Recently, I got the opportunity to try out the upcoming title Karma: The Dark World from the developer Pollard Studio. This was the studio’s first project, which began developing in 2021. Karma: The Dark World is a psychological thriller that takes the player through all kinds of unique locations as they attempt to solve numerous mysteries while exploring the minds of those who are holding secrets that are important to your past and future.
Karma: The Dark World Makes the Most Out of its Haunting Locations and Mindscapes
One of the biggest draws to Karma: The Dark World is the premise that you will be able to explore some of the most surreal locations within a video game, as you can explore mundane locations like office buildings one second and then be transported into an NPC’s mind as you relive their memories, with some unfortunate twists.
This is something that takes Karma: The Dark World to a whole new level, as you aren’t just playing the game as one character, but you are instead playing the game as numerous characters that you take control of as you navigate their memories and, in some cases, a level of their subconscious as you attempt to discover the secrets they hide deep within their minds.
Because of this, some of the locations I was able to visit were fairly normal, but as I progressed, I slowly began to see these memories change shape into monstrous locations filled with doubt, horror, and sadness as I learned about the unfortunate mishaps these different characters had bestowed upon them.
Not only were these locations interesting to walk through, but I found that they were stunning in terms of detail and quality, with each room being filled with perfect detail that made me feel like I was actually in the game itself.
Karma: The Dark World Has a Story That Will Keep You Gripped From Start to Finish
Although I will refrain from going into too much detail regarding the story to avoid spoilers, I will say that personally, I found it was an incredible story that had me constantly questioning whether or not I was exploring the real world or within someone’s mind, as the twists and turns had me constantly on my toes attempting to figure out the puzzle that was Karma: The Dark World.
One of the most intriguing parts of Karma: The Dark World is its premise of diving into the mind of someone to uncover the secrets they are hiding within their mind. Although this may seem intrusive, it is an incredible premise for a game such as this, as it provides a lot of backstory for the characters, as well as allowing you to piece together the story that is taking place within Karma: The Dark World.
Due to the story being told in a non-linear method, it was sometimes a little challenging to keep up with what was going on at the time, but that is the entire point of telling a story in such a manner, as it tasks the player with having to think about all the different scenes and piece together the story, which is exactly what the developers want the player to do.
After completing Karma: The Dark World, I can say that it has managed to do what the developers intended to do, as it has managed to make me look for my own answers within Karma: The Dark World and its dystopian world.
Karma: The Dark World’s Gameplay May be Simple, But it is Effective
Throughout Karma: The Dark World, you will be tasked with walking about the different locations and set pieces to uncover the secrets hidden within, and to some, this may seem quite dull, but luckily, that isn’t the case for Karma: The Dark World.
Although I did spend a large majority of the time walking around solving puzzles and looking for secrets within Karma: The Dark World, there were some moments that broke the gameplay loop and allowed for new experiences. Whether it was a minigame that tested how good I was at “boring” office work or running away from monsters, there were plenty of moments that broke the gameplay up, keeping it fresh and exciting.
As I said above, the majority of Karma: The Dark World you will just simply be walking around, but in this game that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as there is plenty to see and uncover as you do so; whether it is the puzzle boxes that are hidden throughout the game or documents that reveal hidden lore of the game, there is plenty to see to keep you busy.
Karma: The Dark World
Summary
Overall, Karma: The Dark World was an enjoyable experience that managed to keep me on my toes with the gameplay loop as well as have me questioning everything that was going on as I explored some of the most haunting locations both in reality and mind.
HOURS PLAYED: 6
PLAYED ON: PS5
- Full of breathtaking locations as well as haunting scenes.
- Interesting story that constantly had me guessing as to what would happen next.
- Brilliant gameplay loop that was able to keep me on my toes.
- Optional puzzles were one and done causing a reload of a checkpoint if failed.
Karma: The Dark World is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC on March 27th, 2025.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our review of Atomfall or our review of Your House.
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I am a long-time writer who enjoys talking about numerous different game genres as well as playing them. My main focuses are games like Helldivers 2, Warframe, and so much more.
