Contagion

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"Contagion" is a horror survival game with dynamic gameplay, where each playthrough is unique due to its built-in randomization system. The game features state-of-the-art gore and immersive sound effects, bringing the dark atmosphere of a zombie apocalypse to life. Traditional zombies and various game modes provide an intense and addictive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,407 reviews

gameplay201 positive mentions

stability118 negative mentions

gameplay
571 mentions
35 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Contagion" is characterized by its immersive atmosphere and cooperative mechanics, offering a mix of tense, methodical survival and action elements. While many players appreciate the realistic mechanics, such as requiring headshots to kill zombies and the scarcity of resources, others criticize the game for its clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, and technical issues, including bugs and a lack of player base. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable, especially in multiplayer settings, but it suffers from inconsistencies and a need for further refinement.
- “With its atmospheric environments and tense gameplay, it delivers a truly immersive experience.”
- “Gameplay-wise, the hardcore setup of the game is great: it's headshot only, any bite can infect you and remedies are scarce.”
- “The gameplay is solid, the animations for survivors are not the best but the zombie animations are really well made in my opinion.”
- “There are multiple factors that ruin the things the game does well, and they are among the simplest mechanics that will break your experience.”
- “The gameplay is buggy and broken; when it does work, the gameplay is subpar, often servers are empty.”
- “The mechanics are clunky and navigation is stupid and illogical.”
graphics
378 mentions
48 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they can be impressive and immersive, they also show signs of aging and inconsistency. Some users appreciate the nostalgic charm and decent visuals, especially for a game using an older engine, while others criticize the graphics as dated or subpar compared to modern standards. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good for gameplay, but there are calls for updates and improvements to enhance the visual experience.
- “The graphics are amazing, the AI may not be the best, but this game is extremely realistic.”
- “The graphics are great, and the maps are very well done.”
- “The graphics fit in very well with the gameplay, and the visuals are superb quality despite the age of the source engine.”
- “It used to be good, but the graphics got downgraded at some point and there's tons of bugs and glitches now (one of the main maps doesn't even spawn any zombies...).”
- “The game is late by about 8 years in terms of graphics, animations, gameplay, and just about anything else you could name.”
- “The graphics are shockingly poor, even by 2014 standards.”
story
245 mentions
18 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players noting that it feels incomplete or non-existent. While there are some character backstories and implied narratives through mission objectives, the overall experience is described as a series of repetitive missions with minimal lore, akin to a co-op zombie shooter without a compelling plot. Players express a desire for a more structured story mode, as the current gameplay primarily revolves around survival and completing objectives rather than engaging with a rich narrative.
- “It's like a movie reboot of the game nmrih, but with actual lore and characters with backstory.”
- “Even if you play the same map twice, it has many variations giving you a different story and outcome in most cases.”
- “The charm of this game may not hit you at your first playthrough, but I find myself losing hours into one playthrough just because of how immersed I get with the escape missions.”
- “There is next to no story [or lore, which this game could've used]; there is a laboratory escape map but it's not really much.”
- “No real pieced together story, basically zombies have come and only a few survivors band together and survive several mini-campaigns.”
- “The game is poorly done; there is no single player or story mode as it shows in the trailer, there is only multiplayer that takes a long time to find a match and when you do it's usually 2vs2 or 2vs1. This game is the true meaning of a bad game.”
atmosphere
144 mentions
56 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and tense qualities, effectively capturing the bleakness of a zombie apocalypse through detailed environments, sound design, and lighting. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke fear and paranoia, with many noting the eerie ambiance created by ambient sounds and the unpredictability of zombie encounters. While some critiques mention a lack of intensity compared to other titles, the overall consensus is that the game excels in creating a chilling and engaging atmosphere that enhances the survival horror experience.
- “With its atmospheric environments and tense gameplay, it delivers a truly immersive experience.”
- “I'd play offline hunted just to explore the maps and my god did this game have atmosphere, the ambient sounds of civilians screaming, the military having firefights and the occasional grenades going off outside the map as well as the occasional F-16 or commercial jetliner flying over on each of the maps made the game feel so alive.”
- “The atmosphere built on this level is what I imagine a true zombie apocalypse to be like.”
- “Theoretically, a zombie apocalypse would have a bleak yet dangerous atmosphere, but this just doesn't feel like one.”
- “Some color correction, more zombie spawns, and a couple of map tweaks could go a long way in selling that atmosphere, but at the moment it feels like a random source map that I spawned zombies in.”
- “The atmosphere is fake.”
stability
119 mentions
3 % positive mentions
-2 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes affecting gameplay. Many players note that the game feels unfinished and suffers from poor hit detection and inconsistent mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience. While some users find enjoyment despite these issues, the overall consensus is that the game requires significant improvements to reach a stable and polished state.
- “It is very fun and different; it also runs great even on my old laptop!”
- “The game has excellent stability, allowing for a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs; I haven't encountered any crashes or major bugs.”
- “The game is buggy and broken; when it does work, the gameplay is subpar, and often servers are empty.”
- “This game has a lot of potential, but the developers sadly could not take advantage of that potential and left the game with many annoying and game experience-breaking bugs and glitches.”
- “It's buggy, confusing, irritating, and rarely updated.”
replayability
54 mentions
37 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the diverse game modes, random objectives, and changing environments that enhance replay value, others criticize the limited content and repetitive gameplay. Many reviews highlight that the game offers decent replayability for its low price, especially in cooperative play, but some feel it lacks depth and variety, leading to a quick sense of monotony. Ultimately, the experience varies significantly based on player preferences and expectations.
- “Despite occasional technical issues, its diverse range of game modes offers plenty of replayability for fans of the genre.”
- “Admittedly it's certainly a niche market and obviously not for everyone if they just want to shoot some zombies, but get some like-minded friends in on the action with a private server and you'd be surprised at just how enormously replayable the (currently) small roster of escape maps can be, especially on extreme difficulty.”
- “Furthermore the ammo and weapon spawns are all randomly located, the same thing happens on some objectives in escape mode too which boost up the replayability greatly.”
- “Lack of content, let alone lack of replayability.”
- “The replay value of this game is really low, as I have dropped and picked up this game on and off over the year, only playing it every few times a month when I was really bored.”
- “Wait for a sale, the game's replay value is low and not worth the effort.”
music
51 mentions
37 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the horror experience with a dramatic soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While some users noted issues with sound design, particularly in distinguishing zombie sounds, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's apocalyptic atmosphere and emotional depth. Many players appreciate the variety of soundtracks available, with some tracks being described as touching and thrilling, making the game enjoyable, especially in multiplayer settings.
- “This game has an absolutely astounding soundtrack that is criminally underappreciated.”
- “The music that is played while you're trying to survive is very touching and atmospheric!”
- “Coupled with the excellent music and the backdrop of high-quality zombie moans, you've got yourself a terrifying experience.”
- “Worse yet is the melee combat, which is critically important when fighting zombies that swarm to gunshots like late 2000's teens to crappy electronic music.”
- “Like imagine the end of any Left 4 Dead campaign and then take all the theatrics out, so it's just hold the point with no music or anything to create the illusion of it being interesting and no real threat beyond your team's competence and the scarcity of ammo.”
- “The game could be a good one and worth the money if it had more maps, more game modes, more weapons, more zombie variations, and better music for the background, weapons, environment, and zombies.”
humor
37 mentions
97 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely appreciated, with players finding joy in chaotic moments, funny interactions, and absurd gameplay mechanics, especially in multiplayer modes. Many reviews highlight the comedic potential of playing with friends, where unexpected scenarios and silly actions lead to laughter. However, some users note that the humor can diminish due to bugs and a lack of active players, suggesting that the experience is best enjoyed in a lighthearted, social context.
- “Love the hunted mode as it is essentially a mini battle royale with zombies and creates funny highlights with friends and players.”
- “It's hilarious to purposely infect yourself and hunt down your allies or to say you'll protect them and just dig into them a second later.”
- “Escape game mode is hilarious to play with a full party.”
- “It is full of bugs; I think it has more bugs now than when it was launched, and it is not funny anymore.”
optimization
34 mentions
32 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and well-optimized graphics, particularly on PC. However, many others have reported significant issues, including poor collision detection, texture bugs, and performance problems on certain maps, leading to frustration over the lack of updates and attention to these issues. Overall, while some users find it runs well, others deem it under-optimized and unplayable on various systems.
- “The graphics are good and the optimization is awesome!”
- “Well optimized and fun zombie shooter game that you can play solo or co-op.”
- “All of the performance issues have been ironed out, game runs excellent.”
- “This game has been out too long for it to receive no attention regarding optimization and some TLC.”
- “My decision to exit the game came after Tatsur0 refused to acknowledge the fact that Windows 10 renders the game unplayable (no sound, stuttering).”
- “This game had potential but with its under-optimized graphics engine, they do a poor job on execution.”
grinding
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
81 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often leading to frustration and a lack of motivation. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of missions, ambiguous objectives, and the overwhelming size of the maps, which contribute to a sense of monotony. While there are moments of excitement, the grind often overshadows the fun, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging experience.
- “But in most levels, the game is open, fun, and not tedious.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's tedious, time-consuming, and combined with the random zombie spawns within player vicinity quickly drains your energy, motivation, and nerves.”
- “You could pretty easily just melee your way through the entire map with the difficulty of the zombie pathing and behavior, so it's not like making the objectives and map routes hard to find is interesting or difficult, it's just extremely tedious.”
- “Often when playing the game you feel as if you are just grinding through zombies hoping to land a headshot (if you played on extreme like I did) and it's not all that entertaining.”
monetization
11 mentions
9 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for lacking microtransactions and relying on cash grab tactics, leading to a perception of abandonment and unfulfilled potential. Reviewers express disappointment over the game's flaws and suggest that the developers prioritize advertising and fixing issues rather than pursuing quick financial gains. Overall, the sentiment indicates that the game's monetization approach detracts from its quality and player engagement.
- “This game doesn't have microtransactions, weekly challenges, leveling, or any other things developers use in modern projects to make people play their games forever.”
- “And then like so many other beta games, it was abandoned like a terrible cash grab attempt from the developers.”
- “Cash grab, do not buy.”
- “They spent more time doing cash grab 'deals' at Humble Bundle than actually working on the game.”
emotional
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, from heartwarming moments and touching music to the heartbreak of difficult choices, such as consuming past teammates. Players express a deep connection to the game's atmosphere, likening it to classic zombie films, while also recognizing the potential for further emotional depth if the developers continue to enhance the experience. Overall, the game successfully elicits a range of emotions, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “It's also heartwarming to see how committed the devs are to it, even 8 years after its release.”
- “The music that is played while you're trying to survive is very touching and atmospheric!”
- “It's very emotional because you don't really want to eat your past teammates.... I think this game has unlimited potential and can definitely go up to the maximum quality if the developers get themselves together and keep giving us updates like pumping a shotgun.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game falls short in character development, failing to provide meaningful growth or motivation for players to continue, despite its claims of realism.
- “The game advertises 'realism' but offers no character development and no true reason to press on.”
- “Character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the characters.”
- “Despite the potential for deep storytelling, the character arcs are predictable and lack meaningful growth.”