Do you remember those really weird toys in Sid’s room from the first Toy Story? The ones that turned out to be pretty harmless, and just needed more love? Well, imagine if those were actually super creepy, hungry for blood and it was your job to eliminate them as a cat with a hoverboard. That’s what Gori: Cuddly Carnage is all about, and I had a chance to play one of its levels.
Claw and Tear
Gori is a special “ultra-pet” cat that, along with his companions, an AI called CH1-P, and deadly hoverboard F.R.A.N.K are out to destroy an army of creepy toys that have brought an end to humanity. Since I was sort of dropped in the middle of the story, I didn’t focus too much on the narrative side, but instead spent time slicing through hordes of monster toys.
Gori doesn’t have any attacks of his own but uses F.R.A.N.K, the hoverboard to do a variety of things including both combat and traversal. You can boost, grind on colorful rails, skate on billboards, and perform double-jumps. It feels natural and doesn’t take long for you to master it.
Combat involves a mix of light and heavy attacks that you’ll play around with for different enemy types. There’s also some range combat, and you can target multiple enemies with missiles that charge up. While the combat isn’t as deep, you’re required to constantly adapt to different enemy types that fill the screen, which I find engaging.
It’s bloody, gory, and visceral, which makes for a hilarious contrast given how cute you are, and what sort of enemies you’re chopping up without a care.
Unicorns and Doll Heads
There was a surprising amount of enemies I faced on this level, and all of them were super creepy. From Unicorns frothing with chemicals to giant floating baby doll heads with tentacles protruding from their neck. The designs feel consistent and are clearly meant to shock players with some pretty creative combinations.
While the enemy designs are great, I wasn’t as impressed with the environments. Sometimes you’d see something cleverly placed in the distance, but for the most part, there were tons of empty spaces with rubble and shiny lights. I know the Cyberpunk aesthetic is in right now, but maybe it’s getting a bit too generic for my taste.
There was a boss at the end as well, which I won’t spoil, but it was a fun fight. I think the level design of the doll house, and its introduction was quite memorable.
Closing Thoughts
The level I got to play in this preview shows a lot of promise for the full release of Gori: Cuddly Carnage. The combat is engaging with responsive controls, traversal is a lot of fun, and the creepy enemies continue to impress with their creative designs. While there are some bugs, and performance isn’t always perfect, I expect those to be ironed out in the full release. Gori won’t hesitate to slaughter a room full of manic unicorns, and you shouldn’t either.
This preview is based on the PC version of Gori: Cuddly Carnage. The key was provided by 1UP PR and Angry Demon Studio.
