It’s been a hot minute since we took a dive into Banjo’s Rift and returned to the land of Macabre. Since our time away, there have been some heavily requested and well-implemented changes to the gameplay – from graphics updates to store improvements, and even the monster itself being a bit kinder to the players.

But not all the changes to the Macabre have been well received. We were also surprised here at MKAU Gaming by some of the confusing and downright weird choices that have been made since the demo. So, let’s dive into the Early Access version of Macabre.

The first thing that’s changed since the demo is that there is no longer an in-game tutorial. The tutorial is now a clickable option in the main menu, which will open up your browser and allow you to watch a YouTube video on how to play the game. This change immediately removes the immersion from the game by requiring you to use a separate program and window to learn the basics. Tutorials have historically been an in-game mechanic, allowing you to play in a sandbox-style world to handle your playstyles, enjoy the in-game world, and naturally, learn the fundamentals of what’s to come. Some may find the change acceptable, with no significant impact on their play style. Whilst others, like us, may feel a disconnect from the product.

The Crawler/Macabre AI and overall gameplay mechanics have been improved. Previously in the demo, the Macabre would be able to find and eliminate players with extreme ease, resulting in an instant kill. This change was met with resistance from the fanbase/Patreon pledgers, with Sydney-based Weforge Studio releasing a patch (as of 1st October 2025), reverting the AI to the demo version, whilst creating and unlocking all new difficulty settings. Previously, the demo version of AI was locked to a high difficulty setting known as ‘Nightmare’. This has now been reverted, with the hope of pleasing and hopefully regaining some of the fanbase.

When previously loading into the game, there was one objective: Find Banjo’s Disco Stick. This was a looping mission that had no end goal, with Banjo repeating the same dialogue every time you loaded into a game. This has now been updated, with RiftMaps and SubRifts now dynamically generated each time, so that every run and campaign now feels unique.

RiftMap size has also been reduced, as previously the maps were massive but incredibly empty, with nothing to do during the long walks to an objective. The smaller Rifts allow for better intensity and immersion into each playthrough, with the Macabre having less ground to cover to discover you, too.

During walks to your Primary Objectives/Rift recovery, there are new Points of Interest (P.O.I.) to discover and utilise along the way. We were delighted to see that previous P.O.I.s from the demo are now fully operational, each providing an advantage to the current RiftMap.

Looting has been upgraded, with all scavenged loot and items that can be sold back to Banjo, rewarding you with in-game currency to spend on various weapons, distractions, and items to help deter the Macabre and prolong your in-game life. Also, the Seeker role has been fully unlocked (be it soft-locked behind player level progression and some in-game currency to purchase Seeker-based weapons). The seeker seems to be the strong suit in the squad launched into the Rift. With its unique weapons and the ability to uncover hidden artifacts, this role will certainly become a ‘first-in-best-dressed’/VIP character in many games to come.

Another downside to the ongoing updates of Macabre is that, currently, there are next to no public games available. Meaning that if you wanna play this game, you’d best grab 3-4 of your best mates, log in, create your own private server, and have at it. This isn’t an ideal method of approach for a game of this calibre. Sure, the game was designed to be played in co-op mode. However, being unable to solo play by joining a public lobby is a significant negative for the future of this game.

The in-game graphics have had a massive overhaul since the demo. In-game terrain feels very much like rural outback Australia, with the gumtrees looking way more detailed, down to their leaves now softly reacting and blowing in the wind.

Character design, look, and reactions have all been refined and polished. Sadly, our Kookaburra pet, which sat on our shoulder during the demo, has vanished, which was a bit of a letdown. Additionally, a letdown for characters is that character customisation has not been implemented yet. Granted, Weforge has released a roadmap, with character customisation listed, but it may have been a request that could have been implemented earlier to maintain player fanbase.

Weather systems have been updated and implemented to such a high standard that they are incredibly engaging to explore. 9 dynamic conditions change both the atmosphere and your in-game strategy, with no options to either add or subtract them from each RiftMap. Basically, if you get stuck in an electrical, rain-dominated storm, good luck trying to find your way out, let alone the Macabre!

The Early Access sound design, compared to that of the demo, has been refined, polished, and implemented with greater impact at crucial in-game moments. The Macabre/Crawler screeches now echo across the map and hit more when they’re nearby, seemingly stalking you. The sound of the Rifts, terrain, atmosphere, weather, and all Foley SFX (doors, looting, weapons) all sound much clearer and more organic to their natural state. There doesn’t appear to be an in-game soundtrack as of yet, but this is not a negative aspect of the game. Less is more, and the loss of a soundtrack adds more drama to the in-game moments.

As previously mentioned, Macabre currently has a roadmap of updates and future upgrades that they hope to implement in the near future. With the somewhat damage control update released on 1/10/25, Macabre is already feeling the pinch of certain changes that may/may not be hurting the fanbase. Though somewhat critical, we here at MKAU Gaming are still very much intrigued by the concept of Macabre and hope that the team at Weforge Studios can bounce back and deliver the intense, horror survival game we’ve come to know and love previously.

Written by: James Fraser-Smith