Watch this gross trailer for Carrion, a 'reverse horror' sidescroller from the makers of Butcher

YouTube

Back in February the developers of Butcher announced that they'd begun work on a new "gory reverse horror game" called Carrion—"reverse horror" meaning that instead of playing the victim, you'll be the ooey-gooey creature from another dimension who hunts them down, one by one. Yesterday the studio released some pre-alpha gameplay footage showcasing that creepy-crawly murderbeast in action, and I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever seen a trailer quite like this one.

It's obviously reminiscent of Rain World, but with a Slugcat that's half The Thing and half Charles Bronson three days after he joins the gun club. It's utterly horrific in every possible way: The sticky, noduled body festooned with tentacles, the wet whipping sound it makes as it moves, the screams of its victims, the blood and bone that flies and splatters as he smashes them mercilessly against walls and floors—it's spectacularly unpleasant stuff.

I mean, once you've finished eating a guy, is it really necessary to spit his corpse out, rip it in half, beat the pieces into a wet pulp, and then roll around in it?

Hey, maybe it is. All I know for sure is that I really want to play this thing. It's likely still some distance off, however: It may be a placeholder, but the Carrion page at mediaindieexchange.com lists it as coming in February 2020. The YouTube description says a release date hasn't been set.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.