Carnage Game Review
Carnage is a free browser game in the role-playing genre, created by Russian developers. Against the background of similar works, it immediately stands out for its retro style: everything here is old-fashioned, from the interface to the drawings and the basic rules you have to follow to achieve your goals. This kind of design is rarely seen these days, when the public is more interested in bright effects and animations with a minimum of thought. Nevertheless, Carnage has benefited from the lack of spectacle, and we'll see why.
What is this game about?
The adventure begins with choosing a character. It can be a man or a woman, without any classes or professions - you get them when you have already mastered the new world and understand who you want to be. But basic characteristics like strength and dexterity are given to strengthen right at the start, using a set of bonus points. Next you will get acquainted with the first city in the Karnage universe - Lutetia. From a window overlooking the town square you can get to a number of buildings, such as the castle, the central hall, the labyrinth, the barracks and the towers, only the way there is closed for the newcomer. Before you can move freely through the world, you need to be trained. This is where the game reveals itself in all its glory.
The first thing you should get used to is the presentation of all actions, whether it is the choice of a line in the dialogue or a blow in a fight, in the form of textual descriptions. And the second peculiarity of Carnage is that even the training is not given by leaps and bounds. After solving a couple of elementary tasks such as "Put a chain mail on the hero", it is still necessary to enlist the help of a mentor - a more experienced user, who in private correspondence explains what to do and how to do it better. Well, or at least give a link to the topic in the forum. There is no need to specifically seek support - the teacher himself contacts the neophyte and introduces them to the course. This debut social interaction looks fresh and unusual, because in most online games, gamers first cross paths in the arena, where they mash each other's sides. But here everything is different.
You have a global goal - to save Princess Vasilisa, who was kidnapped by the villain Rumpelstiltskin, in order to take revenge on the king. It would seem to be a typical fairy tale plot twist. But whenever you expect standard solutions from Carnage, it presents a surprise. For example, to order a glass of beer in a virtual tavern, it is not enough just to come to the institution and throw a coin on the counter - you must also prove that your hero is over 18 years old. Levels in the game count from zero, not one. Exchange private messages in chat are allowed only to those who are in one city - to write in another place, you need a rune telepathy, that is forced to use magic. To establish a clan should not only pump the hero to level 5 and collect game currency (sestertsii), but also to pass the test of the Inquisition. The same sinister organization has the right to put your character behind bars if you, for example, use foul language in chat.
You have a global goal - to save Princess Vasilisa, who was kidnapped by the villain Rumpelstiltskin, in order to take revenge on the king. It would seem to be a typical fairy tale plot twist. But whenever you expect standard solutions from Carnage, it presents a surprise. For example, to order a glass of beer in a virtual tavern, it is not enough just to come to the institution and throw a coin on the counter - you must also prove that your hero is over 18 years old. Levels in the game count from zero, not one. Exchange private messages in chat are allowed only to those who are in one city - to write in another place, you need a rune telepathy, that is forced to use magic. To establish a clan should not only pump the hero to level 5 and collect game currency (sestertsii), but also to pass the test of the Inquisition. The same sinister organization has the right to put your character behind bars if you, for example, use foul language in chat.
Such nuances fill the entire game. And the use of text and static pictures instead of more complex effects and animations allowed to saturate Carnage with activities. There are really a lot of activities here. You can take part in battles, explore dungeons and mazes, get new equipment, fish and do character quests, raise combat pets and pets, collect items, make marriage alliances and drive caravans from town to town. There are even several lotteries, including the win-win Wheel of the Demiurge. However, not all of these activities are available immediately - here again, you have to get used to the measured pace of Carnage and not to race the horses.
It is noteworthy that the game does not require mandatory registration. You can create and name a character in a couple of clicks to try it out, without entering your mail and other personal information. And then go through the training and participate in a few scuffles - enough to understand if you like what is happening or not. But after closing the window in the browser, the user without registration starts the adventure all over again. Therefore, to play on a permanent basis, it is still necessary to create an account. Especially because experience and levels are gained here slowly, in the course of many battles, and to lose even a little progress would be a shame.
It is noteworthy that the game does not require mandatory registration. You can create and name a character in a couple of clicks to try it out, without entering your mail and other personal information. And then go through the training and participate in a few scuffles - enough to understand if you like what is happening or not. But after closing the window in the browser, the user without registration starts the adventure all over again. Therefore, to play on a permanent basis, it is still necessary to create an account. Especially because experience and levels are gained here slowly, in the course of many battles, and to lose even a little progress would be a shame.
How are the battles arranged?
The very name of the game, which translates from English as "massacre", hints at the number and variety of battles available here. There really are plenty of reasons to bleed the enemy. You can practice with a mannequin, take part in training fights, where one on one converge beginners, arrange a duel or go to the arena - all these are different types of competitions. In addition, a fight with... himself, when against your hero stands his copy, with the same equipment and skills, only under the control of artificial intelligence. It looks very unusual.
For fans of team battles there are wall-to-wall fighting, chaotic mode, where participants are divided into two groups by lot, collective raids in dungeons and mazes, tournaments and clan wars. In general, there are a huge number of heroic formats. Except for training fencing with scarecrow, any battles require applications. For example, you want to fight a duel: to do this you enter the respective location and leave a request there or respond to the proposal of another player who is also itchy fists. At the same time you can check who exactly will go against you on the battlefield to see how equal your performance, capabilities and equipment are. Considering that in Carnage there can be a huge difference in strength between 1st and 2nd level heroes, this comes in handy, and waiting in line for battle allows you to make the right decision. If there are too many requests, it is impossible to handle them all at once, so a separate time is set for especially large wars.
The battle itself is as follows: an additional window opens, where you can see your hero and the enemy, as well as displaying the menu of attacks and defenses. You're prompted to first consider whether to focus on defense or put your energy into strikes, and then choose a specific action. Say in the first round you want to stab your enemy in the legs while protecting your head, and in the second round you want to stab his body and cover his legs. If you can guess with the direction of your opponent's attack and bypass his defense in the same way, you have a chance to win. An original solution, nothing to say, but it eliminates tactics and reminds more of a "Battle of the Psychics" than of a well thought-out duel.
The battle itself is as follows: an additional window opens, where you can see your hero and the enemy, as well as displaying the menu of attacks and defenses. You're prompted to first consider whether to focus on defense or put your energy into strikes, and then choose a specific action. Say in the first round you want to stab your enemy in the legs while protecting your head, and in the second round you want to stab his body and cover his legs. If you can guess with the direction of your opponent's attack and bypass his defense in the same way, you have a chance to win. An original solution, nothing to say, but it eliminates tactics and reminds more of a "Battle of the Psychics" than of a well thought-out duel.
At first, the system seems unfriendly due to the fact that newcomers of your level rarely appear on the server, and there is no one to train with, except bullies in purchased armor - they willingly send invitations to visitors to the capital, to easily deal with them and get experience. For defeat, alas, there are no bonuses - only losses, given the need to drink healing potions after injury. So it turns out that the player has a choice: either to invest a small amount to equip as a real gladiator, or wait for opponents of their level. However, there is a third option, economical - to fight your own shadow.
Role System and Wagering
The basis of progression in Carnage is not much different from other representatives of the genre. If you win a battle or run an errand, you get experience that can be used to level up and level up. But this game wouldn't be itself if it followed the template. After all, its role-playing system has a lot of nuances. One of the key ones is the proclivities, which open up some options for the hero and close off others. There are four kinds of proclivities - Chaos, Order, Light, Darkness - and they are given to fourth-level characters after an interview with the Consul. For example, if you choose Darkness, you will be forbidden to enter buildings associated with the cult of Light, but will be accepted as native in the vampire club, and in battle you can feed on other people's blood and steal power from the enemy.
Another important aspect of wagering is the professions. One of these you are introduced to as soon as you arrive in Lutetia is mentoring. You can also be a healer, mercenary, merchant or priest. The trick is that the owner of the profession must use it so as not to suffer a loss. After all, first you have to buy an in-game license for in-game currency, and then extend it and look for customers in parallel. In the latter there is no shortage, because every job is in demand. For example, you can toss a couple of ringing coins to mercenary, so that he suddenly burst into action and finish off a strong enemy for you - the reward for the victory is still getting you. Similarly, without a priest you can't get married, and without a healer you can't heal from some illnesses. The whole system is not only logical, but also allows you to fully play your role.
Conclusion
Carnage is one of the most unusual browser games. Instead of spectacular action it has writing, the pace of plot and character development seems awfully slow, and the interface looks like it came straight from the 90s. You have to be a fan of this kind of entertainment to get seriously into it. Nevertheless, the vintage atmosphere of the club "for the select few", the depth of the role system and undemanding to the characteristics of the computer make this RPG interesting option for any gamer. The value of classics is that they don't get old.
December 2020
December 2020