NEON STRUCT: Carrion Carrier

About

Do jobs to earn money to recharge to do jobs. An FPS speedrunning game developed for the A Game By Its Cover 2020 game jam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and engaging parkour experience, allowing players to explore a neon city while completing delivery challenges.
It's free to play, making it an accessible option for those looking for a quick and enjoyable gaming experience.
The movement mechanics are well-designed, providing a satisfying sense of speed and fluidity as players navigate through levels.

The game can become repetitive over time, as the delivery tasks feel similar and the maze-like layout can be frustrating.
Some players experienced performance issues, with frame rate drops affecting the overall gameplay experience.
The lack of a save feature can be frustrating, as players may have to restart from the beginning after running out of energy.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The gameplay is characterized by a challenging yet engaging movement system that incorporates parkour mechanics, creating a sense of urgency and fluidity. Players appreciate the blend of gameplay and narrative, as the mechanics effectively convey the game's themes. While initially frustrating, mastering techniques like "bunny hopping" enhances the experience, making it a rewarding endeavor for fans of dystopian settings and fast-paced action.
- “Gameplay and story resonance make movement a challenge, but a joy.”
- “Definitely mechanically engaging, definitely worth playing if you like games about gritty dystopian futures and you like games that push you to become fast.”
- “The energy mechanic made things pretty interesting because it gives the game a sense of constant urgency.”
- “I confess I was a little frustrated with the running gameplay loop until I learned how to 'bunny hop' (the crazy jumps that appear in the trailer).”
- “Gameplay is actually quite difficult, but it's really cool to see the excellent movement system of Eldritch/Neon Struct made to feel a bit more free-running, enhancing the core concept of the gameplay.”
- “Another Neon Struct game, Carrion Carrier, like its predecessor, takes design influence from the original Deus Ex -- just with parkour this time, and a short, catchy gameplay hook to keep you trapped in its endless loop forever.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique aesthetic that blends minimalist low-poly design with vibrant neon elements, creating a visually appealing experience. While some players feel the low-poly style may seem outdated, others appreciate the improvements in lighting and texture work, particularly in comparison to previous titles in the franchise. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's sense of speed and fun gameplay.
- “Good beats, tight platforming, and a really cool graphic design bundled into a weird low poly city.”
- “Aesthetic is wonderful, and the new engine upgrades really shine under the art direction they used for Neon Struct.”
- “The same unique aesthetic is kept from Neon Struct, and it actually looks a bit better in a few places thanks to better lighting and more varied texture work.”
- “While this looks pretty good for a game jam demo (at least it has 3D graphics), the minimalist/low poly art makes this look like a reject from 2003 rather than a contemporary video game.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The story is well-integrated into the gameplay, enhancing the experience of navigating through delivery quests across a map filled with mystery. Players appreciate how the narrative complements the challenges of movement, making the journey both engaging and enjoyable.
- “Gameplay and story resonance make movement a challenge, but a joy.”
- “Story serves the purpose well.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is shallow, leaving me disconnected from their journeys.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, while the game is well-received and free to play, users have noted that performance issues are a concern, suggesting that optimization could be improved.
- “The game is good, the game is free, but performance could be a bit better.”
- “The only thing that is a bit of a problem is the performance.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The music in the game is noted to be repetitive, featuring a single track that loops throughout, which detracts from the overall experience. While the track itself is not considered bad, it falls short compared to the excellent soundtrack of the home conversion.
- “Instead, we just get the same track looped for the duration of the game. While it isn't a bad song by any means, it doesn't really compare to the home conversion's excellent work on the original soundtrack.”
- “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
- “I expected a dynamic soundtrack, but the limited selection of tracks really detracts from the overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
In "Neon Struct," players take on the role of a dasher, engaging in fast-paced package deliveries through a complex urban environment, which emphasizes the grind for credits in a challenging setting. The gameplay revolves around the repetitive nature of these deliveries, highlighting the effort required to progress.
- “Neon Struct: Carrier casts you as a dasher - one of the poor souls grinding out credits by delivering packages on foot, at top speed, in the twisting concrete jungle.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
- “I found the grinding mechanics to be tedious and unfulfilling, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization model is generally well-received, as players appreciate that the game is free and does not appear to exploit users for profit.
- “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “It's frustrating that so many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- “While the game is free to play, the constant prompts to purchase in-game currency are really distracting and take away from the experience.”