There are as many solutions as there are limbs to lose in retro gorefest The Lacerator

There was a little Discourse earlier this week about the removal of the Erotica photo tag from the Dead Rising remaster. Some readers called it a familiar form of cultural hypocrisy in video games — the emphasis on violence is A-OK, but for the love of god, don't mention the sex. Good news, people: Dread XP's latest horror franchise, The Lacerator, has both. It casts you as hairy 1980s porn star Max — whose last name isn't given in the press release, but it's likely something like Jackin' or Girth — who's been kidnapped by a large, intimidating individual called the Lacerator.

The Lacerator is as good at Lacerating as Max is at making out. If he catches you trying to escape his filthy, trap-filled hideout, he'll try to cut off your limbs. But losing a limb doesn't mean the end of the game: it just closes off certain routes and approaches, forcing you to improvise. This is seemingly the basis for an escape room experience akin to Manhunt. at least Four ways to overcome any obstacle.

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There’s no release date yet, but there’s a pre-alpha demo. I just gave it a quick spin, and while I haven’t yet met the Lacerator, a roaming enemy in the tradition of Resident Evil’s Nemesis, I do need a new left arm thanks to a guillotine surprise that I really should have guessed.

Ramifications of fragmentation possibilities aside, The Lacerator feels like an old-school survival horror game with authentically solid handling. You can play it from a modern, over-the-shoulder perspective, but a true expert/pervert will of course prefer the game's fixed perspectives.

So far, the game's static camera composition feels pleasantly unbalanced. There's always a blind spot to worry about, always the dreaded murmur of something unseen, always the suspicion of an item or terrain puzzle component hidden in a dingy background texture. You've also got an inventory to manage with consumables like bandages (which restore health, but not limbs) and lockpicking tools. Given the necessary body accessories, Max can punch and kick both the Lacerator and other crazed inmates. There are also a few weapons to unearth, like a pistol.

It's all wrapped in dirty PS1 textures and creepy VHS crackles. There are a variety of graphical options, from “Fucked Up” to “Sexy,” but The Lacerator always looks like it was carved out from under a toilet seat. See for yourself on Itch or Steam. This is the work of Brazilian studio Games From The Abyss, whose other creations include Death Elevator, a one-hit-kill FPS where time slows down when you're in danger.

The tricky question you're probably wondering is: is the fragmentation real, does it extend to members you know, and what role could it play in Max's… professional fixture escape? DreadXP isn't saying, and I'm a coward so I won't speculate. If you liked the way The Lacerator's fragments were constructed, I think you'll like Endoparasitic.

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