Games of the week – Carrion, What Happened, The Lullaby of Life and Necrobarista
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Carrion
Platform: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre: Horror
Price: from £16.99
Life in the monster seat
If you’ve ever fancied taking up the role of a relentless, tentacled monster, look no further than Carrion. This indie side-scrolling 2D horror pits you as the enemy, mercilessly slinging armed guards and scientists around an underground facility. It is uncompromisingly bloody. You can even gobble up enemies for health, while finding some materials will mutilate your DNA, making certain abilities stronger. But it’s not all about carnage, as you figure your way around and face more intense opposition. You are very much left to do your own thing, with no map or objectives, sometimes leaving you puzzled about what to do next and go back on yourself, which can be frustrating.
Skip to the end: Enjoyable enough to play, offering a taste of the bad guy experience.
Score: 8/10
What Happened
Platform: PC
Genre: Horror/Adventure
Price: £19.49
Tackling tough issues
Mental health is no easy topic to tackle but the developers of What Happened do so by taking us through the mind of a troubled young man called Stiles. There is no real antagonist here except your own mind, which attempts to manifest your fears, anxiety and depression. It’s an unsettling journey but one we applaud developers for attempting to address. The game plays out in rooms which you must escape by searching through drawers and cabinets to find items that guide you on your way. It can seem tricky at times to uncover what you need but a voice will offer cues and hints if you take too long. While the story is mostly well developed, poor voice acting that lacks real emotion holds What Happened back.
Skip to the end: What Happened shines a light on an important issue without creating mindless entertainment out of it, though bad voice acting dims the message somewhat.
Score: 7/10
The Lullaby of Life
Platform: iOS
Genre: Puzzle / Adventure
Price: From £4.99 per month with Apple Arcade subscription
Music to our ears
The Lullaby of Life is a novel concept that uses sound as the guiding principle throughout in this puzzle-driven blob fest. But don’t be deceived by the sweet artwork, soothing soundtrack and easy start, the challenges across seven levels become harder quickly. You play the part of BomBo, a blue blob, who goes through a series of areas, moving objects using his own musical notes and those of others to progress forward. It is a game of timing and movement, and there will be scratch-your-head situations. There is also no guide but the idea is simple enough, we just found some parts a bit annoying to get past.
Skip to the end: Original take on the puzzle genre through the art of sound, though some challenges can be frustrating to overcome.
Score: 7/10
Necrobarista
Platform: iOS, PC
Genre: Visual novel
Price: From £4.99
Story time
As with any visual novel, there isn’t much in the way of actual game play in Necrobarista, an anime-inspired five-hour text-based journey that delicately explores the tough topic of death. It all takes place within the Terminal, a café in which the newly dead reflect and get to know the staff for up to 24 hours before they must move on. The story is an interesting take on a sensitive matter that affects us all, told through the various people and staff that appear in the café, leaving you as a mere observer from above. There is some interactivity, with clickable words highlighted which offer some extra insight and can be used to unlock side stories if you gain enough points, but these aren’t essential to go forward.
Skip to the end: Interesting take on the subject of death with solid characterisation, though the side stories add little, making you wonder whether or not to bother with them.
Score: 7/10
