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Carrion (video game)
2020 horror video game developed by Phobia Game Studio

Carrion is a horror video game developed by Polish developer Phobia Game Studio and published by Devolver Digital. Described as a "reverse-horror game", the game allows players to control a tentacled monster whose objective is to make its way through a facility, stalking and killing humans in its path.

Carrion was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on July 23, 2020.

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Gameplay

Players control a red, amorphous, tentacled monster of unknown origin. The monster must make its way through a facility, crawling through vents and killing scientists and soldiers. As the game progresses, players can obtain upgrades such as the ability to dash—which can be used to break through wooden barricades and access otherwise unreachable areas—and to grow in size.7

Plot

An amorphous entity known only as “The Creature” is held in a containment unit within a research facility owned by a company called Relith Science. The creature breaks out and progresses through the facility in order to find an exit. As the organism progresses through the facility, it fights and devours its way through the facility's staff and security forces. Along the way, the creature discovers pieces of its genetic code removed by the scientists for study and containment, which allow it to evolve, allowing for greater size and more means of both defense and offense.

The Creature also encounters material analyzers which, upon entering, trigger flashbacks revealing its origins. The Creature was originally found within an egg-like sack by three scientists, and upon awakening, proceeded to kill two and possess the third. However, Relith security forces arrived and executed the remaining scientist, forcing the creature out into the open and allowing Relith to capture and contain it. Eventually, the creature returns to its initial containment area and absorbs the last piece of its stolen genetic code, allowing it to reconstitute a human form, which takes the appearance of the scientist it originally infected. It then escapes the facility and emerges in a partially quarantined city as the sun sets.

Development

Carrion was developed by Phobia Game Studio, an indie game developer based in Warsaw, Poland.8 According to tweets by developer Sebastian Krośkiewicz, development on Carrion began at least as early as October 2017.9 Gameplay from Carrion was first shown publicly at the 2018 Game Developers Conference.1011 An official reveal trailer for the game was uploaded to YouTube by Devolver Digital on June 9, 2019.12 Devolver Digital promoted the game during their press conference at E3 2019.1314

Music

The soundtrack by Cris Velasco was released by video game label Materia Collective on July 23, 2020.15 Velasco sought out Phobia to do the soundtrack after he saw footage of an early animation test on Twitter, and immediately became fascinated by writing a score from a perspective of a monster.16

The official vinyl pressing, done in collaboration with Devolver Digital, featured an injection of red hygroscopic liquid to resemble blood splatters.17 Artwork for the soundtrack was done by Dan Quintana, a friend of Velasco's.18

Release

Phobia Game Studio released a demo version of the game on Steam in October 2019.19

The game was released on desktop platforms (Windows, Linux and MacOS), Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on July 23, 2020.2021 A PlayStation 4 version of the game was released on October 22, 2021, and a version for Amazon Luna was made available on November 4, 2021.222324 A PlayStation 5 port was released on April 27, 2023.25 The game was also released for Android and iOS on November 5, 2024.26

Christmas-themed downloadable content titled Greatest Time of Year was released for free on Windows, macOS and Linux on December 25, 2020, and for consoles on March 19, 2021.27

Reception

ReceptionAggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticNS: 76/10028PC: 75/10029XONE: 76/10030
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid8/1031
Easy Allies6/1032
Game Informer7.25/1033
GameSpot7/1034
Hardcore Gamer35
IGN7/1036
Nintendo Life8/1037
Nintendo World Report9/1038
PC Gamer (US)72/10039

Carrion received generally favourable reviews on Nintendo Switch, PC and Xbox One according to the review aggregator Metacritic.404142 It was nominated for Best Debut Game and Best Indie at The Game Awards 2020,43 as well as "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition" at the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.44

References

  1. King, Andrew (December 18, 2019). "[Hands-on Preview] Become The Blob in Reverse Horror Game Carrion". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/previews/3598256/hands-preview-become-blob-reverse-horror-game-carrion/ ↩

  2. Wilson, Mike (June 16, 2020). "Carrion Slithering Onto The Switch This Summer Alongside Xbox One And PC". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3620270/carrion-slithering-onto-switch-summer-alongside-xbox-one-pc/ ↩

  3. Barbosa, Alessandro (June 17, 2020). "Gory Reverse-Horror Game Carrion Is Coming To Nintendo Switch". GameSpot. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gory-reversehorror-game-carrion-is-coming-to-ninte/1100-6478643/ ↩

  4. King, Andrew (December 18, 2019). "[Hands-on Preview] Become The Blob in Reverse Horror Game Carrion". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/previews/3598256/hands-preview-become-blob-reverse-horror-game-carrion/ ↩

  5. Wilson, Mike (June 16, 2020). "Carrion Slithering Onto The Switch This Summer Alongside Xbox One And PC". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3620270/carrion-slithering-onto-switch-summer-alongside-xbox-one-pc/ ↩

  6. Skrebels, Joe (July 11, 2020). "Carrion Gets July Release Date". IGN. Retrieved July 11, 2020. https://www.ign.com/articles/carrion-release-date-july-23-nintendo-switch-xbox-one-pc ↩

  7. King, Andrew (December 18, 2019). "[Hands-on Preview] Become The Blob in Reverse Horror Game Carrion". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/previews/3598256/hands-preview-become-blob-reverse-horror-game-carrion/ ↩

  8. Kane, Alex (June 9, 2019). "E3 2019 Trailer: Carrion". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/e3-2019-trailer-carrion-devolver-1203237602/ ↩

  9. Kane, Alex (June 9, 2019). "E3 2019 Trailer: Carrion". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/e3-2019-trailer-carrion-devolver-1203237602/ ↩

  10. Mahardy, Mike (March 22, 2018). "This Horror Game Lets You Play The Monster". GameSpot. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-horror-game-lets-you-play-the-monster/1100-6457521/ ↩

  11. O'Connor, James (November 11, 2019). "Reverse-Horror Monster Game Carrion Is Coming To Xbox One As Well As PC Next Year". GameSpot. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/reverse-horror-monster-game-carrion-is-coming-to-x/1100-6471364/ ↩

  12. Carrion - Reveal Trailer. Devolver Digital. June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2020 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-L0_TJ4i-o ↩

  13. FULL Devolver Digital E3 2019 Press Conference. IGN. June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2020 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuhj8CjHWuc ↩

  14. Gelmini, David (June 13, 2019). "E3 2019: The Monster From Carrion Stole The Show During Devolver Digital's Press Conference". Dread Central. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/295716/e3-2019-the-monster-from-carrion-stole-the-show-during-devolver-digitals-press-conference/ ↩

  15. Wilson, Mike (July 17, 2020). "[Exclusive] Hear The Main Theme to Upcoming Reverse-Horror Game Carrion". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 26, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3623772/exclusive-hear-main-theme-upcoming-reverse-horror-game-carrion/ ↩

  16. Penney, Andrew (September 27, 2020). "Cris Velasco Brought Mind-Bending Creativity To Carrion's Soundtrack". TheGamer. https://www.thegamer.com/carrion-soundtrack-cris-velasco-interview/ ↩

  17. "Carrion (Original Game Soundtrack) - 2xLP Limited-Edition Blood-filled Vinyl". Materia Collective Store. Retrieved January 13, 2021. https://themateriastore.com/products/carrion-original-game-soundtrack-2xlp-limited-edition-blood-filled-vinyl ↩

  18. Penney, Andrew (September 27, 2020). "Cris Velasco Brought Mind-Bending Creativity To Carrion's Soundtrack". TheGamer. https://www.thegamer.com/carrion-soundtrack-cris-velasco-interview/ ↩

  19. Wilson, Mike (October 27, 2019). "Devolver Digital Unleashes Demo For Carrion on Steam". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3591094/devolver-digital-unleashes-demo-carrion-steam/ ↩

  20. Wilson, Mike (June 16, 2020). "Carrion Slithering Onto The Switch This Summer Alongside Xbox One And PC". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 17, 2020. https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3620270/carrion-slithering-onto-switch-summer-alongside-xbox-one-pc/ ↩

  21. Skrebels, Joe (July 11, 2020). "Carrion Gets July Release Date". IGN. Retrieved July 11, 2020. https://www.ign.com/articles/carrion-release-date-july-23-nintendo-switch-xbox-one-pc ↩

  22. Romano, Sal (August 5, 2021). "Carrion coming to PS4 in 2021". Gematsu. https://www.gematsu.com/2021/08/carrion-coming-to-ps4-in-2021 ↩

  23. Romano, Sal (October 22, 2021). "CARRION for PS4 now available". Gematsu. https://www.gematsu.com/2021/10/carrion-for-ps4-now-available ↩

  24. "Coming Soon to Luna in November". AmazonLuna.blog. October 28, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2022. https://amazonluna.blog/coming-soon-to-luna-in-november-458a90b940ba ↩

  25. Romano, Sal (April 27, 2023). "Carrion now available for PS5". Gematsu. Retrieved April 27, 2023. https://www.gematsu.com/2023/04/carrion-now-available-for-ps5 ↩

  26. DevolverDigital (October 18, 2024). Carrion | Coming to Mobile Soon | Sign Up Now. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=UG80pC39NEJXnlty&v=M6NOM2-UZdw&feature=youtu.be ↩

  27. Doolan, Liam (March 30, 2021). "Carrion's Free Christmas DLC Is Finally Available On Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 18, 2022. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/03/carrions_free_christmas_dlc_is_finally_available_on_nintendo_switch ↩

  28. "Carrion for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 19, 2020. https://www.metacritic.com/game/carrion/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch ↩

  29. "Carrion for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://www.metacritic.com/game/carrion/critic-reviews/?platform=pc ↩

  30. "Carrion for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 19, 2020. https://www.metacritic.com/game/carrion/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one ↩

  31. Devore, Jordan (July 26, 2020). "Review: Carrion". Destructoid. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://www.destructoid.com/stories/review-carrion-597336.phtml ↩

  32. Huber, Michael. "Review: Carrion". Easy Allies. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://easyallies.com/#!/review/carrion ↩

  33. Reiner, Andrew (July 23, 2020). "Carrion Review – All Tentacles And Repetition". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725161229/https://www.gameinformer.com/review/carrion/carrion-review-all-tentacles-and-repetition ↩

  34. Barbosa, Alessandro (August 3, 2020). "Carrion Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/carrion-review/1900-6417515/ ↩

  35. Helm, Jordan (July 22, 2020). "Review: Carrion". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://hardcoregamer.com/2020/07/22/review-carrion/383232/ ↩

  36. Saltzman, Mitchell (July 28, 2020). "Carrion Review". IGN. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://www.ign.com/articles/carrion-review ↩

  37. Gipp, Stuart (July 29, 2020). "Carrion Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 2, 2021. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/carrion ↩

  38. Hilhorst, Willem (July 22, 2020). "Carrion (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved July 2, 2021. https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/54437/carrion-switch-review ↩

  39. Khan, Imran (July 30, 2020). "Carrion Review". PC Gamer. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://www.pcgamer.com/carrion-review/ ↩

  40. "Carrion for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 19, 2020. https://www.metacritic.com/game/carrion/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch ↩

  41. "Carrion for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 19, 2020. https://www.metacritic.com/game/carrion/critic-reviews/?platform=pc ↩

  42. "Carrion for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 19, 2020. https://www.metacritic.com/game/carrion/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one ↩

  43. Tassi, Paul (December 11, 2020). "Here's The Game Awards 2020 Winners List With A Near-Total Last Of Us Sweep". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2020/12/11/heres-the-game-awards-2020-winner-list-with-a-near-total-last-of-us-sweep/ ↩

  44. "2021 Awards Category Details Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved December 1, 2023. https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2021&idGameAwardType=94 ↩