Karnage Chronicles

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,760 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Karnage Chronicles Game Cover
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"Karnage Chronicles" is a VR action RPG where players can explore dark dungeons filled with monsters, traps, and puzzles. Players can choose to play alone or with friends, with auto-scaling difficulty for a flexible co-op experience. The game features an inventory system designed for VR and several locomotion options. .

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,760 reviews
graphics264 positive mentions
grinding52 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and immersive environments that enhance the gameplay experience.
  • Engaging combat mechanics that require strategy and skill, especially in multiplayer.
  • Fun co-op experience that allows for teamwork and coordination among players.
  • Combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, especially in melee encounters.
  • Some issues with hit detection and enemy AI, leading to frustrating moments during battles.
  • Limited content with only two classes and a few dungeons, leaving players wanting more.
  • graphics410 mentions

    The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their beauty and detail, with many players noting the immersive environments and vibrant art style that enhance the overall experience. While some users reported issues with performance and a lack of graphical options, the majority praised the visuals as stunning and well-optimized for VR, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and gameplay enjoyment. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's appeal in the dungeon crawler genre.

    • “The graphics are gorgeous, and the gameplay is intuitive and lots of fun.”
    • “I thought the atmosphere and graphic design was superb, especially the start section with the sunset over the water which looked incredible in VR, and the game so far has a lot of visual interest.”
    • “The graphics are drop-dead gorgeous, not just because they are polished, but because they hit the perfect exploitation of the Vive's capabilities and somewhat low resolution - it's just cartoony-ish and unrealistic enough that everything is bright, vivid and easy to make out.”
    • “I can't find an in-game graphics adjustment, because even with my Index and running the game with a Core i9, a 4080 Super, and 64 GB of RAM, the image jumps every once in a while when turning or moving, and it's just often enough to bring on motion sickness for me after 30+ minutes of play.”
    • “The game has completely no graphics options, and while it runs well on my system, I would like to turn LODs up as they pop in quite obviously.”
    • “The graphics and overall art style are rather inconsistent as well.”
  • gameplay300 mentions

    The gameplay of this VR dungeon crawler is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics, including solid melee and ranged combat, intricate boss battles, and a variety of NPC interactions and quests. While many players appreciate the immersive environments and fun combat mechanics, some criticize the aiming precision, repetitive gameplay, and lack of depth in character abilities, leading to a somewhat uneven experience. Overall, the game offers a satisfying dungeon-crawling experience, though it may require further refinement to enhance its replayability and challenge.

    • “A deep dungeon dive, lore to be found in various places, ambushes and traps all over, several encounters with NPCs who give you missions, branching paths, big boss battles, etc. I really like this and the general gameplay.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, and the gameplay is intuitive and lots of fun.”
    • “Great gameplay and absolutely stunning environments.”
    • “The gameplay is really basic as it is right now and gets kinda boring quite fast.”
    • “Some people have described the game as challenging, but it really isn't; you can keep progressing from just grinding through it, and even dying isn't much of a deterrent; you just pop up again at full health.”
    • “But, the gameplay is really really bad and unsatisfying.”
  • story238 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its immersive elements and engaging lore, while others criticize it for being vague, linear, and lacking depth. Many enjoy the environmental storytelling and character interactions, but feel that the overall narrative is weak and could benefit from more content and clearer direction. Despite these criticisms, the game is often praised for its enjoyable gameplay mechanics and beautiful visuals, making it a solid choice for fans of dungeon crawlers.

    • “It's a good immersive story, funny and sometimes heart-stopping-- and since it's co-op up to 4 people, it's pretty damn fun, too.”
    • “The environments are beautiful, the enemies are varied and challenging, and the storyline is interesting and engaging.”
    • “It's a gorgeously crafted world and the story is compelling.”
    • “The story makes little sense, and I found it difficult to stay interested, hearing so much of the limited lore from the awful NPC I mentioned earlier.”
    • “The story is essentially non-existent and what little is there is incredibly boring and forgettable.”
    • “The only negatives are 1) that the story is on the weak side.”
  • atmosphere82 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its immersive quality, stunning graphics, and detailed sound design, creating a captivating experience that draws players into its richly crafted environments. Reviewers highlight the effective use of ambient sounds, voice acting, and visual elements that enhance the overall mood, making it a standout feature of the game. While the atmosphere is described as beautiful and polished, some players note that the gameplay can become repetitive, detracting slightly from the overall experience.

    • “I thought the atmosphere and graphic design was superb, especially the start section with the sunset over the water which looked incredible in VR, and the game so far has a lot of visual interest.”
    • “The overall atmosphere of the game is really amazing, and the combat feels fluid and proper, with connecting hits feeling like you're actually hitting someone.”
    • “Couple that with the sound design; the little cave noises and the narrator with a voice like fantasy Morgan Freeman, and the whole thing is just dripping with atmosphere.”
    • “While I really like the level and character design and the atmosphere, the combat gets repetitive and enemies become 'bullet' sponges.”
    • “The atmosphere and scuttling noises on our first go were anxiety-inducing (in a good way).”
    • “The atmosphere, the AI, and the scenery keep you looking over your shoulders all the time; I'm only about an hour in.”
  • grinding52 mentions

    The grinding aspect of Karnage Chronicles is often described as tedious and repetitive, with players noting that it can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some find the initial gameplay engaging, many feel that the need for extensive grinding—whether for loot, upgrades, or to progress through challenging areas—leads to a lack of direction and satisfaction as the game progresses. Inventory management and enemy spawn mechanics further contribute to the grindy experience, making it a mixed bag for players.

    • “Karnage Chronicles started off okay for me, but then became a tediously dull dungeon/cave crawler with no direction on what to do or where to go.”
    • “Some people have described the game as challenging, but it really isn't; you can keep progressing from just grinding through it, and the only challenge is in forcing yourself to push through the frustrating mechanics.”
    • “The inventory management is nothing short of tedious.”
  • music52 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance immersion and set the mood, while others criticize its volume and lack of interaction with gameplay. Some players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack and sound design, noting that it complements the visuals and atmosphere effectively. However, there are concerns about the music being overpowering during critical moments, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “Amazing game - highly recommend, gameplay is flawless, beautiful art and soundtrack, extremely fun singleplayer and multiplayer.”
    • “Music is amazing and really sets the mood.”
    • “The songs just fit the levels you are in and are long enough they don't seem repetitive and are not overpowering at all, drowning out the rest of the gameplay.”
    • “The lack of music and interaction with the world kind of sucks.”
    • “And so there are times when you really need to hear the frustration of your teammates during a boss fight, but cannot, because the music is too damned loud.”
    • “Good starting point but lacks any substance, music, lighting, and combat.”
  • optimization44 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with many users reporting smooth performance across various systems, particularly in VR settings. While some players experienced fluctuating frame rates, especially in 90 fps mode, the majority found the game to run glitch-free and stable, even in multiplayer scenarios. The graphics are noted as impressive, and recent updates have further enhanced performance, making it one of the most optimized VR experiences available.

    • “Easily the most optimized VR experience I have played.”
    • “Most importantly, this game is optimized fantastically.”
    • “This VR game has some of the best graphics and is properly optimized to run smoothly on all systems.”
    • “On 90 fps mode, I would get ~40 fps, and adjusting supersampling did not change performance.”
    • “Didn't get into this game when I first got it because it really taxed my computer (turn off your computer monitor and it won't render the monitor in addition to the VR headset, huge performance jump).”
    • “They don't have anything optimized for the Valve Index.”
  • replayability42 mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it highly enjoyable with significant potential for replay through multiplayer and random loot, others feel it lacks depth and variety, particularly due to the limited number of classes and repetitive dungeon designs. Suggestions for improvement include adding more classes, random levels, and higher difficulty modes to enhance the replay experience. Overall, the game shows promise for replayability, especially with friends, but could benefit from further development to fully realize its potential.

    • “Some simple dungeons that are different every playthrough would give the game almost endless replayability.”
    • “Random loot drops and scaling difficulty levels make this game very replayable!”
    • “It's an excellent multiplayer dungeon crawling experience all-in-all, offering replayability, frustration, surprises, immersion, inspiring awe at times, and the occasional accidental player kill at the most inopportune moment.”
    • “With little to no replayability incentive.”
    • “It's a shallow, arcade-style, hack-and-slash with little to no replay value.”
    • “There is replayability but not as much as I would like.”
  • stability42 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in co-op mode, which often detracts from the overall experience. While some users noted that it runs well on certain hardware and found only minor issues, others expressed frustration with frequent crashes and unresponsive gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is seen as needing further polish and updates to address these stability concerns.

    • “Great voice acting and mostly bug-free multiplayer co-op.”
    • “It's not buggy or unpolished, so at early-access prices the game is a steal.”
    • “I only have a middle-of-the-road PC, running on the Oculus Rift S, and it runs great!”
    • “I was playing it in early access, and got close to the end, but it was just so buggy that I felt I was battling the bugs more than I was battling enemies, so I decided to put it down until it was out of early access (which ended up being a couple of years).”
    • “So ultimately the game is gorgeous, and appears to have had a lot of painstaking design to create an absorbing world (at least the first levels; the end of the game appears slapped together), but the broken, buggy implementation results in a game that just isn't fun to play.”
    • “So while at the moment it's unpolished, buggy, crashes often, and lacks the features it requires and promises, I have faith that the devs will deliver on this one.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The game is praised for its witty humor and immersive storytelling, with players highlighting the comedic interactions and antics during co-op gameplay. The characters, particularly one named Seven, add to the humor, making for a fun and engaging experience that elicits laughter among friends. Overall, the combination of funny gameplay mechanics and dynamic combat contributes to a memorable and entertaining atmosphere.

    • “And most importantly, very funny gameplay!”
    • “I recommend this game to play with friends :) We laughed so much at how you can feed your friends, with your hands in their mouths, hilarious!”
    • “The characters are awesome, especially Seven, who is hilarious.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to "Karnage," describing it as an immersive experience that transports them into a vibrant virtual world reminiscent of classic RPGs. However, some users note that the controller feedback can be overly intense, detracting from the overall experience, and suggest improvements for more intuitive movement controls.

    • “In the 3 hours of gameplay I've had so far, Karnage has made me feel like it's the only action VRPG worth buying.”
    • “I spent a little while just very carefully touching my shield this way and got the astonishing feeling it was solid.”
    • “Wow, made me feel like I just jumped straight into the world of Evercrack.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The game's monetization is praised for not feeling exploitative or like a cash grab, standing out positively in a market saturated with such practices. Players appreciate its charm and personality, viewing it as a refreshing exception to the norm.

    • “It's a goddamn golden egg in an increasingly large pile of cash grabbing excrement.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is praised for its level and character design, as well as the atmospheric elements of the game. However, players note that the combat can become repetitive, with enemies feeling overly resilient, which detracts from the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

8hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
5-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 32 analyzed playthroughs

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