Reviews

• gamedeal user

  May 31, 2023

  A good relaxing game for children and Yamaoka-san is the cherry on top..
• Korsoup

  Jun 1, 2023

  Really liking it so far. Gives me feelings of Junji Ito. A must have if you're a fan of horror and Akira Yamaoka.
• jutog

  Jun 1, 2023

  In my first iteration of this review, I was about midway finished. All-in-all, the main plot took me 6 hours to go through; the game's short, but absolutely worth the price! I still stand by my thoughts from my original review: the horror, art, and music are wonderful. They're unique in their own way while still somewhat reminding me of classic pixel art horror (see: RPGMaker games). I absolutely suck ass at rhythm games, which you'll be encountering fairly early and consistently though I've been enjoying them nonetheless; the same applies for the other mini-games! They break up story points, but not in a overly-intrusive way (for me, at least). The puzzles were alright and pretty fair, my favorite one being the chess puzzle which felt quite unique from the other puzzles throughout the game. In my first review, I found myself questioning quite a few plot points though I did have them satisfactorily answered by the end. I appreciate that the story doesn't immediately end after the final act inside the prison cell and continues to show a mere glimpse of what Gloria had to deal with following the events of the game. The themes of the story were handled respectfully and wasn't there just to be there. There is optimism and empowerment, in spite of what Gloria experiences, and I think more games that discuss similar themes could learn from that rather than just portraying those themes.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 1, 2023

  An excellent story-driven experience, with some really cool puzzles to solve. The animation / pixel art is fantastic! Well worth the price :)
• FeralLam

  Jun 1, 2023

  Amazing story telling and artwork. I was not bored for a single second playing this game and I played the whole thing front to back. It was an amazing experience and worth every penny.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 1, 2023

  So far this game is more depressing than scary, lol. And super short. I'd normally refund but I feel bad because short games can still be good and the asking price isn't high. However, be aware that it's hella short. My hours played are a bit wonky according to steam but I've pretty sure I'm nearing the end. The game isn't much of a game. It's more of a visual novel with some basic rhythm game elements. In a nutshell, it deals with depression and the sexualization of women. The MC is a cabaret dancer, which is like a high class stripper that doesn't often get completely naked but does remove clothing. The MC is 29 years old, and that alone should probably say a lot lol. Though 30 years is quite young, it's a common 'joke' that woman stop being 'young and beautiful' at that point. The MC is also dating a college kid at the time, which must be at best like 20-22, but the game treats the relationship like she's 60 and the other girl is freshly 18. a 20-22 and a 29 year old in a relationship isn't the end of the world and the Mc calling the other girl a baby is ridiculous. I don't want to spoil much, but basically the MC bemoans the fact that's she aging and that her career is dead-ended by that fact, as beauty is a strong part of it. All the expected things happen right at the start; she's being replaced by younger dancers, her GF leaves her, a sculptor makes a statue of her but when she goes to see it some dude is groping it right in the museum, and all this sends her into a spiraling depression that makes her not pick up all the god damn red flags of an 'offer' that leaves her kidnapped by some pycho admirerer. You see this coming a mile away and this is all like the first 20 min. From there, you get a pretty looking but rather lackluster and uncreative story of depression and self-loathing while dealing with a psychopath abuser. I was kind of hoping for something like Silent Hill 4 where you're scratching your head as things become increasingly insane and trying to figure out what's going on. Right now, there isn't much mystery... or scariness. It's just really depressing because it hits home pretty hard. All the things that happen to her could happen to anyone and has. Maybe there will be some kind of twist at the end, but unless you feel like playing 'regular everyday life depression simulator' I wouldn't bother with the game. Calling this horror is beyond generous. And trust me, psychological horror can be done an infinite number of ways. Just like at OMORI.
• Smeghead

  Jun 1, 2023

  Great story and fantastic art! Finished it in a single sitting. My only complaint is that the controller input for some of the mini games doesn't seem to work properly as of writing.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 1, 2023

  I loved this game! The subject matter is pretty sensitive but the writing feels like it was done with care. I think it's easy to fall into just writing "misery for the sake of misery" with horror, but this is not the case at all. The horror elements and art style complimented each other very well. I don't think this game would be the same without the art style for sure. It was beautiful and horrific and I loved every moment of it. Akira Yamaoka's music for this game is great, too! If you love trauma horror narratives, you have to check it out. There are several puzzles and minigames, which aren't difficult, but the focus is definitely the atmosphere, artstyle, and writing. Can't wait to see the future work of these devs! Their first game knocked it out of the park already!
• adriantizocmarshall

  Jun 1, 2023

  I don't have to finish Decarnation to speak highly of it, quite frankly. Its understanding of psychological horror is admirable from the onset; small details quietly but precisely shape an unsettling, macabre aesthetic and narrative, paying homage to both classical and modern art as part of its tumultuous tapestry. As a filmmaker, I've already noted elements of Satoshi Kon's "Perfect Blue" intersecting with parallels of David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" alongside some obvious reverence for Dario Argento's "Suspiria", Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy", and Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." Make no mistake, however; Decarnation does not derive its worth from the works it draws from, nor does it falter in weaving a captivating web of its own design. For me the weakest piece of this puzzle is the "combat," although I hesitate to describe it as such. Often you enter an area and get swallowed up by some abomination a number of times before stumbling into the next stage. It doesn't necessarily add much to the experience, and that part of the game is rarely frightening. The implications of the thing, not unlike Silent Hill before it, are far more integral to the game than its interactive confrontations. Even if Akira Yamaoka had no involvement, the score would be top tier; its visuals, while simplistic, have an engaging character; and, significantly, Claudia's story almost immediately and effortlessly communicates both the vulnerability and the strength of women in the face of dire traumas. I would like some improvement for the timing on the dance sequences, but I wouldn't discount it for that alone when they are enjoyable nonetheless. Don't pass this one up, this is something special regardless of its small missteps.
• Nati

  Jun 1, 2023

  Would I recommend this game to others? Well - yes and no. No because: - Story can drag on and on without much gameplay inbetween - epilogue is incredibly slow/long and forces you to replay at least one minigame - the subject matter is incredibly uncomfortable though trigger warnings are given - puzzles are simple, do not look for a challenge here - if you dislike abstract content/art, this is not for you I do however recommend buying it if: - you wanna experience the horror women go through in a story that treats the subject respectfully (though it's Really being hammered home that women get abused and harassed all the time in one occasion, which annoyed me and I'm afab/fem presenting) - you don't mind slow paced pixel game horror stuff - you wanna enjoy a story centered more on true/human horrors than fictional/supernatural ones - you like atmospheric psychological horror - don't mind a badly timed rhythm game or two lol I cannot support others saying the runtime is very short. It took me 7 hours after all, that's very decent for the price. Overall had a horrible time with this game mentally and I'll be gnawing at this very real scenario/horror situation for a while but I think that's what the devs intended. Still baffled they got Akira Yamaoka for this though lol