Karma: The Dark World review

Described as a first-person cinematic psychological thriller, Karma: The Dark World is undoubtedly one of the weirdest games I’ve ever played. Its story twists and turns in ways that would make Hideo Kojima proud, and just when you think you’re starting to make sense of it, it goes off in another direction, leaving you completely lost again. At least you can say it’s interesting.

Taking place in East Germany in 1984, the story of Karma: The Dark World puts you in control of Daniel McGovern, a Roam Agent for Leviathan’s Thought Bureau. That basically makes you an investigator, and so your first task is to dig into a case involving another Thought Bureau employee who’s been up to no good. As you dig into the case, you realise that there might be more to it, however. And things really come to a head when you dive into the mind of the accused back at your headquarters.

It’s safe to say that you’ll never really know where the story of Karma: The Dark World is going, or what you’ll be doing next in terms of gameplay. Often you’re simply roaming environments looking for clues in order to open a locked drawer, but there are other types of puzzles thrown in for good measure. There’s an element of horror here too, with multiple chase sequences and the odd jump scare to keep you on your toes.

Ultimately, Karma: The Dark World tells a story of family, love, and loss. Though being set in a dystopian world, things are extremely bleak. The fragile state of Daniel’s mind also makes it hard to differentiate what’s real and what’s not. Delving into the thoughts of others doesn’t help in this regard, especially when things go a tad wrong. When the table is turned onto Daniel, you’ll get a glimpse of his thoughts and fears — but just how much of this is real?

With a running time of around six hours, Karma: The Dark World is a game that doesn’t outstay its welcome, though your attention might wane a little at times. It does try to mix things up gameplay-wise, though, especially in its second half. You’ll play some surreal scenes, and when a camera comes into your possession you’ll use it to solve puzzles and to engage in basic combat by focusing on and taking photos of giant red eyes. One of these combat sequences is a low point of the game, however, turning what should be a tense encounter into something dull and potentially frustrating.

Still, by the time the credits are rolling on Karma: The Dark World, you’ll have been entertained overall. You’ll probably have questions, and maybe by playing the game a second time, you might be able to piece more of its fractured narrative together. For those who appreciate a dark and challenging narrative, then, it’s worth a look, but its short running time means you might want to wait for a bit of a discount.