Demo builds are not uncommon by today’s standards. Everywhere you look, companies offer demos, free trials, limited access, early access, and VIP passes – you name it, there’s probably an early release. But what makes Macabre different is that it is in its demo phase, but upon playing it, you’ll want to return to this spooky world immediately.

Upon firing up the game, you’ll be greeted by a rough-looking Australian named Banjo. Granted, Macabre developers are Weforge Studio, based out of Sydney, Australia, so it’s a nice welcome to have an Australian team at the helm! (Plus, having REAL Australian voice actors voice Australian characters is a welcomed change).

Banjo mentioned something he knows only as the Rift: A timeline transporting portal that sends you into unknown locations, where your goal is to extract resources and escape, all whilst avoiding a shape-shifting monster known as a ‘Macabre’ that is seemingly stalking you from the shadows…

With the game built on Unreal Engine 5, the graphics are smooth, well crafted and immersive to the point that you will begin to shudder and quake as you make your way around the world of Macabre. Each entry into the Rift generates a random map, complete with its scavenger locations, obstacles, day/night cycle, and ever-changing weather patterns.

The most detailed (and horrifying of all) is the Macabre monster. Upon playing this the first time with fellow MKAU Reviewers, I’m not ashamed to admit that I yelled and completely jumped out of my seat (followed quickly by checking if I needed to change my pants!).

The character models are detailed but are still somewhat basic. Perhaps these will advance over time, with Weforge Studios stating that character customisation is being developed and will be implemented in further releases/game releases.

What was hilarious was that, during the character load screen, for some unknown reason, the character model I had chosen was accompanied by two Australian birds, with each one perched on an individual shoulder. One was a Kookaburra, who decided to continuously laugh at me during my attempt to escape the Macabre. What a jerk.

The sound design alone in this game is worthy of an award. Every footstep, door creak, glass shard crack, bottle smash, and explosion has been crafted to suit the in-game world perfectly. Trust me, I still have nightmares over the sound of the looming ‘Macabre’. I strongly believe there is some magic to this game and can envision it going viral and being streamed consistently on all available streaming platforms.

Currently, the point of ‘Macabre’ is to Rift-based quests from Banjo while avoiding the Macabre. It is a stealth-based extraction horror – so fighting the Macabre is NOT an option. Instead, various locations on the in-game map can be explored and looted to obtain resources. If you survive, your loot will be converted into in-game currency, allowing you to put some strange and wonderful gadgets from Banjo.

These vary from Bear traps, Fire and Flashbang-style grenades, Sensor beacons (to track if the Macabre is near), and a plunger that can alert and temporarily distract the Macabre. In-game, other, more intricate options are currently locked but have been stated to become available upon the game’s release.

With a demo, naturally, a few bugs/glitches are still present. Nothing will ruin your gameplay experience, but enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth. For example, opening doors is a bit hit and miss: Right-click, hold, and drag the mouse is currently used for opening doors.

Some doors respond normally, mimicking their opening pattern based on your mouse movements. However, some doors have seemingly gone rogue, flying either open or closed and immediately summoning the ‘Macabre’ to your location.

Speaking of the ‘Macabre’, the developers have stated that the creature adapts and learns your playstyle, seemingly generating its unique approach to find and kill you. In the few runs in the Rift that we here at MKAU shared, we found the ‘Macabre’ to either be extremely tame or run right through us, immediately ending the round in the Rift. We’re uncertain if this is a trait that the ‘Macabre’ adapts to, but it did feel somewhat out of place and hindered our experience.

If you’re a fan of dark/gloomy/horror/ atmospheric horror-based team-up games (and have a spare pair of pants handy), Macabre is shaping up to be another strong addition to the genre. Here’s hoping that technical changes will allow this game to reach its well-deserved heights and scares.

Written by: James Fraser-Smith