Fluid inclusion analysis serves as an effective tool for investigating hydrocarbon reservoir mechanisms. This study systematically reviews hydrocarbon-bearing fluid inclusions in sedimentary strata through four aspects: research targets, methodological frameworks, research advancements, and applications in hydrocarbon accumulation mechanisms. It summarizes the current research status, key achievements, and unresolved challenges in this field. The phase states, spatial distribution, and physicochemical properties of fluid inclusions in petroliferous basins constrain key parameters including hydrocarbon generation/expulsion timing, source rock maturity, migration pathways, reservoir formation timing, and paleo-reservoir identification, and provide critical constraints for hydrocarbon accumulation mechanisms. Fluid inclusion analysis in petroliferous basins is based on three fundamental assumptions: closed system, homogeneous system, and isochoric system. By reconstructing the physicochemical properties of fluid inclusions and integrating their geodynamic formation processes, this approach effectively constrains hydrocarbon accumulation efficiency and heterogeneity in enrichment degrees. The homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions cannot independently constrain hydrocarbon accumulation timing. Integrating apatite fission-track analysis, carbonate U-Pb dating, and fluid inclusion chronology are recommended to improve temporal calibration accuracy. Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in deep to ultra-deep reservoirs fail to represent minimum entrapment temperatures. Application of laser Raman spectroscopy coupled with microthermometry, integrated with PVTx modeling, is recommended to precisely constrain pressure parameters and resolve ambiguities in minimum entrapment temperatures. Laser Raman spectroscopy cannot reliably quantify the organic composition of liquid hydrocarbon-bearing fluid inclusions. It is recommended to utilize Raman spectrometers equipped with UV excitation sources or 785 nm lasers to mitigate fluorescence interference in such inclusions.