Carnal Instinct is a bold and unapologetically adult-themed open-world RPG that attempts to merge immersive fantasy storytelling with explicit, erotic content in a way that’s rarely seen in the genre. Set in the mythical desert realm of Sabu—a place heavily inspired by Egyptian and Mesopotamian mythology—the game places players in the role of a recently freed slave. From the very start, the narrative is about personal freedom and transformation, both literal and metaphorical, as players rise from obscurity to a position of influence or infamy through combat, exploration, diplomacy, and seduction.

The game excels in offering an incredible degree of character customization. Players can choose from various humanoid and anthropomorphic races such as jackals, crocodilians, draconic beings, and feline warriors, with additional transformative forms like nagas and centaurs becoming available as progression unfolds. These aren't just cosmetic changes; each form influences gameplay, including social interactions, available dialogue, and certain quest outcomes. In a world where eroticism is part of the narrative fabric, these transformations also change how NPCs react to you, opening or closing certain paths based on your appearance and gender identity.

Gameplay is built around exploration, questing, and interaction, with a healthy emphasis on narrative-driven progression. While it features standard RPG mechanics like inventory management, faction dynamics, and environmental traversal, its most unique system is the way it weaves erotic content into quests and character relationships. Sex isn’t just fanservice—it becomes a tool of persuasion, power, and influence. Some quests can be resolved through combat, clever negotiation, or more intimate methods. The game makes a concerted effort to frame these encounters as part of the larger world and story, rather than tacked-on mini-games, which makes the experience feel integrated rather than exploitative.

Visually, Carnal Instinct is striking for an indie-developed game. Built in Unreal Engine 5, the world of Sabu feels rich and alive, from its golden dunes and temple ruins to the dim, torch-lit corridors of ancient shrines. Character models, especially considering the range of races and forms, are detailed and animated with care. The environments benefit from dynamic lighting and texture work that set a proper tone—sometimes exotic, sometimes oppressive, sometimes deeply mysterious. The game's UI has also improved significantly with regular updates, becoming cleaner and more intuitive with each release.

What also makes Carnal Instinct stand out is the attention to storytelling. While the narrative is still unfolding (as the game remains in Early Access), there’s clear ambition in the worldbuilding. Ancient gods, long-lost rituals, divine wars, and the political intrigues of a crumbling empire form the backdrop against which players act. The writing is competent and surprisingly thoughtful for a title in the adult category, often venturing into themes of identity, power, and the nature of freedom. The dialogue is voice-acted selectively, and while not every character has deep complexity, the overall tone is consistent and immersive.

Despite its promise, the game is not without flaws. As with many Early Access titles, content gaps are noticeable—some quests feel skeletal, and certain regions of the map are not yet fully implemented. Occasional bugs, incomplete systems, and performance dips still occur, though these issues have steadily decreased thanks to frequent updates from the developers. The sex scenes, while animated and diverse, can also become repetitive over time, particularly if players rely on them frequently as a quest solution. However, these drawbacks are balanced by the game’s strong trajectory of improvement and clear commitment to delivering a high-quality experience over time.

Carnal Instinct is not a game for everyone—it is, after all, very explicit in its presentation and content—but for players looking for a mature, narrative-rich RPG that doesn’t shy away from sexuality as a mechanic and theme, it offers something genuinely different. Its blend of mythological fantasy, character-driven storytelling, and freedom of expression makes it one of the more ambitious entries in the adult gaming space. If its development continues along its current path, Carnal Instinct could become a benchmark for how mature content and deep RPG systems can successfully coexist.

Rating: 8/10

It's an adult game (beta) so it is lacking content and there are plenty of bugs and glitches. I have a bunch of hours in from the old engine and the new engine too. The pron is okay, and I admit that was what got me in the door.
However... I think this game as it stands in it's current state is actually worth playing with, it is fun, the locations are pretty (If limited) and while there are not a whole lot of people you can interact with those you can usually have a couple good lines of dialogue and some mission of some sort for you. Some n.p.c.'s have funny banter (The Rampant Lioness) so it is worth the interactions. Given the state of the c.c. companies and their censorship addiction this game could be turned into an R rated game if need be and still be a lot of fun if the dev's pile on the content.
It's cheaper than a night at the pub so why not add this to your library?

It's a great game but I can't recommend buying it right now as new content is being updated at an incredibly slow pace, ruining the overall experience... Once this game is completed, it will be 10/10, The Last Supper of adult video games.