Cat games are all the rave these days! They have been so cute, from Infinite Fall’s Night in the Woods and The Gentlebros’ Cat Quest/Cat Quest III to Annapurna Interactive’s Stray. Gori: Cuddly Carnage has cuteness mixed with the absurd vibes of Conker’s Bad Fur Day, paired with Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Jak and Daxter. This game has one of the most adorable protagonists, surrounded by the most bloody, horrific gore-fest that could fill a game. Ultimately, there was a lot of foul-mouthed dialogue throughout this heartwarming cat tale.
This action-adventure, hack-and-slash game told a contained story while adding in elements of chaos and destruction. The premise of collecting parts/weapons from defeating bosses has been used across so many popular story-driven franchises, such as the God of War games or the BioShock games. It can be a breath of relief from grinding games like Destiny 2 or any of the FromSoftware games.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) ReviewGori: Cuddly Carnage has a straightforward track but allows the player to upgrade/customize Gori and his arsenal when they feel like it. It is perfectly balanced, as Thanos wanted. What made the journey enjoyable was the humorous dialogue between Gori’s companions, CH1P, the morose A.I. helper, and F.R.A.N.K., the talking slicing-and-dicing hoverboard. The witty banter of the depressed CH1P and the foul-mouthed hoverboard F.R.A.N.K. was entertaining whenever Gori would be too busy purring and licking his paws. F.R.A.N.K. can give Deadpool a run for his money.
“Gori: Cuddly Carnage has cuteness mixed with the absurd vibes of Conker’s Bad Fur Day, paired with Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Jak and Daxter.”
Gori: Cuddly Carnage provides a lot of content and customizability but still keeps it simple. The upgrades are simple to understand as the game allows the player to learn almost all of the moves for the rest of the game within the first 30 minutes of level one. The upgrades primarily increase damage, increase duration, increase shielding or add something simple and meaningful to the gameplay (i.e. an extra life). This is another factor that shows that Angry Demon Studio understands the assignment of making a fun game that does not need to be inflated with an endless list of game mechanics.
The changes to the ship are a great addition too. The way the environments change, and how each level ups the trippiness is astounding. The evolution of the enemies was great too, upping the difficulty to deal with them. By the end of the game, the game itself throws a variety of enemies at the player.
“With a story-driven game that provided about 10 hours of high-octane fun and action, the payoff was worth every bit in Gori: Cuddly Carnage.”
My eyes felt overstimulated at times, with colours emanating brightly and sharply. The comic book style mixed with the arcade neon glows were very flashy and on brand with the concept that toys have come to life to kill all of humanity. I’m not sure if this game was meant to be enjoyed in one sitting with all of the fast-paced action, explosions, and flashing lights—maybe it is meant to take it one level a day. There was a disclaimer at the beginning of the game, though.
Regardless of the crucial saving issue and frustrating non-working bits, this was a really fun game. It utilized Unreal Engine 5.1 effectively and provided a visual splendour. The effort in the sound design and music was the cherry on top. The fact that Gori has his own theme sung over the main menu is perfect. The game mechanics were simple to learn, and it was a great sports/hack-and-slash adventure game. There were so many genres involved. With a story-driven game that provided about 10 hours of high-octane fun and action, the payoff was worth every bit in Gori: Cuddly Carnage.
