Gori Cuddly Carnage’s cuddly, gory demo is out now on all platforms – Destructoid
Gori Cuddly Carnage‘s demo is now available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 ahead of its August 29, 2024 release date. The free demo, which just happens to have been released on International Cat Day, features the first level of the game and really gives you an insight into what it’s all about.
In the demo, you’ll meet the cuddly cat Gori, the game’s primary protagonist, as well as F.R.A.N.K., his hoverboard with an AI personality that is incredibly frustrated by the child-friendly filter on his dialogue, which means he initially can’t swear. Together, they’re the perfect duo for you to control as you slice and dice your way through hordes of increasingly grotesque unicorns who have been mutated in the most freakish ways possible. Note that it’s probably best to avoid this one if you’re not good with blood because there’s so much of it, and it goes everywhere.
Don’t stop slicing
The premise of Gori Cuddly Carnage is pretty easy to get on board with. The world has been hit with a toy apocalypse, causing all sorts of products designed to be fun to mutate into horrible machinations and gory creatures out for your blood. You’re trying to find an item that the scientist who saved you is guiding you towards, which you hope will lead you to her.
Every mission feels like a sandbox but plays more like a mission in a Devil May Cry game. The corridors loop back on each other as you work your way through blood-soaked combat encounters, solve puzzles, usually with blood and gore, and move between each level from a central hub that has unlockables to grind for.
I love the combat in Gori Cuddly Carnage because it’s meaty and meaningful. What starts out as a relatively simple move set grows increasingly complex very quickly, to the point that you’re chaining together attacks and risking death for a finisher that will replenish your health and energy while simultaneously ripping a boss or miniboss apart.
Levels in Gori Cuddly Carnage each have a unique theme. I played through one that was definitely a deep and dank sewer, but there’s also an arcade level that lets you enter the games dotted around it. I think you’ll find something you love if you download the demo and give it a try. It’s available on pretty much every platform and runs extremely well on Steam Deck, so you should be able to play it no matter what system you prefer.