Decarnation Preview (PC)

Gloria is moving across platforms made up of broken pieces of a museum, while creepy monsters are trying to capture her. It’s relatively easy to use two buttons in a quick time event to deal with them in this dream. But can Gloria find a way to solve her real-world problems as nimbly as she is dealing with those created by her subconscious?

Decarnation is developed by Atelier QDB and published by Shiro Unlimited. I played a demo of the game on the PC using Steam and the title will also arrive on the Nintendo Switch. It delivers a narrative-powered psychological horror experience with adventure game mechanics.

The protagonist is Gloria, a cabaret dancer who is nearing 30 and seems to be quickly losing everything that’s important in her life. Her girlfriend is breaking up with her and she is pushed into accepting a new job opportunity from a mysterious benefactor. Meanwhile, her problems invade her dreams, and her mother is critiquing all her life choices.

The game is focused on telling a story, with players forced to deal with choices that they do not make directly. There’s a lot of talking in Decarnation and the demo also has a few quick time event-driven sequences. The full game will feature puzzle solving, exploration, and more mini-games.

The setup is intriguing, and the writing is solid, creating a fully fleshed-out character that players can root for. Guiding Gloria around the world, with its judgmental men and feeling of dread, feels pretty good. And I hope that ex-girlfriend Joy will play an important role in the rest of the story.

Decarnation uses a retro pixel-art style that works well with its setting and story. It also means that the scares tend to be more psychological terror than straight-up horror, another solid choice. Gloria has a clear personality, as does Joy, and the museum location is very well constructed. The soundtrack is even more interesting, underlining the weirdness of the game's world.

Conclusion