not think to implement a map, or at least a map-like feature. Don't get me wrong, I don't think metroidvanias necessarily NEED maps all the time, as sometimes it's good to let the player get lost in the areas of levels. But most games in the format follow the same general formula: no map until you discover the world for yourself, then you get some form of map to allow you to effectively backtrack to areas of note. The choice to fully omit any form of map, combined with infrequent or non-existent waypoint markers and monotonous level design, led me to be completely and utterly lost after putting the game down for any extended period of time. Combine this with the fact that the rewards for even backtracking are the most overplayed and underwhelming rewards like 'get more health' or 'get more energy (stamina)' and you have completely killed my enthusiasm for doing anything other than blazing through the story, out of fear and disincentive of not being able to find where I was up to, and having to either consult an online map or wander aimlessly in the hub world for 15 minutes before I can pick up where I left off.

    Great idea, poor design, poor execution.    … Expand
  8. BlockyDogy
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    Loved the premise, and some parts of the game excecuted on the premise beautifully, but most did not. Hard to navigate world, frustrating backtracking, painfully little creativity in fight areas, and a depressingly disappointing ending. Like the whole game, there was a lot of potential for the ending, finally, a new power, an upgraded parasitic control power almost. But then you never getLoved the premise, and some parts of the game excecuted on the premise beautifully, but most did not. Hard to navigate world, frustrating backtracking, painfully little creativity in fight areas, and a depressingly disappointing ending. Like the whole game, there was a lot of potential for the ending, finally, a new power, an upgraded parasitic control power almost. But then you never get to use it. You open one door, and the credits roll. Lovely art, lovely controls, hard to aim your tentacles.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Universo Nintendo
    Dec 16, 2020
    85
    Carrion is a fun reverse Metroidvania, in the sense that you play as a villain, not the human/hero. In a universe full of anti-heroes and complicated moral choices, here, you just have fun destroying and devouring everything you see ahead.
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  2. GAMINGbible
    Oct 15, 2020
    80
    These minor niggles aside, Carrion is a title that I think is well worth checking out for the design of its monster alone, and the carnage you can cause together. It's been a rough year, and we all need to blow off some steam somehow. I just never quite expected that taking control of an otherworldly nightmare unit would be the cathartic experience i needed, but life comes at you fast. Much in the way that giant red tendrils can.
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  3. Video Chums
    Aug 26, 2020
    55
    Carrion is a game that I would love to play through in one night with a group of friends as long as I'm not the one playing it. While it's not the best Metroidvania to navigate, it's a joy to watch. If you love horror, especially old monster movies, this is worth checking out for the atmosphere alone as it makes for a rather spook-tacular night.
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