It took me a little while to get into Dungeon Crawl Carl 5, The Butcher’s Masquerade, but once it gets going, it’s the usual action/snark/Carl-Donut-crew etc. I think part of the challenge for me, besides just general life getting in the way for a while, was that the title event really doesn’t become a factor until 2/3 of the way through, and it’s an interesting premise. Even the Hunting Grounds aspect of the current floor doesn’t seem to matter much. Carl being forced to do some Con work is kind of entertaining though, and the more present than before Miriam and Prepotente actually gets interesting (eventually). Zev is back, and Samantha actually gets to do more than just be a possessed head of a sex doll. The unnecessary attention to not sexy sex things actually comes from elsewhere this time, although it’s less annoying than before thanks to Donut’s reaction. There’s actually some interesting hints about Lucia Mar as well, but she hasn’t been much of a presence of late, but that’s probably going to change in the not too distant future.
Thanks to hints in previous installments, it was pretty clear that Bea was going to be a factor, and she is, but it turns out to be less of a thing, and I’m kind of glad. Ferdinand/Gravy Boat is also involved, and a little more than Bea, but that actually works since it gives Donut a chance for a little character work (not quite development but still something). There are also many hints being dropped about the potential loss of another crawler close to the group but who knows how that’s going to go.
I’m also once again not sure about the whole Pineapple Cabaret thing; every time it seems like the side story will be interesting hints about the main story, it goes sideways and elsewhere. We’ll see, I guess.
