KARMA: The Dark World Review

KARMA: The Dark World

Release: March 27, 2025
Publisher: Pollard Studio
Developer: Pollard Studio
Genre: Thriller
PEGI: 16
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KARMA: The Dark World is a psychological thriller that throws players into a dystopian surveillance state where memory, identity, and morality are constantly shifting. Inspired by classics like Twin Peaks, Alan Wake, and Silent Hill, this game blends sci-fi horror with deep philosophical questions, offering a narrative-rich experience that’s both unsettling and thought-provoking.

Set in a world reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984, you play as Daniel McGovern, an agent of the mysterious Karma Department. Your job? Dive into the memories of suspects to uncover hidden truths. The story unfolds over three acts, each more surreal and emotionally charged than the last. Themes of guilt, repression, and existential dread are woven into every scene, making the story not just a mystery to solve, but a psychological journey to endure. While the plot has its hiccups—some critics mentioned abrupt transitions and a slightly rushed ending—it remains a compelling ride that keeps you questioning what’s real and what’s fabricated.

The core gameplay revolves around memory diving, where you explore surreal, fragmented memoryscapes distorted by trauma. These sequences require you to interpret symbolic imagery and reconstruct events from scattered clues, creating a dreamlike investigative experience. Puzzle-solving is central to progression, with challenges like decoding encrypted messages, unlocking mechanical devices, and connecting abstract visual cues. These puzzles are thematically integrated and demand both logic and lateral thinking.

Evidence collection is crucial, as you must gather and analyze documents, objects, and environmental details to piece together the truth. This mechanic evokes the spirit of detective games like Return of the Obra Dinn, where observation and deduction are key.

As Daniel delves deeper into disturbing memories, his mental state deteriorates. A sanity system introduces hallucinations, distorted audio, and unreliable narration. Managing exposure to psychological trauma becomes essential to maintaining clarity and avoiding narrative dead ends.

Outside of memory dives, you engage in dialogue and interrogation through branching conversation trees. These interactions influence the investigation’s direction and can unlock or obscure critical information, adding a layer of role-playing and moral ambiguity.

Built in Unreal Engine 5, KARMA is visually stunning. The environments are richly detailed and drenched in atmosphere—fog-choked corridors, flickering neon signs, and grotesque dream sequences all contribute to a sense of creeping dread.

The art direction is consistently strong, using color and lighting to evoke emotion and disorientation. The soundtrack is equally evocative, with haunting melodies and ambient soundscapes that enhance the game’s psychological tension. Voice acting is sparse but effective, and while some players noted difficulty understanding lyrics in certain songs, the overall audio design is immersive and impactful.

KARMA: The Dark World isn’t for everyone. Its slow pace, abstract storytelling, and lack of traditional gameplay mechanics may alienate some. But for those who appreciate narrative-driven experiences that challenge perception and provoke introspection, it’s a must-play.

The story is deep and emotionally resonant, the visuals are gorgeous and atmospheric, and the puzzles are clever and thematically rich. The game’s innovative sanity and memory mechanics, combined with its strong philosophical undercurrents, make it a standout in the psychological thriller genre. However, its short runtime, linear progression, and occasional narrative pacing issues may leave some players wanting more.

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