It’s that time of year when the nights draw in and there’s a chill in the air. Or as the cool kids say, “spooky season.” More importantly, it’s when I get in the mood for a horror game or two. Karma: The Dark World, developed by Shanghai-based The Pollard Studio, is the perfect tonic to ease into this year’s scarefest.
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It’s mostly a walking sim, but one that dares to ask thought-provoking questions and explores some challenging themes.
Set in a dystopian version of East Germany in 1984, ruled by the Leviathan Corporation, you play as Daniel McGovern, a ROAM agent (think Blade Runner) who investigates crimes by examining scenes and diving into suspects’ minds.
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It’s in these mind dives where the game truly shines, both in horror and gameplay, taking a surreal turn reminiscent of Twin Peaks.
Chop Story
The story unfolds non-linearly. You wake up with no memory of who or where you are, and everything feels off, until you’re asked to take a seat.
It’s a tale best left unspoiled, but your goals are twofold. Solve crimes and uncover what’s really happening in this world, and the role Leviathan Corporation plays in it.
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Gameplay follows standard walking sim conventions: explore environments, collect objects and notes to piece together the narrative. Puzzles vary in difficulty, from simple key hunts to cracking codes.
There’s no real combat, but you’ll be doing a fair bit of running and hiding.
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However, atmosphere is where the game excels. Karma: The Dark World balances a grounded, real-world aesthetic with the surreal, unsettling tone of the mindscapes. The only visual letdown is the character models, which lack the detail seen elsewhere.
Sound design is used effectively, relying heavily on environmental audio to build tension, with only a few music tracks stepping in when needed.
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Karma: The Dark World is a horror experience that gets under your skin. It’s not about gore or jump scares, it’s a psychological, dread-filled journey powered by its haunting atmosphere.
Best played at 1am with the lights off and headphones on, Karma: The Dark World’s a game that lingers long after the credits roll.
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