INCISION

About

INCISION is a single player shooter game with horror, violence and science fiction themes. It was developed by SmoothBrainDev and was released on August 28, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

"Incision" is a horror shooter game with a single-player mode, showcasing brilliant game mechanics, stunning visuals, and an immersive soundtrack. Inspired by classic FPS games like Doom, Quake, and Blood, it promises a challenging, gory experience that requires skill and focus. Clearing forts filled with monsters while avoiding detection adds depth to the intense, merciless carnage.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+19

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 745 reviews

music113 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Incredible atmosphere and aesthetic, reminiscent of classic FPS games with a unique body horror twist.
Fast-paced gameplay with satisfying gun mechanics and a variety of weapons, each with unique alternate fire modes.
Challenging difficulty that encourages skill and exploration, with a rewarding lives system that adds tension to gameplay.

No mid-level saving or checkpoints, which can lead to frustration when dying and having to restart lengthy levels.
Some levels can be too dark, making it difficult to see enemies and navigate effectively.
Inconsistent weapon feedback and damage, leading to confusion during combat.

music
218 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience, blending genres like darkwave, industrial, and dubstep to create a unique soundscape that complements the game's visuals and themes. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is not only engaging but also reactive, dynamically shifting to match the intensity of combat and exploration, which adds depth to the gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a standout feature, with some calling it a "killer soundtrack" that elevates the game's immersive qualities.
- “The soundtrack by ini went a long way to enhance the game's mood and action along with the PS1 visual style.”
- “The music, meanwhile, is a mixture of darkwave, industrial, and dubstep, and works in selling the otherworldly, opaque theming.”
- “The soundtrack plays along with this, departing from the usual droning metal for some hard electronic grunge for combat that gets your head bobbing, and horrific atmospheric tracks for the downtime.”
- “Furthermore, if the game has some spots of originality and style, they are quickly overshadowed by the same goddamn metal music. How many boomer shooters must be plagued by the same soundtrack playing over and over again?”
- “The graphics are disgusting, the music is disgusting, there are no hitmarkers or headshots, the maps look like garbage dumps where it is often unclear where to go.”
- “Its difficult to discern the enemies from the environment, things are surprisingly dark, and the music is a little grating (which might be the point).”
graphics
195 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The graphics of "Incision" are characterized by a gritty, retro aesthetic that pays homage to classic boomer shooters, blending elements of body horror and industrial themes. While many players appreciate the unique and immersive visuals, some criticize the limited color palette and occasional roughness in execution, which can detract from gameplay clarity. Overall, the game's striking art style and atmospheric design are frequently highlighted as standout features, appealing particularly to fans of the genre.
- “Visually, Incision is a love letter to the pixelated and gritty aesthetics of mid-1990s shooters, embracing a deliberately retro style that enhances both nostalgia and atmosphere.”
- “The aesthetic is so utterly grimy, the atmosphere so tense and apocalyptic, and, most importantly, the gameplay is just good.”
- “The graphics are extremely unique and I'm personally a massive fan of the style.”
- “The visuals are rough in some areas, and with confusing level design in parts, it can be hard to navigate, which leads to frustration.”
- “The graphics are disgusting, the music is disgusting, there are no hit markers or headshots, the maps look like garbage dumps where it is often unclear where to go.”
- “My main gripe is the visual aesthetic forcing on a dark red dithering filter the entire time that gives me a headache, and there is no option to turn it off.”
gameplay
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The gameplay of "Incision" is a fast-paced homage to classic boomer shooters, featuring smooth movement, a diverse arsenal, and challenging combat that demands quick reflexes and strategic thinking. While the level design and aesthetics are praised for their creativity and atmosphere, many players express frustration over the lack of save points and the punishing lives system, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game is lauded for its engaging mechanics, satisfying gunplay, and a unique blend of retro and modern elements that keep players invested.
- “From the smooth movement to the varied enemy roster, well-rounded arsenal, challenging but fair combat, and solid, well-paced level design, there's very little to complain about on the gameplay front.”
- “The gameplay is an exhilarating rollercoaster of fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action that demands precise aiming and quick thinking.”
- “Gameplay is fast-paced and satisfying, with great enemy and weapon designs.”
- “The gameplay is strong and the atmosphere is like a horror dream, and the feel of the gameplay has depth.”
- “The gameplay just feels right, and the visual style is unique enough to stand out in a sea of retro shooters.”
- “The gameplay fails to be more than the sum of its parts in all but one way: aesthetic.”
atmosphere
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
46%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique and immersive qualities, combining intense visuals, a chilling soundtrack, and a gritty aesthetic that evokes a sense of horror and nostalgia reminiscent of classic shooters. Many players highlight the game's ability to create a deeply engaging environment filled with industrial and grotesque elements, although some note that the dark visuals can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience and contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “And now it's time to talk about the absolutely incredible atmosphere, which is unlike anything else I've ever played.”
- “The atmosphere is unmatched.”
- “Incredible atmosphere and music, the atmosphere rivals that of Dusk and even Quake.”
- “The atmosphere is creepy in a not-so-desirable way.”
- “Now as much as I love the atmosphere, it can be incredibly dark in places, so much so that you can't see your enemies.”
- “This game has a dripping wet atmosphere that makes you think it's holding a full house in its hand, but when the time comes to throw cards on the table, it actually had a royal straight.”
story
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The story in the game is generally appreciated for its intriguing themes of horror and cosmic struggle, with many players enjoying the environmental storytelling and cryptic messages that encourage personal interpretation. While some found the narrative elements to be minimal or obscured by gameplay, others praised the compelling lore and atmospheric presentation, noting that it effectively enhances the overall experience. However, there are mixed feelings about the clarity and depth of the story, with some players expressing disappointment in its execution and a desire for more direct storytelling elements.
- “I like the story itself, a tale of horror, struggle, and uncovering cosmic schemes which have dragged on for millennia.”
- “The story behind this world and what it's become is fantastic, with you having to find scattered fragments and cracks of hellish light seeping through the walls to find out what the hell is going on.”
- “Cutscenes are awesome and crunchy, story elements are cryptic but thought out in a way that leaves room for interpretation while still clearly having a narrative.”
- “The main negative I can think of is the story.”
- “After having beaten the story, I'm left with disappointment, not because any of it was bad.”
- “Incision’s story seems to hint at this progression, but locations, encounters, and enemies largely lack the sense of sequence that is necessary to generate continued interest, creating a feeling of repetition very quickly.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting severe performance issues, including frame rate drops even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3090 and 5950x. While the gameplay itself is enjoyable and engaging, the inconsistent performance detracts from the overall experience, making it difficult for players to fully appreciate the game. Many have noted that resource utilization is low, leading to frustration when attempting to run the game at various resolutions.
- “The lives system also encourages good performance without forcing you to slam your face against a brick wall, and also lets you make decisions which may end in losing a life, but killing a bunch of enemies that could be worse.”
- “Each section or room, when taken individually, isn't necessarily all that hard in isolation – it's the fact that you have to stack so many good performances from one room to the next without making too many errors that makes this aspect cool for me.”
- “This is a really cool game if you can get past the hit-or-miss performance, which you really wouldn't expect from a game like this.”
- “Abysmal performance on an RTX 3090 and 5950X.”
- “I can tell there's fun to be had, but I just cannot justify playing a game with this lack of optimization.”
- “I tried running it at 1440p and 1080p, and I didn't see any improvement whatsoever to performance, and the game had very low utilization of my resources.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the humor in the game as a notable aspect, often finding it amusing in unexpected ways, such as the irony of refunding the game immediately after starting. The game offers a mix of entertaining modes and content that contribute to its comedic value, with a blend of dark humor and absurdity that enhances the overall experience. While the humor may not always be overt, it adds a unique charm that resonates with players.
- “Overall, the game's fairly cheap compared to the boomshoot average of twenty smackaroonies (although not for long), and for it you get six hours of good content, a few funny modes like 200% difficulty and a built-in enemy/pickup randomizer alongside dev cheats, deepest lore, and an IOU for another three.”
- “But what virtually every one of them has had, until Incision, is humor.”
- “Not always obvious or blatant, but humor, nonetheless.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of wholesome elements and intense, immersive experiences, evoking feelings of love and nostalgia alongside a sense of dread and torment. Players appreciate the heartfelt gameplay and cutscenes, while also being drawn into a nightmarish atmosphere that elicits a strong emotional investment through its contrasting themes of joy and horror.
- “You can feel the love in the gameplay, the cutscenes, the bestiary, and the wholesome fun that the developers included.”
- “It's an emotional investment - gore and dread can overcome you.”
- “The music alone made me feel like I was immersed in a nightmare-fueled realm of grotesque and absolute torment where metal meets flesh and minds rot!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game highly replayable due to its incentives for improving completion times and the inclusion of enemy and item randomizers, which add variety to each playthrough. The ability to customize difficulty further enhances the replay value, encouraging players to revisit levels for a different experience.
- “While people may just run through it once, I feel this game really incentivizes replay value to beat these levels that took you 40 minutes the first time into beating them in 15 minutes with no lives lost. The enemy and item randomizer also help for some added spice to your playthroughs.”
- “I forgot to mention, but the randomizer options make the game a lot more replayable.”
- “You can also customize the difficulty and turn on a randomizer for some extra replayability.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, as it requires them to repeatedly redo significant portions of progress, detracting from the overall enjoyment and playability.
- “I love everything about the game except the grinding, which makes it very tedious and unplayable for someone just looking to have an enjoyable time without having to redo 25-30 minutes of progress at a time.”
- “The grinding is excessive and feels like a chore rather than a fun part of the game.”
- “I find the grinding to be monotonous and it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report significant bugs and performance issues, others have experienced smooth gameplay without noticeable glitches. Overall, it seems that patience is required, as the game can be janky at times, particularly during intense moments.
- “Runs like shit and buggy as hell.”
- “If you have patience and love shooters, I suggest playing it; it has amazing atmosphere, music, creature and weapon design. It's just dripping with so much soul. The only issue is that it can be very jank and buggy, like during the final boss I somehow shot out two nukes at once. Other than that though, great game.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for heavily featuring ads that detract from the immersive experience, with players noting that updates often promote unrelated content and the presence of in-game advertisements disrupts the intended atmosphere of horror.
- “It's a joke that the update section of this game is just ads for random trash that isn't even related to this game.”
- “Everything else is advertising for the publisher or promoting their soundtrack.”
- “Sadly, the one criticism I have so far regarding this is in the new Chapter 2 level, as there is a radio with audio lines and a neon sign advertising a store, which I felt took me out of this unspoken and unknowable horror that has befallen humanity and placed me in just an ordinary world where bad things happened.”