The last few years have been really good for horror games. The Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2 remakes, Signalis, Mouthwashing, and Alan Wake 2 are just some among many, and there’s plenty more to come. One I’m incredibly excited for is Karma: The Dark World, which blends psychological nightmares and technological dystopias into one neat package. Best of all, you can try it for free right now.
The setting is East Germany, 1984, but this isn’t the world you know. The Leviathan Corporation rules with an iron fist, and the dimly lit streets have an eerie air about them. You step into the shoes of Daniel McGovern, a Roam Agent for Leviathan’s Thought Bureau who uses advanced tech to jump directly into the minds of anyone accused of a crime (that’s a lot of people) and venture through the horrors of their psyche. Karma: The Dark World wears its Orwellian influences on its sleeve, but at least you know what to expect. Maybe.
If you’re a fan of recent horror games like Layers of Fear, Soma, Amnesia, Silent Hill 2, or even the unsettling designs of Control, you’ll find a lot to like in Karma. The atmosphere is the name of the game here, and intricately designed world spaces are meant to haunt your every thought. Karma is perfect if you’re a fan of spooky walking simulators, where a thick layer of ambiance covers every corner.
You can learn a lot more about Karma from our GDC preview last year, where Nat talked to developer Pollard Studio about what it wants to do with the experience. And yes, if you spotted the clear homage to Twin Peaks’ Red Room in the new trailer, the show is an inspiration that the team feels very strongly about.
You can try the new Karma: The Dark World demo right now on Steam, with the game’s full launch slated for Thursday March 27. Just go here.
We also have all the best single-player games to try now, alongside some upcoming PC games to watch out for.
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