CARNAL
- March 18, 2021
- MercySoft
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"CARNAL" is a single-player shooter game with a delightful 90's inspired soundtrack and plenty of humor. Players join the Realm Defense Force to take down the terror organization, Sons of Anak, who have opened portals to the 'other side' in the city of Seed Valley. The game features 3 episodes, 17 missions, diverse enemies, various harmful guns, and unique boss enemies. With a unique retro art style, the game promises fast-paced action and an unsettling horror atmosphere.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Carnal is a fun and engaging throwback to classic FPS games, reminiscent of titles like Quake and Duke Nukem, with a unique blend of humor and absurdity.
- The game offers a surprising amount of content for its low price, with varied levels and creative enemy designs that keep gameplay interesting.
- Despite its rough edges, the game captures the nostalgic feel of 90s shooters and provides a satisfying experience for fans of the genre.
- The game is marred by heavy-handed political themes and questionable humor that detracts from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- Level design can be inconsistent, with some areas feeling empty or poorly constructed, leading to confusion about where to go next.
- The lack of a save feature and poorly balanced difficulty can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially in later levels.
- music52 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and nostalgic nods to classic soundtracks reminiscent of Quake and John Carpenter. While some users noted that the music can be repetitive or slightly bland, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, providing a fitting and enjoyable backdrop to the action. Additionally, the availability of a free soundtrack for download has been appreciated by players.
“Great game with atmospheric music and compact level design.”
“Additionally, the music for this short, cheap little game has no right to be as blistering as it is.”
“Carnal really nails a tone with its art direction, SFX design, and stellar soundtrack.”
“The music is mostly repetitive and slightly bland.”
“Creepy music.”
“The game isn't really scary, but between the intentionally dated graphics, creepy music, and enemies (aliens, hazmat chainsaw freaks, killer dolls, ghostly floaty radioactive goo things, and everything else out of an old scary movie), why is the sky purple and clouds green? What is this screwed up town going through?”
- humor42 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a mix of crude, campy, and satirical elements, often described as "so bad, it's funny," with playful enemy designs and over-the-top scenarios that evoke laughter. While many players appreciate the immersive ambiance and comedic dialogue, some find the humor offensive or not to their taste, suggesting it may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm, with memorable moments and a nostalgic nod to classic titles.
“The humor was great too, the payphone stuff made me laugh.”
“The speedhacking football enemies are hilarious and could definitely also be used more than twice to spice up some encounters throughout the game.”
“Also the humor was pretty fun and it was hard to tell if some of it was satire or not (which is the mark of good satire).”
- graphics40 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic reminiscent of 90s first-person shooters, featuring low-poly models and crunchy textures that evoke nostalgia for titles like Quake and Blood. While some players appreciate the intentionally dated visuals and unique art style, others note that the graphics can appear blurry and derivative, suggesting a need for further polish. Overall, the game's visual design is seen as a delightful throwback that complements its gameplay, appealing particularly to fans of the retro FPS genre.
“Good 90's 3D aesthetic with some nicely made city and surreal levels.”
“The graphics have a charming retro-style.”
“The aesthetics are outstanding, with crunchy textures and models that do a great job of evoking Quake 2 and Unreal.”
“Graphics are a bit blurry when moving the mouse.”
“It's like a 90's FPS but cheap and somehow worse graphics.”
“The game isn't really scary, but between the intentionally dated graphics, creepy music, and enemies (aliens, hazmat chainsaw freaks, killer dolls, ghostly floaty radioactive goo things, and everything else out of an old scary movie) why is the sky purple and clouds green? What is this screwed up town going through?”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Carnal is generally praised for its fluidity, responsiveness, and nostalgic appeal, reminiscent of classic boomer shooters like Quake and Serious Sam. While some players note its lack of depth and polish, many find the fast-paced action, key-collecting mechanics, and vibrant retro graphics enjoyable, especially given its low price point. Overall, it offers a fun experience for fans of the genre, despite some criticisms regarding its political undertones.
“Carnal's gameplay is fluid, quick, and responsive.”
“Honestly an awesome game, both the gameplay and soundtrack are bangers!”
“Bottom line is this game is well worth the low cost of admission at the gate, and the gameplay, colorful design and retro style will definitely give at least most older or indie-liking gamers a lot to enjoy!”
“The gameplay itself is okay for 50 cents, but there are countless far better boomer shooters out there, not at all worth exposing yourself to toxic politics that stoke division and hate where there should instead be unity and understanding.”
“While it's a mechanically complete game, it's incredibly unpolished.”
“Gameplay-wise, well.”
- atmosphere24 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal and horrifying qualities, featuring unique settings like a boardwalk carnival and low poly environments that evoke a sense of dread. Players appreciate the atmospheric music and creative level design, which contribute to a compelling and immersive experience reminiscent of classic titles. Overall, the combination of weird visuals and effective sound design creates a memorable and engaging atmosphere.
“Great game with atmospheric music and compact level design.”
“If I had to pick what this game does best, it has to be the surreal atmosphere it creates.”
“Shoutouts to the boardwalk carnival level, which not only has amazing atmosphere and theming with functional rides but also presents a super original idea for a level location.”
“First off, this game's atmosphere is horrifying, with long sprawling low-poly environments and pseudo-realism textures.”
“This feels a bit like a small budget version of Dusk, albeit with a different atmosphere.”
“My first thought upon entering the first level and walking about for a few seconds with the creepy music and atmosphere: 'nobody said this was a horror game!' I just thought that was funny.”
- story10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, which some players find acceptable as they prioritize gameplay over narrative. There are suggestions for a sequel to expand on the story and character customization, but overall, the lack of a compelling narrative does not detract significantly from the experience for many players.
“A surprise that I haven't seen a civilian reference yet... but if this game had a sequel, then the sequel should have a customizable character, the same enemy types, continue the same story, and maybe a few civilian, Scott the Woz, and Postal references. So, I'll give this game an 8/10... because it's my opinion of course, but if you want to check it out, then I'll have to say, this game will be harder than the Ancient Gods Part 1... unless you're a professional at boomer shooters. I was on the fence when this game released, but then the dev added in fixes to the game, which is pretty important to patch the game. I know this review kind of dragged.”
“There's not much story, but I don't play these types of games for story, so I don't see why this should be an issue.”
“- No saving, have to start the mission over if you quit mid-mission.”
“A surprise that I haven't seen a civilian reference yet... but if this game had a sequel, then the sequel should have a customizable character, the same enemy types, continue the same story, and maybe a few civilian, Scott the Woz, and Postal references.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players perceiving it as a low-effort cash grab due to the presence of political propaganda in the form of billboards. However, others find the game enjoyable despite its monetization strategies, particularly for those seeking a straightforward shooting experience without microtransactions or excessive legal agreements.
“But if you're looking for a game free of microtransactions, bullshit, EULAs, and you just want to blow stuff up and shoot some damn baddies.”
“Because of this, I first thought this was a low-effort cash grab, but it's actually pretty decent.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized due to frequent glitches, which have negatively impacted the overall user experience.
“The game is plagued by glitches that disrupt the overall experience.”
“Frequent glitches make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
“The stability issues due to constant glitches are frustrating.”
