Demo feedback: This is not a game

[Dlaha]

The game looks gorgeous, the story mysterious, but what can you do when gameplay-wise it's a tragedy.

I haven't felt as disengaged with a game as I did with KARMA in a long time. The whole game is just a bunch of slow cutscenes connected by a series of primitive, unfunny actions (press this, fetch that, open the door over there). The terrible rigidity makes me not care about the protagonist or the plot. When a monster is chasing me, I'm not afraid because it's painfully obvious how scripted it is and where I'm supposed to go.

It could be a great book or movie, but not a game. All the game interactions here feel like a hindrance. I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything. In fact, I actually feel insulted. The developers hold my hand tightly the whole time because they probably think I can't think for myself. Games shouldn't be like this.

[Grimshock]

Publicado originalmente por Blackdragon:

Because it's not a game. Like so many modern "entertainment products", actually making an entertaining GAME product was the furthest from the creators' mind, it seems.

I have absolutely no idea what the developers were thinking. To me it seems like they took an underused, suitable (since a lot of things happened there in secret), exciting setting and created a FICTIONAL version of it to tell a fictional story. I would call that creativity.

It's propaganda because it's crapping all over the German Democratic Republic, which as a state entity no longer exists to defend itself, and whose former citizens are oppressed and shut down by the current German (European actually) regime.

Defend for what? It's a FICTIONAL version of the GDR, not a historical report. Sounds more like you're just venting your pent-up frustration about whatever here because the game just happens to be set in (a FICTIONAL version of) the GDR, making it a perfect target for you.

The entire base premise of the game is laughable, as it is common knowledge that drug use and associated criminality proliferated in East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall, not before.

Sounds like a myth. Even the athletes there were deliberately doped to improve their performance. And, of course, crime statistics were not made public.

It's also propaganda because like so many of modern "oeuvres" it is a bleak, pessimistic, viscerally disgusting, mentally disturbing (and disturbed) piece of "art" aimed at demoralisation of the population.

It's a psychological thriller... they're usually a bit darker. It's okay if it's too much for you. But to conclude that it's "propaganda" because it's dark... oh dear.

Even if the game offers some topics to think about, it is quite an achievement to interpret such confusing political conspiracies into it.

[Vince ✟]

Just popping in to say that your video presentation the store page doesn't show enough actual game play. When I see a game that is only shown through cinema I get worried.

[derExperte]

Publicado originalmente por Blackdragon:

It's propaganda because it's crapping all over the German Democratic Republic, which as a state entity no longer exists to defend itself, and whose former citizens are oppressed and shut down by the current German (European actually) regime.

Spitting on the graves of those killed by the oppressive, unjust and brutal regime of the DDR. Why were so many people trying to flee that they had to build a wall and shoot those trying to escape dead? Why were the people celebrating when the wall came down? Ever heard of the Stasi? I was there in the early 90s after wall fell and it was a dark, smogy mess, everything was falling apart. What you're writing is the real propaganda, fueled by the warmongering Russia and far-right fascists who love nothing more than oppression. There's very little to defend. And no one gets shut down, just called out for revisionistic nonsense and provable lies. Never forget the crimes perpetuated by the DDR and its cronies.

[Blackdragon]

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

Publicado originalmente por Blackdragon:

It's propaganda because it's crapping all over the German Democratic Republic, which as a state entity no longer exists to defend itself, and whose former citizens are oppressed and shut down by the current German (European actually) regime.

Spitting on the graves of those killed by the oppressive, unjust and brutal regime of the DDR.

Huh? How many people do you think were victims of that "oppressive, brutal regime"? Newsflash, even the unfair and biased "democratic" regime that came afterwards only claims a little over 1,000 people as "victims" of the GDR. How many people are unjustly killed by the police in Europe and USA every single year? How many people died in pointless wars instigated by NATO secret services and conducted by NATO armies? How many people were killed by the CIA and other Western secret services over the decades, including inside their own countries?

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

Why were so many people trying to flee that they had to build a wall and shoot those trying to escape dead?

Why is Ukraine shooting people who are trying to escape it dead?

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

Why were the people celebrating when the wall came down?

Propaganda. People will celebrate when the current European oppressive regimes fall, too.

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

Ever heard of the Stasi?

Yes, and nothing it did was any worse than what CIA did.

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

I was there in the early 90s

So you actually weren't there when the GDR existed? Then what the hell are you talking about?

The 90's brought complete economic collapse to all former communist countries, USSR included.

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

What you're writing is the real propaganda, fueled by the warmongering Russia and far-right fascists who love nothing more than oppression.

Oh sure, the people who are being censored, arrested, put on trial and in prison for their political beliefs are the ones who "love oppression". You would have been right at home in any totalitarian regime, clamoring for the persecution of the "dissidents". Not surprising that many current European leaders come either from Communist or Nazi stock.

Publicado originalmente por derExperte:

There's very little to defend. And no one gets shut down, just called out for revisionistic nonsense and provable lies. Never forget the crimes perpetuated by the DDR and its cronies.

The provable lie here is that the GDR never forced drugs on its citizens, like it's depicted in this game. In reality drugs flooded into East Germany after GDR collapsed.

[Blackdragon]

Publicado originalmente por Grimshock:

To me it seems like they took an underused, suitable (since a lot of things happened there in secret), exciting setting and created a FICTIONAL version of it to tell a fictional story. I would call that creativity.

It's a FICTIONAL version of the GDR, not a historical report.

If it's a "FICTIONAL version" of a real country, why make it a real country at all? Just make it a FICTIONAL country, like Dr. Doom's Latveria, or Black Panther's Wakanda.

If you are going to use a REAL country from REAL - and quite recent - history as the background for your game, then at least make some effort to keep it REALISTIC, not invent some ludicrous "crimes of the regime" that never happened in reality.

[Grimshock]

Publicado originalmente por Blackdragon:

If it's a "FICTIONAL version" of a real country, why make it a real country at all? Just make it a FICTIONAL country, like Dr. Doom's Latveria, or Black Panther's Wakanda.

I find this "what if" dystopia especially interesting when it's based on real events. Sure, they could have taken the cautious route and created something completely fictional so they wouldn't offend anyone. For me, that would be a restriction on creative freedom, but I can respect your opinion if you think your ideal image of the GDR wasn't well captured. Even though I wouldn't agree, for me it's a very plausible fictional version.
However, your other statements suggest that the only one spreading propaganda here is you, so let's just agree that we disagree.

[Fruchtspinne]

Just played the demo so far, but it was impressing I have to admit....

I love good story games and I´m also a souls player but the last years it got just annoying. every game has to be souls like, rogue like. every game has to have an open world.... farming material..... annoying fights with bad fighting systems.

I miss games with a great story and good gameplay. sure... the gameplay in karma the dark world is barebone... it´s a walking simulator, but to be honest - everything else looks damn good. I would rather play a good walking simulator than a bad game with boring gameplay mechanics. some of the best story games I´ve ever played are walking simulators, so it´s fine, to have a minimum of gameplay and no fighting mechanics etc.

It looks promising and the only reason I´m hestitating with buying is: I don´t want to play a game that is depressing and has a bad ending. I read something about this in a review and I´m a little bit scared that I will love the game, but could be disappointed/depressed because of the ending.

But I know I will buy it 100%

[Grimshock]

Publicado originalmente por DiesDasAnanas:

It looks promising and the only reason I´m hestitating with buying is: I don´t want to play a game that is depressing and has a bad ending. I read something about this in a review and I´m a little bit scared that I will love the game, but could be disappointed/depressed because of the ending.

The game probably evokes different emotions in everyone, so it's hard to say how others could feel about it. You could describe the game as depressing at times, as it's a dark psychological thriller that offers some difficult topics to think about.
If you're not in the mood for a darker story right now, maybe save it for later?

I don't want to spoil anything about the ending. I'll just say this: I wouldn't call it bad / poorly made. Whether you like it or not depends on your own preferences and expectations.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. Even if the ending turns out to be disappointing for you, I think the journey, the story, is still worth experiencing. And maybe you'll absolutely love the ending and would have worried for nothing. You won't know until you play it yourself and form your own opinion.

[andreyab777]

Thank you for the demo. I will never buy this game. I didn't even have the strength to play the demo.