THERE are few psychological thrillers that have the ability to keep their creepy claws dug into your mind well after you’ve finished them.
BioShock, Heavy Rain, Dead Space, Alan Wake, FEAR are some that jump out.
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But now there’s a newbie leaping from the shadows to instil fear in every step you take.
Karma: The Dark World is a debut title from indie developer Pollard Studio – coming out of nowhere to scare the living daylights out of you.
This first-person belter delivers a primal fear so all-encompassing, you’ll be reach for the light switch before you know it.
Set in an alternate 1984 East Germany, you play Daniel McGovern. He’s an elite Roam agent who has to jump into the minds of suspects to investigate crimes.
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What starts out as a simple detective story soon becomes something else, something much darker and more mind-bending.
All the brain-diving exposes a dark conspiracy which makes Daniel question his own reality and the world around him.
Dripping with Orwellian overtones – Big Brother is watching you all the time – while throwing in plenty of Twin Peaks vibes, Karma is a surreal and haunting experience.
And it’s the constant tension that really grips you – it’s as impressive as it is exhausting.
Every step is fearful, every corner capable of hiding a new terror.
Even Daniel’s own movements are lumbered and staggered, as if suggesting that he really doesn’t want you to take another step for fear of what lies ahead.
But that doesn’t stop you – it’s impossible not to carry on despite every fibre of your being screaming at you to stand still.
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And even when you uncover a smeared warning on a mirror “don’t turn around”, you fail to heed this advice and are met with the most insanely scary greeting when you do eventually look over your shoulder.
So there’s not much action – if you’re after a gun-toting horror adventure then you’re best suited to return to the likes of Resident Evil, Dead Space or Alien: Isolation.
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The puzzles dotted around Karma are decent enough though and add to the story. But this game is more about a continual exploration of a twisted narrative. This isn’t about levels or side quests.
Visually, it’s off the scale for a debutante. Thanks to the Unreal Engine 5, faces are beautifully crafted and the rendering clean enough so you can see the deep fear and horror that lies within everyone’s eyes.
Some excellent voice acting adds to the atmosphere. Even Mother’s dulcet tones creep you out.
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And the score is perfect. The seemingly random violin screeches soon become well-timed shrieks which, when belting through your headphones, indicate something very bad is about to happen.
There was a touch of BioShock about it – an empty, fateful dread that drains the hope from you as you flee another oncoming nightmare. Normally one with a television for a head.
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All in all there’s around 6 hours of gameplay to endure in Karma and it’s well worth jumping back in after completion (if you dare) to see if you’ve missed any little nightmare nuggets the first time round.
It’s easy to overlook games sometimes as you step on the smaller titles in a bid to reach the top shelf ones. But Karma should not be ignored. It’s a truly spectacular outing and for £20, well worth the money.
It’s available on PC and PlayStation 5 and an Xbox version is on the way. It’s crying out for a VR experience too.
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It’s haunting aura stays with you and keeps you questioning whether that strange creaking noise coming from the ceiling just now was simply the wind – or something much, much worse.
Anyway, whatever you do be sure to keep Karma, and carry on.
KARMA: THE DARK WORLD
- FORMATS: PlayStation 5, PC
- PRICE: £20
- PUBLISHER: Wired Productions
- DEVELOPER: Pollard Studio
- RELEASE DATE: Out now
- AGE RATING: 17+
- SCORE: 4/5
