Carrion

Carrion
Developer: Phobia Game Studio Publisher: Devolver Digital Platform: Windows Released internationally: June 23, 2020 This game has unused areas. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused objects. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused abilities. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has debugging material.

Carrion is a reverse-horror game in which you play as a horrific monster. You are trying to escape from a research facility while you slaughter everyone in your path.

Unused Test Levels

You can access these levels by pressing ~ and using "load_level <level_name>" or "next_level <level_name>". In some levels, next_level and load_level have you start off in different areas of the level. These will be noted when this is the case.

dark_biomass_test

This is one of the most intriguing unused levels since it features a "dark biomass." Presumably, this would have been an enemy with abilities similar to yours that you would have fought at some point. You are unable to normally move in this level unless you use edit_level. You start off in a room with the dark biomass. This room contains a broken reactor and a closed metal door. The dark biomass can move into a room to the left which contains a switch and a closed reactor core machine. Pulling the switch would presumably allow the biomass to pick up the reactor core, put it into the reactor, and open the metal door.

dog_fight

dog_fight only contains one cavern in which two dark biomass enemies wander around the map. You play as the normal monster protagonist, and you cannot attack or be attacked by these enemies.

playground1

playground1 contains four checkpoints. You need to save at all of these checkpoints to open the exit as in the real levels. There are many sticky bombs and brick barriers throughout the level. You have to activate the sticky bombs, use Keratosis, and destroy the brick barriers to proceed throughout the level. It is interesting to note that brick barriers are not seen in any of the used levels. Once you reach the exit, you are booted back to the main menu.

playground2

This level contains wooden barriers, brick barriers, metal barriers, and three different versions of Xiphorrhea. You must use each version of Xiphorrhea to destroy these barriers and move forward. Once you save at each of the checkpoints and squeeze through the exit, you are booted back to the main menu.

playground3

Photokinesis is necessary in this level. You must bypass multiple lasers with Photokinesis in order to complete this level. The lasers in the room with the exit interestingly do not disappear if you activate them like they do in the base levels. However, another laser in the room above this room does disappear. Once you reach the exit, you are booted back to the main menu.

playground4

You must use Photokinesis and Xiphorrhea throughout this level. As in playground2, you have access to the second form of Xiphorrhea that can damage brick barriers. Several lasers are spread throughout this level which you need Photokinesis to get through. In a room where you are blocked by a wooden barrier, you are able to consume humans and gain access to the first form of Xiphorrhea. You then gain access to the second form of Xiphorrhea in a room after that point which lets you destroy a brick barrier. After that point, you have to pull a switch to open a door and exit the level.

test_checkpoints

Although test_checkpoints contains a turret, a switch that temporarily turns off the aforementioned turret, and a brick barrier, you do not actually need to engage with any of these at all. All of the checkpoints can be accessed without any abilities. Intriguingly, you do not gain access to Xiphorrhea or Keratosis in this level, meaning that you cannot bypass these obstacles if you used load_level. If you use next_level while you have access to these abilities, you will be able to do so.

test_map_small

As the name suggests, this is a small test map. It is only one room. If you move to the top of the room, drones will be released that attack you. Aside from that, the only object of note is a door that is of the same type as the three doors that lead to flashback sequences. In this case, it just boots you back to the menu. This area is also in dev, but it can only be accessed by using edit_level by moving to the left side in the inaccessible elevator room; it cannot be accessed normally. In the video, edit_level is used to move right into this elevator room.

visual1

visual1 is unique in that it has two exits instead of one. If you use load_level, you will spawn in a room with a flamethrower enemy and a normal enemy as well as a switch that lets you pick up a reactor core. If you then go down, you will enter an area called Containment Unit 1 which is different from the actual Containment Unit 1 area. This area contains the two Pyrophilia upgrades as well as the first exit. If you use next_level, you will spawn in this area instead. Going to the room to the right and then to the room below leads you to an area called Containment Unit 2 which is also much different from the actual Containment Unit 1 area. There is a mech walking around on the left side of the room that is inaccessible. If you instead go through the door in the first room, you will be led to three rooms filled with humans. The second room contains the second exit while the third room has a drone as well as a swarm of humans.

dev

If you use load_level, you will start in a room with many test features. The middle area of this room contains a small patch of water and three flamethrower enemies. The right area of this room contains a scanner which can only be activated if you use the second version of Parasitism to transform into a human. If you go through this door, you can access the elevator from the end of the game. The credits then display. Above the scanner, you will see two mechs, one of which is uninhabited, and a drone spawner. If you go to the top of this area and then to the right, you can access the elevator as the monster; however, the human scientist will replace the monster after the loading screen. The left area of the room has a watery area. You can pull two switches to raise the water level in this area. This area also has two doors. The left door leads to the top of this area. You can use the sticky bomb in this area to destroy the metal barrier to your right and fight another mech. Going up will lead to a reactor area which is very similar to the one from dark_biomass_test. If you go through the right door, you will be led to a checkpoint which opens up an area with two elevators. This area appears to be inaccessible without using edit_level. This area notably contains a biomass sample which allows you to get to Stage 4. This is found outside of water and you just walk into it to acquire it instead of consuming it. Once you go through the door, you will go through a few rooms that test pipes, doors, doors opened by switches, and a unique turret flamethrower until you reach a hub room with a checkpoint. This is where you spawn in if you use next_level. If you go to the room to the left, you can stock up on energy. Interacting with the electrical boxes activates a door in the room with the flamethrower turret. This behavior is not seen anywhere else in the game. If you instead go down from the hub room, you will reach a room with a standard turret that can be deactivated and two doors that can seemingly only be opened by switches on the other side of these doors. By using edit_level, it seems that there is no way to get to the other side of the doors by any other means either as you will eventually reach a room whose only entrance requires you to go through these doors. Going down to the room below leads to a room where you can lower the water level.

test_classes, test_demo_map, demo2, and demo3

These levels crash the game before they can be loaded.

demo1, jungle_short, light_dark_combo, mines_short, and water_short

These levels appear to be duplicates of, respectively, the demo level, the Botanical Gardens, the Advanced Weapons Facility, the Uranium Mines, and Leviathan Reef Base. Their reason for being in the files and any differences are currently unclear.

Unused Enemies

Dark Biomass

Presumably, this would have been an enemy with abilities similar to yours that you would have fought at some point. You take control of it to a degree in the dark_biomass_test level although you cannot actually move it or use any abilities. In this level, it is in the second form and has the Acanthosis and Xiphorrhea abilities. It does not have energy so it can actually not use the former. Two Dark Biomass enemies also appear in dog_fight. They do not attack you and merely move around the small test map.

Flamethrower Turret

The dev level has a unique enemy in one of the rooms which is a turret that has a flamethrower instead of a typical turret gun. Aside from the change in weaponry, this acts exactly the same as a normal turret.

Unused Abilities

Xiphorrhea

In playground2, you get access to two different versions of Xiphorrhea that can damage brick barriers and metal barriers, respectively. In the base game, Xiphorrhea can only damage wooden barriers.

Acquiring More Biomass and Stage 4 Monster

In dev, you can find biomass samples outside of the standard water areas where you can normally deposit biomass. Instead of eating these samples like in the final game, you acquire them by walking into them. This notably lets you increase your size beyond Stage 3. You do not take any damage until you go down to Stage 3, but playing as a Stage 4 monster is glitchy to some degree. For example, in one room with a narrow passageway, it was impossible to proceed to the left room with a Stage 4 monster.

Unused Objects

Brick Barriers

Brick barriers are seen in a few of the unused test levels. They cannot be destroyed by the first Xiphorrhea ability, but they can be destroyed by the second Xiphorrhea ability. They can also be destroyed by mines, so they were seemingly replaced by metal barriers.

Metal Doors

Metal doors can be found in dev. These doors cannot be pulled off their hinges. They can only be opened and closed. However, sticky bombs can allow you to dislodge these doors.

Unused Graphics

Playground Tileset

The playground levels and test-checkpoints have a tileset that is unused anywhere else. It is similar to standard dev room graphics in other games in that they are grey and have a line pattern.

Missing Sounds

In the dark_biomass_test level, the console states that "sounds/dark_biomass/db_dashing_fail" is missing.

Missing Music

In the dark_biomass_test and dog_fight levels, the console states that "music/dark_world" is missing. In visual1, the console states that "music/dark_world_arctic" is missing.