Tony Hawk’s Purr Skater
One summer evening I found myself leisurely scrolling through online store fronts, too hot and bothered to make a decision on what to play. Window shopping seemed like a more relaxing option. And then it happened – a trailer caught my eye and burned into my retina. That trailer was ‘Gori Cuddly Carnage’, featuring a neon-washed, blood-soaked cat on a skateboard on unicorn action. It instantly transported me back to a time when crazy character action games reigned supreme. My partner glanced over at me with a puzzled expression and asked, “You are not buying this stoner game about cats, are you?” And just like that, my brief moment of excitement faded away and was forgotten. Ah, relationships, right? Little did I know that the universe had greater plans in store by placing ‘Gori’ right in my lap. The burning question remained – would Gori purr like a nice lap cat or claw my face off?
Game Overview
‘Gori Cuddly Carnage’ is a single-player action-adventure game developed by Angry Demon Studio, available on all major gaming platforms. Let’s dive right in, claws first.
In this game, players take on the role of Gori, an incredibly cute and cuddly cat who rides on the foul-mouthed hoverboard F.R.A.N.K. Fortunately, for younger audiences, the explicit language is bleeped out. The journey begins with Gori and F.R.A.N.K slicing and dicing their way through hordes of unicorns after a trip to Earth to find a new spaceship for their AI friend, CHIP.
Gameplay and Humor
From the outset, players will quickly discern whether the game’s humor resonates with them. The humor in ‘Gori Cuddly Carnage’ can be described as a mix of cynicism, toilet humor, and sporadic pop culture references – somewhat reminiscent of “Borderlands”. Personally, the jokes fell flat for me, failing to evoke much more than an eye-roll, with the exception of a rare reference to the 16-bit “Lion King” game. Moreover, the option to unlock unbleeped swearing early on in the game only served to diminish the humor for me. Despite my personal reservations about the humor, the juxtaposition of adorable and brutal elements in the game had me hooked from the first kill to the last.
Furthermore, Gori not only looks the part, but the gameplay is incredibly responsive, fluid, and snappy. The satisfaction of hacking through enemy hordes with F.R.A.N.K’s array of attacks is undeniable. The animations, particularly the seamless transformation of the hoverboard into various weapons, enhance the overall combat experience. The inclusion of a “Devil May Cry” style system for earning style points during combos adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the combat mechanics.
Skating Mechanics and Environments
Aside from combat, F.R.A.N.K serves multiple purposes for Gori, aiding in traversal across the game world. The skating mechanics bear resemblance to “Jet Set Radio”, offering fluid movement without the acceleration mechanics found in traditional sports-oriented skating games. While stunts are limited to basic grinds and wall rides primarily for traversal, chaining these stunts together in certain sections adds a fun dynamic to Gori’s adventure.
The environments in which Gori navigates and battles through elicited mixed feelings. While the factory and city levels felt somewhat uninspired and mundane, the arcade, carnival, and nightmare levels exuded creativity and provided an exhilarating experience. It was disappointing to find that these more imaginative environments were predominantly featured in the late game, rather than being evenly distributed throughout the gaming experience.
Progression and Plot
The progression system in ‘Gori Cuddly Carnage’ felt rudimentary and lacking in depth. The gameplay largely revolves around defeating enemies to earn coins, which can then be used to purchase upgrades. These upgrades typically consist of incremental power increases for weapons or abilities, with minimal visual changes. However, the option to customize Gori’s fur color stood out as a particularly engaging feature for me, allowing a more personal connection to the character.
As for the plot, it was not a standout aspect of the game. The decision to skip cutscenes if the joystick was even slightly tilted forward for a brief period was a baffling choice that initially led me to believe the cutscenes were glitched. However, as I progressed through the game, I was able to piece together the narrative – think “Toy Story”, but with a darker, edgier twist.
Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, ‘Gori Cuddly Carnage’ offers a unique blend of adorable aesthetics and brutal gameplay that keeps players engaged from start to finish. And after all, who wouldn’t want to play a game that involves a cat skateboarding through hordes of unicorns?