Decarnation

Looks like a lot of reviews, so just creating this for myself. This is a 'B' game. It was good and all the mini games were 'winnable'. The game seemed quite long and i was both glad and a bit sad when it ended. There are a lot of metaphor's and personifications that were interesting. My problem is i don't like all the associated French Liberal Art subject matter, I find them annoying and insanely boring. I think hell on earth would be stuck in Paris! So, it was hard to get through in that respect. The Pro's from a game perspective are all the separated scenes that have Progress Saved after each so you can easily pick up where you last started and the ability to go back to any scene is really great.

[h1][b]Strongly recommended:[/b] Decarnation[/h1] [b]Decarnation:[/b] [i](noun) The act of removing flesh, divesting of the physical body, or putting aside carnal and worldly desires[/i] I've never really been a big horror guy, but in the past few years I've tried to broaden my horizons a bit, and that also includes spooky movies and games. One of those games is [b]Decarnation[/b], a title I first learned about from [url=https://youtu.be/nJyET81-78c?si=UZp8oL_9cFqKS0UI]a games YouTuber I follow[/url]. After his glowing recommendation, I promptly wishlisted the game, only to then immediately forget about it. Ultimately, this was a bit of a blessing in disguise. By the time I got around to buying and playing it, I already forgot pretty much everything I saw in the review, which allowed me to see the game with a fresh pair of eyes. The story of Decarnation follows Gloria, a cabaret dancer in 1989 Paris. Nearing her 30th birthday, Gloria is already starting to feel the "weight" of her age: the manager of the cabaret she works at wants her to quit performing and become a dancing coach, her mother is expecting her to settle down and take bigger career steps, and her much younger girlfriend, Joy, is starting to have doubts about their relationship. All of this culminates when Gloria and Joy visit a museum to see a bronze statue Gloria recently posed for, and find a middle-aged pervert leering and groping at it. And when Joy breaks up with her later that day, Gloria is sent into an emotional spiral that causes her to accept a sketchy new job offer, the results of which put the horrific events of the game in motion. I won't really go into the story any deeper than this. I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, since I firmly believe this is one of those games you have to experience to fully appreciate. What I will say is that the game comes with a whole laundry list of content warnings, and with a good reason. However, despite dealing with some pretty dark themes and uncomfortable situations, it does so with the requisite depth and nuance, never once sliding into tasteless or exploitative territory (quite the opposite, in fact, since the exploitation of women is one of the game's main themes). One thing that helps a lot is that it never crosses [b]that[/b] particular line, which I could very easily see a less skilled creator using for shock value, without necessarily understanding it for what it really is. The gameplay combines classic adventure mechanics from the Game Maker era with light puzzling and several contextual mini-games. Overall, it's very approachable, with intuitive puzzles and forgiving challenges. It also makes great use of certain mechanical elements, such as UI icons and text scroll speed, to achieve some pretty clever meta moments. The presentation is absolutely pitch-perfect for the vibe the game is trying to achieve. The pixel graphics are stunning, and the sheer level of effort and detail put into every level puts many AAA games to shame. This becomes even more apparent as the game goes on, and the levels get progressively more strange and surreal. The use of music is another strong point. Whether it's the original OST or the tracks by the French synth pop duo [url=https://www.youtube.com/@fleuretbleue/videos]Fleur & Bleue[/url], the game uses them to create musical leitmotifs that blend seamlessly with the events on the screen. If you have a few bucks to spare, you really can't go wrong with throwing them towards getting both the soundtracks. Honestly, I feel like I'm kinds running out of ways to say how great the game is. In fact, the only reason this review is marked as [i]Strongly recommended[/i] and not [i]One of my favorites[/i] is because it lacks a bit of that X factor - that subjective, ephemeral quality that sets apart your Superhots or Disco Elysiums from everything else. One word of warning, though: Decarnation is an incredibly good game. It is not, however, an incredibly fun game. While the ultimate message is a hopeful one, it's one of those pieces of media that's not very comfortable in the moment, and that sticks with you for a while after you're done. So, if fun's a big deciding factor for your purchases, consider the above carefully. Personally, I think the takeaway is well worth the price of admission, but ultimately, you'll have to decide for yourself.

Krótko mówiąc, Decarnation to doświadczenie bardzo ciekawe. Dostarcza świetny thriller psychologiczny, który pomimo wyraźnie lynchowskiej atmosfery, potrafi zbudować też coś własnego, ciągle trzymając w napięciu i budując rozbudowany portret psychologiczny głównej bohaterki. Około 5-godzinna przygoda okraszona jest świetną oprawą audiowizualną i bardzo dobrze napisanymi dialogami, które czasem są poważne, a czasem humorystyczne. Dodatkowych zakończeń się nie uświadczy, ale „domyślny finał” uważam za satysfakcjonujący. Przeszkadza tylko niedopracowanie minigierek – może zamiast nich lepiej byłoby postawić na większą ilość zdecydowanie bardziej udanych zagadek?

Das Spiel ist einfach nice, hat eine gute Story , verrückte Dinge die passsieren und einfach schöne Musik. Mehr braucht es meiner Meinung nach nicht. Ca 6-7 Stunden Spielzeit :)

Jogo muito daora Pra começar, ele é LINDO, a arte talvez seja meu aspecto favorito, as animações e a pixelart num geral me deixou boquiaberto As músicas são ótimas, são um aspecto bem relevante no contexto do jogo, então era essencial que fossem, algumas vão pra minha playlist A narrativa flui muito bem, usando o sonho e realidade como reflexo, é um bom meio termo entre viajado e pé no chão, funciona muito bem Mesmo sendo bem focado em narrativa, tem partes de jogabilidade que são bem divertidas e funcionam muito bem para dar uma variada Se for pra criticar algo, achei o final do jogo meio arrastado

While the gameplay falls under the "serviceable" category, the presentation here is on point and the story handles some heavy themes very well. Definitely worth a go

PROS + Strong psychological horror and atmosphere. + Excellent pixel art and visual direction. + Story is emotional, disturbing, and thought-provoking. + Creative use of surreal imagery and symbolism. + Gameplay variety keeps the experience from feeling completely static. + Soundtrack and sound design complement the narrative well. CONS - Some gameplay sections feel simplistic. - Certain puzzles can be unintuitive. - Heavy symbolism may not resonate with everyone. - The story can become quite uncomfortable and emotionally intense. VERDICT Decarnation is a game that uses horror less as a way to scare you and more as a way to explore trauma, desire, shame, and human vulnerability. Its surreal presentation makes the experience particularly memorable, while the story gradually becomes much darker than its initial premise suggests. It's not necessarily an easy game to digest, but that's also what makes it stand out as an experience rather than simply another horror game. 4/5