KARMA: The Dark World has arrived, but how will it impact Pollard Studios’ next life?

We enter KARMA: The Dark World thanks to developers Pollard Studios and publishers Wired Productions. Described as a first-person cinematic psychological horror, I was immediately intrigued by the premise, and the trailer cemented that KARMA: The Dark World was something I wanted to play. 

 KARMA: The Dark World is set in an alternate history take on post-World War II Germany, a dystopian nightmare of a state dominated by the Leviathan Corporation set during (the very in-your-nose) 1984. You take on the role of Daniel McGovern, a ROAM agent for the Thought Bureau, a literal thought police. At the time of writing this, all feels heavy-handed, but neither the less, it’s a consistent and universal theme that the opening of the game does an outstanding job of immersing you in. Naturally, the game contains literal references to Orwell’s classic, and given the political state of many parts of the world, it’s unsurprising but welcome that a developer would want to explore it. 

Having said that, KARMA: The Dark World isn’t simply treading over old ground. The game begins with the Thought Bureau dispatching you to investigate a case at the Winston Research Institute, and immediately it becomes apparent that all isn’t as it seems. Something that I feel deserves huge praise are the MEMO items dotted around the game, especially in the early chapters. As a general rule, I can’t abide collectibles in games; they seldom serve much purpose other than to pad the game. That couldn’t be further from the case when it comes to KARMA: The Dark World. The memos are entirely optional, but they flesh out the world building tremendously, little snippets into the way the Leviathan Corporation entirely controls all aspects of life and the personal social consequences of stepping out of line.

Things are unnerving in the Winston Research Institute, but it’s not until you return to the Thought Bureau that the real hook of KARMA: The Dark World sinks in. Your suspect, Sean, is present; he’s clearly distressed, and it’s interrogation time. This interrogation isn’t your usual sort; a disembodied voice known as MOTHER directs your actions. It’s clear that MOTHER’s instructions are to be followed to the letter. As a ROAM agent, you’re able to enter the mind and memories of suspects; your suspect restrained, a device is lowered over their head; you don a similar headset. The design of this headset is brilliant; it looks exactly like how you’d expect a cutting-edge bit of kit to look in this setting. It’s clunky and unrefined, but its visual design invokes a sense of impropriety perfectly matched to themes of KARMA: The Dark World. 

Once you delve into Sean’s mind, your own is sure to be blown, from a vast lake of consciousness to the narrow confines of one’s dark memories exploring the psyche of this man and, for that matter, every single person whose mind you’ll intrude into is a uniquely but consistently uneasy experience. Later in the game, you’ll enter the memories of a woman named Rachel, and forcing your way into her past trauma was a horridly voyeuristic, stomach-churning process amplified by the surreal manner in which it’s presented.

Speaking of presentation, KARMA: The Dark World looks fantastic; the majority of the game is rendered beautifully using Unreal 5, but parts that really stand out are those of people’s mind-scapes. While Unreal 5 naturally helps things look great, it’s the varied and often high-concept visuals during these sections that make KARMA: The Dark World stand apart from other sleuthing titles. There are puzzles both in the real world (although that phrase seems to have less meaning as the game goes on) and within the minds of both Daniel and suspects; for the most part, I found them to be the perfect level of complexity. I will admit that I still have no idea what the little yellow puzzle boxes are for, something I look forward to figuring out as I replay the game to unlock all the trophies. There was one section, however, where I had no idea what I was meant to do; I died to ‘Monster Mother’ as the game names her so many times in quick succession that I simply spun around in circles, frustrated, spamming buttons and accidentally solved the puzzle. 

Like any good detective game, the story and mystery are the reason to press play, and KARMA: The Dark World doesn’t disappoint in its delivery. Given that gameplay is essentially walking and interacting with objects, it’s the story that will keep you invested. Naturally, I’m going to avoid spoilers, but KARMA: The Dark World is exceptionally well-paced, and you’ll keep uncovering things at a rate that kept me playing into the night when I really should have gotten some sleep. 

The works of Lynch, Kojima, and Nolan are all listed by Pollard Studios as inspirations, and it’s clear to see, but the game maintains its own identity without ever feeling as if aspects are borrowed from the titles that inspired it. While the themes explored by KARMA: The Dark World— family, obligation, freedom, identity, and social politics—are done so brilliantly, all blended together in a mind-bending experience, its one main drawback is the game’s length. I completed the game in just under 6 hours; this had the benefit of leaving me wanting more but also like it had more left to do.