Image: Orsoniks & Oro Interactive

Formerly known as Scav Prototype, Casualties: Unknown - due to its full launch on November 9th - is a game with a reputation. Some call it a game for the cruel and unusual. For those who revel in suffering. And while I'm sure there are some people who only want to see the cute, fluffy Experiment (your fuzzy chimeric protagonist) die a thousand horrible deaths, I am driven by a need to see the little critter succeed. Much easier said than done, though, as on top of being an uncompromising survival platform roguelike, Casualties: Unknown has one of the most in-depth medical systems in games, tracking the stats and wellbeing of every organ, external or otherwise.

That said, victory is currently impossible. The demo here is a very beefy chunk of the game - the first five of eleven layers of the cave system you've been sent into - and the opportunity to play as one of three characters, but it has no victory condition. Not yet, at least.

You're playing as an Experiment - sapient, but nameless - the creation of a cruel future mega-corporation, free of the legal requirements for human rights. The one you're playing as has been sent into a vast alien cave network to recover a piece of rare technology that was accidentally teleported deep underground. There's nearly zero chance of survival, but they've got an endless pool of you, so you're expendable.

It's a bit like playing a mixture of Noita and Terraria, only instead of playing as a stocky little warrior or wizard with a simply managed health bar, you're playing as a fully physically simulated body. Everything from your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, adrenaline, and endorphins is tracked, and you WILL need to keep an eye on those. Take even a small cut, and that can bleed out or get infected, so you'll want to disinfect first and then wrap the wound with a physics-based bandaging minigame, where your hands are shakier if you're hurt or panicking.

Your character will thankfully tell you what they think about their state of health, too. If they feel a wounded arm feels weirdly warm, that's a good indicator you've caught something that needs to be dealt with. And they'll pant and need to sit down for a rest after digging for a while.

Everything here is physics-driven too, and you'll be wanting to craft a lot of things out of trash you find. Resources are at a premium, hazards are everywhere, and there's real depth and learning involved in navigating this underground hell.

At least you're not alone. There are other experiments down here, and they're generally a friendly lot, willing to trade and help where possible. You'll need every bit of support you can. Again, death is inevitable... for now.

The full version of Casualties: Unknown launches on November 9th, but I highly recommend playing the expansive demo first. This one's an acquired taste at best, nightmarish and traumatic at worst. But if you've got a stomach for medical horribleness and a cool head, there's no survival game quite like this.