Remember those bizarre toys in Sid’s room from the first Toy Story? The ones that seemed scary but were actually harmless and in need of some love? Now, picture them as truly creepy, bloodthirsty creatures, and it’s your job to get rid of them as a cat on a hoverboard. That’s Gori: Cuddly Carnage in a nutshell, and I had the chance to try out a level.
Claw and Tear
In this game, you play as Gori, a special “ultra-pet” cat. Together with his AI buddy CH1-P and a deadly hoverboard named F.R.A.N.K, Gori is on a mission to destroy an army of creepy toys that wiped out humanity. I jumped into the game mid-story, so I didn’t focus much on the plot but more on hacking through waves of monster toys.
This Hoverboard does a lot
Gori doesn’t fight directly but uses F.R.A.N.K, his hoverboard, for everything from battling enemies to moving around. You can boost, grind on colorful rails, skate on billboards, and even do double-jumps. It feels intuitive and you can get the hang of it quickly.
Just a day in Gori’s life
Combat involves mixing light and heavy attacks to handle different types of enemies. You also have some ranged options, like targeting multiple foes with charged-up missiles. The combat isn’t super deep, but the need to adapt to various enemies keeps it interesting.
Glad this has a photo mode
The game is bloody, gory, and visceral—a hilarious contrast considering how cute Gori is, especially while nonchalantly chopping up the bizarre enemies.
Unicorns and Doll Heads
I faced a surprising variety of creepy enemies, from chemically-foaming unicorns to giant, tentacled baby doll heads. Their unsettling designs are clearly crafted to shock players with creative combinations.
Yeah, that’s not going to haunt me in my nightmares
While the enemy designs are impressive, the environments didn’t wow me as much. Occasionally, there’d be something interesting in the distance, but mostly it was just empty spaces filled with rubble and shiny lights. The Cyberpunk aesthetic feels a bit overdone to me at this point.
The level concluded with a boss fight—which I won’t spoil—but it was a fun and memorable battle, especially with the creative dollhouse setting.
Closing Thoughts
This preview of Gori: Cuddly Carnage shows a lot of potential for the full game. The combat is engaging with responsive controls, the traversal is enjoyable, and the creepy enemies are impressively designed. Although there are some bugs and performance issues, I expect these to be fixed in the full release. Gori won’t hesitate to mow down a room full of manic unicorns, and neither should you.