Our Verdict
Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a lot of fun, boasting enjoyable combat, a sprinkle of charm, good humor, and a badass cat. However, falling through levels and frequent frame rate drops stop the game from achieving its true potential on Nintendo Switch.
Since I first laid eyes on Gori: Cuddly Carnage, I’ve longed to get my hands on the game. From the trailers, I fell in love with Gori, an incredibly badass cat that’s ready to avenge a decimated humanity by slaying hordes of enemies with his badass hoverboard. To be fair, that, in a nutshell, is Gori: Cuddly Carnage – you must fight back against the unicorns – yes, you read that right. Unicorns – and their creator.
However, there’s a bit more to the game than that, especially as Gori’s hoverboard, F.R.A.N.K. speaks to you, and it’s fair to say that he’s a bit of a wise guy. You see, I knew I’d like the gameplay on offer. I’m a huge fan of skateboarding games, and to me, Gori is a high-octane, chaotic version of various Tony Hawk games – yes, there’s much it does to discern itself, but you get the gist – however, I wasn’t prepared for the humor, and Cuddly Carnage has bags of it.
Even the loading screens have some quips for you to enjoy; I certainly get a kick each time I encounter a new one. They’re also informative, dropping hints and information about the various types of unicorns you encounter. Everyone thinks they’re all sunshine and rainbows. Well, that’s not the case in Gori: Cuddly Carnage. The unicorns are out for blood, literally. Gori is, as the name of the lovable cat indicates, a goretastic experience.
If you’re going to rely heavily on one source of enemy, it’s vital that you have some differential features among them, creating unique enemy types that pose their own challenges. While there are other foes besides unicorns, I do have to point out that the variations of the unicorns are good, and it encourages you to check out the upgrade options for F.R.A.N.K., as there are different weapons you can equip the hoverboard with.
For instance, early on, you encounter unicorns that have shields, you need to deck your trusty pal out with a wrecking ball to tear those down, while the blades you start with are great for tearing down your standard unicorns, such as the ones with scythes for arms or those that use guns. While I like those pesky mythical creatures, I need to give a shout-out to the bosses in Gori. They’re a lot of fun to fight, many of them encouraging you to get creative with your board, using the environment to your advantage rather than spamming the attack button.
The combat in Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a lot of fun and is akin to hack-and-slash games in its approach. When you find yourself in a fight, more often than not, it features hordes of enemies for you to slice and dice, smash, or shoot, depending on the weapons you use. You can even perform gnarly finishing moves on individual unicorns to replenish some of your health. It’s mayhem.
As you progress through the game, you can access different upgrades and utilities, all of which are worth your time and money, as they can be what gets you through a particularly difficult level. Speaking of money, you need to get as much of it as you can and not just because of those sweet upgrades. There are customization options for both Gori and F.R.A.N.K., and I’m a huge advocate for the pink and purple fur for Gori; it gives some serious Cheshire Cat vibes. You can also change his clothes, while for your trusty hoverboard, you can change his deck.
While the customization options are purely aesthetic as opposed to offering gameplay benefits like the upgrades, I prefer buying them. Sure, it makes the levels more tricky, especially as it took me too long to invest in my health, but hey, Gori looked adorable getting knocked around by unicorns. I even captured some precious memories with the photo mode feature. I wasn’t expecting to stumble across a photo mode in Gori: Cuddly Carnage, but boy, am I glad it’s there. Entering photo mode at the peak of a chaotic fight leads to some very interesting pictures.
Another thing that helps you get some good snaps is the levels themselves; the level design is good, each one offering up its own bosses and unique aspects that make it a standout – for instance, I still can’t get over world two, where you actually get to go inside an arcade machine. Naturally, as with any game like this, you can grind and wallride around, helping you progress through each area. However, I do have to admit that controls can feel a little bit loosey-goosey at times due to sensitivity, the buttons are all responsive, but if you want to move slightly in one direction, it’s not uncommon for Gori to speed off, making it easy to overshoot your jump, even missing the landing by millimeters.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Gori: Cuddly Carnage’s soundtrack is great; the music fits in with the theme of the game perfectly; it even gives me that little boost in energy I need and is especially effective while in a boss fight. Your blood is pumping (and flying all over the place) while you shred, and maybe shed, on F.R.A.N.K. as you take the fight to the enemy.
While I enjoy the gameplay, appreciate the charm, get a kick out of the humor, and love the chaos, I can’t deny that Gori: Cuddly Carnage is far from a perfect game; not even close in the performance department, I’m afraid. On Nintendo Switch, you can expect frequent drops in framerates, and with a game as fast-paced as Gori, you can imagine how grating that can be. Admittedly, the framerates remain a bit more stable in docked mode, but that doesn’t eradicate them entirely.
Then, the part that hurts me the most. I fell through the second level and to my demise numerous times; this was particularly an issue on world two, which is a crying shame as I love the arcade aesthetic on offer there – but I can’t overlook an issue like that. It genuinely ruins your progress and is an all-around frustrating experience. Gori is an enjoyable game, and honestly, I do get a kick out of it, but that’s what makes bugs like this all the more problematic.
All in all, I have to say that Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a fun time, oozing charm and humor while, most importantly, allowing you to speed around as a badass cat, all with a cracking soundtrack in the background. However, until there’s a patch for the Nintendo Switch version of the game, I recommend you check it out on a different platform.
If you’re after more adventures with some feline pals, check out our picks for the best cat games on Switch and mobile, and maybe give our Little Kitty, Big City Switch review a read if you want to learn more about that particular game.