In the world of video games, there’s one point of view that hadn’t been covered until “Viscera Cleanup Detail” launched: the person who cleans up after the action.
Yes, you get what you pay for: “Viscera Cleanup Detail” sends you to clean up a place where things have gone horribly awry.
That task will undoubtedly take time. Evidence like bullet casings and illegal paraphernalia are scattered about, and, true to the game’s title, the game is excessively gory. Therefore, this game isn’t for the squeamish. Although, if you can stomach it, it’s weirdly satisfying, even while knowing you are holding people’s remains in your hands.
The game is clever in its punishments. There are multiple ways to make a bigger mess while trying to clean one. Glass objects are fragile, and the welder creates random spurts of ashes upon overheating. Nothing is more frustrating, though, than accidentally spilling a bloody mop bucket.
Some of the game’s faults are part of the fun, but a few technical issues exaggerate the difficulty at times. Step in a faded yet still present spatter, and you’ll leave a trail of prominent footprints like it wasn’t cleaned at all. When finding spots that you’ve missed, the Sniffer tool’s proximity-based scan also feels iffy at times.
Initially tedious is how you must pick up everything individually with your hands. Lugging heavy alien relics with two hands makes sense, but I’m confident I could carry more than one shotgun shell. It gradually becomes less bothersome, but it would’ve made sense to add a vacuum or increase carrying capacity for smaller objects.
As you will learn the hard way, “Viscera Cleanup Detail” is a game where you learn from your mistakes. As some say, “Work smarter, not harder.” You may change your priorities. Maybe you will clean the viscera first to avoid creating more blood spatters or reuse a disposal bin instead of incinerating it entirely.
If you want to clean the place faster, multiplayer is a fun option that can turn chaotic if everyone doesn’t communicate and bumps into each other. Otherwise, cleaning may take hours in single-player depending on the map.
One unexpected strength that “Viscera Cleanup Detail” has is that it makes every scenario feel like something nasty genuinely transpired instead of obviously pointing it out. Every corpse always has an ID stating their name, reminding you that these used to be people just like you. Dropped PDAs connect the carnage and offer lore about events prior to the accidents.
All the maps, including the four DLCs, are distinctive. While blood-soaked, the maps are visually appealing at times, especially in areas of vegetation. The sci-fi theme has its arms wrapped around this game, packing it with numerous easter eggs and feats that keep the experience from turning stale.
“Viscera Cleanup Detail” is strange to love with its disgusting premise and its many quirks. You would never expect fun from a game about cleaning anything, period. Even with the few issues it has, it’s still an experience worth having to mop up.
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