INDUSTRIA
- September 30, 2021
- Bleakmill
- 4h median play time
Industria takes inspiration from title like Bioshock and Half-Life, featuring a fantastic story with some decent gunplay and puzzles as well.
"Industria" is a single-player horror shooter game with an intriguing story set in Berlin during the fall of the wall. Experience a tight atmosphere full of mystery, deadly danger, and unique surrealist visuals. With 4 hours of gameplay, 5 weapons, and a memorable experimental soundtrack, it offers a dense and emotional journey, despite some optimization issues and bugs.
Reviews
- Engaging atmosphere and visuals reminiscent of Half-Life 2.
- Interesting story with a unique setting and good voice acting.
- Satisfying gunplay and mechanics, especially with the shotgun and sniper rifle.
- Very short gameplay, averaging around 3-4 hours.
- Performance issues and bugs, including crashes and graphical glitches.
- Abrupt ending that leaves many questions unanswered.
- story1,223 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of *Industria* is a mixed bag, with many players finding it intriguing yet ultimately unsatisfying due to its brevity and vague conclusions. While the atmosphere and voice acting are praised, the narrative often feels underdeveloped, leaving players with more questions than answers and a sense of abruptness at the end. Overall, the game sets up an interesting premise that many hope will be expanded upon in a sequel, but it currently lacks the depth and resolution that some players desire.
“The story is intriguing and the voice acting is nice and believable.”
“The story, setting, and general atmosphere are what make this game interesting.”
“The story is intriguing; when I bought the game, I was expecting it to be an Atomic Heart set in the GDR, but instead, I got something completely different and pleasantly original.”
“Even the story is just flat out weird, and ends on a really bad cliffhanger.”
“The story makes very little sense too... nothing is really explained, and then you hit the end where nothing is really explained either.... just a quick 'cutscene' where you are given a bunch of 'explanation' that isn't really explaining anything to begin with.”
“The story is nonsensical and confusing for no good reason.”
- gameplay501 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Industria" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it uninteresting and lacking depth, often comparing it unfavorably to titles like Half-Life and BioShock. While some appreciate the slow-paced exploration and puzzle-solving elements, others criticize the simplistic mechanics, repetitive combat, and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as a visually appealing but flawed title that may appeal to fans of narrative-driven experiences rather than those seeking engaging gameplay.
“The gameplay is relatively simple (shoot your way into the next area without dying), but every aspect of the game is satisfying and polished.”
“Overall, it is an extremely enjoyable experience with a great story and fun gameplay.”
“Industria feels like a nice blend on the gameplay style and storytelling from games like Half-Life and Bioshock - dividing the game into bits of peaceful exploration, short combat gauntlets, spooky moments where you're a gal in the dark with a shotgun and short-range flashlight, and minor bits of puzzle solving.”
“Bunch of systems and mechanics that feel like they were originally supposed to be more in depth but are a shell of their potential.”
“I must admit the world seems interesting, but it's not enough to make up for the kinda boring gameplay.”
“Gameplay is nothing you haven't seen before and feels underdeveloped.”
- graphics475 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful art style and atmospheric environments reminiscent of titles like Half-Life and Dishonored. However, players have also reported significant performance issues, including graphical glitches, low frame rates, and poor optimization, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as stunning for an indie title, the technical execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a dissonance between aesthetic appeal and gameplay performance.
“You can see that a lot of love was put into this game when you take a look at the visuals, the artwork, the models and how the environment is wonderfully crafted.”
“The graphics look damn amazing, especially when considering this was made by a then tiny development team with not much in the way of a budget.”
“Industria is a beautifully atmospheric game with gorgeous visuals and an interesting setting and story, clearly inspired by games such as Half-Life and Bioshock through its presentation of the world and narrative.”
“The graphics look completely uninspired and aliased as a result.”
“I want to enjoy this game but I simply can't; it might be my computer but I honestly don't know. This game not only has horrible FPS optimization, but there's also a plethora of bugs, the worst ones being a bug that makes the pause menu unusable, and a graphics-related one that made me incapable of playing the game because all the textures began to stretch and flash around along with multiple pieces of level geometry disappearing.”
“The main issue here and let me call out the devs which have noted this on the community page but the optimization is totally messed up. I had numerous glitches and freezes, frame drops to single digits and hilarious character swing animation freezes while holding guns.”
- atmosphere446 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich, immersive quality, often compared to titles like Half-Life and BioShock, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals, haunting soundtrack, and effective sound design that enhance the overall experience. While some players noted technical issues and a lack of depth in gameplay, the game's ability to create a captivating and eerie environment keeps players engaged and invested in its narrative. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as the game's strongest aspect, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric storytelling and exploration.
“The atmosphere, pacing, and storytelling are quite good for a game made by only a few people.”
“The atmosphere is rich, making for genuine tension in some moments.”
“Industria is a beautifully atmospheric game with gorgeous visuals and an interesting setting and story, clearly inspired by games such as Half-Life and Bioshock through its presentation of the world and narrative.”
“Boring story and no atmosphere -- everything feels sterile and empty, but not in a dystopian way; just boring.”
“There were some mechanics thrown in that didn't really match the atmosphere.”
“Apart from that I feel the game has little atmosphere, and is cheaply designed.”
- optimization428 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly in later levels and on various hardware configurations. Despite some patches aimed at improving performance, users still experience frame drops, stuttering, and other technical glitches, leading to an overall perception of the game as poorly optimized. While the art design and gameplay elements are appreciated, the persistent optimization problems detract from the overall experience, leaving many hopeful for future updates.
“The game looked gorgeous and seemed really great performance-wise.”
“I hope the devs can find a small budget for a performance pass, which would help this game's stability immensely, because apart from that it definitely is a game worthy of being played by any narrative FPS fan.”
“Even with these performance issues, the game looks really good most of the time.”
“Unfortunately it's just an unoptimized abandoned mess.”
“I want to enjoy this game but I simply can't; it might be my computer but I honestly don't know. This game not only has horrible FPS optimization, but there's also a plethora of bugs, the worst ones being a bug that makes the pause menu unusable, and a graphics-related one that made me incapable of playing the game because all the textures began to stretch and flash around along with multiple pieces of level geometry disappearing.”
“The main issue here and let me call out the devs which have noted this on the community page but the optimization is totally f*cked. I had numerous glitches and freezes, frame drops to single digits and hilarious character swing animation freezes while holding guns.”
- music179 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and complementing the game's mysterious tone. While many players praised the soundtrack as fantastic and immersive, some noted that it could have created more tension in certain moments, and a few expressed disappointment with the lack of music during significant portions of gameplay. Overall, the sound design and music are considered standout features that contribute significantly to the game's emotional and immersive storytelling.
“The atmosphere and music are haunting and beautiful; the set-pieces and dystopian setting are inspired and really pull you in for the most part.”
“The music that accompanies this title is astounding, eerie, and peaceful all in the same light.”
“The soundtrack is excellent and atmospheric.”
“I wasn't a fan of the music when the game started throughout the first level, as it didn't set the mood correctly, to a point that I almost muted it, but after that, it got much better and kept the right atmosphere.”
“The game has no music, not even ambient backing tracks, for like 90% of the runtime.”
“90% inside factories or apartments with nothing particular about them, and the soundtrack (music and sounds) is non-existent, so much that it feels off when it appears (which is like…5% of the game or less).”
- stability130 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, graphical glitches, and performance issues, including crashes and freezing during gameplay. While some players found the experience enjoyable despite these technical shortcomings, many noted that the game's optimization is poor, leading to frustrating gameplay moments. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game has potential, its stability issues significantly detract from the overall experience.
“Mostly the game is bug free and is fairly stable.”
“The game looks and runs great; gameplay feels really good.”
“Crashes at random moments, crashes loading new areas, the 4 seconds the game freezes when you try to manually save, enemies audio coming out of nowhere (and stopping out of nowhere), enemies running sound never stopping because they got stuck somewhere (and it is freaking loud), no soundtrack, soundtrack stopping abruptly, no sound for shots, not being able to grab notes (no prompt appearing), not being able to grab ammo (it was not full), AI randomly turning off, and the physics going crazy and yeeting you if you so dare be close to a box you threw.”
“The main issue here and let me call out the devs which have noted this on the community page but the optimization is totally messed up, I had numerous glitches and freezes, frame drops to single digits and hilarious character swing animation freezes while holding guns. I played with the settings and yes it should be able to handle ultra no problem but for some reason I was getting flashing white lighting all over my screen like a strobe light when I played with the shadow levels in graphic settings. Overall buggy, poorly optimized... now refunded.”
“The game breaking bugs and glitches have a really detrimental impact to an otherwise competent game (as of now).”
- emotional54 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game received mixed reviews, with some players praising the touching interactions between characters Nora and Brent, which added depth to the narrative. However, others criticized the delivery of emotional moments as stilted and lacking impact, undermining the overall engagement with the story. While there are genuine heartfelt moments, the execution often felt inconsistent, leading to a range of emotional responses from players, from apathy to genuine connection.
“The story often has various emotional and surreal sequences which had me engaged throughout, and the dystopian, overrun cityscape that you find yourself traversing after the intro is always a treat to walk around, with the soundtrack only elevating it, as there were various moments where I just stopped and took it all in.”
“I was especially impressed by the little moments of humanity, especially between Nora and Brent; their conversations had a lot more emotional punch to them than I was expecting.”
“And that's not even mentioning a couple of genuinely emotional and poignant moments the game handles really well, thanks to the characters Nora and Brent who have a really great chemistry in their interactions.”
“Boring story and no atmosphere -- everything feels sterile and empty, but not in a dystopian way; just boring.”
“Uninteresting gameplay, horrible gunplay with guns that can be split into two categories: shotgun and useless; boring story and then the game just stops.”
- replayability35 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with many players noting its short playtime of around 3 to 7 hours and lack of additional content such as multiplayer or mod support. While some enjoyed the gameplay enough to consider replaying it, the consensus is that the game does not offer substantial replay value, making it difficult to justify its price. A few players mentioned a hardcore mode that adds some replayability, but the linear nature of the game and various performance issues detract from the overall experience.
“You shouldn't expect a huge amount of playtime from this indie FPS, but luckily there is a hardcore mode which provides enough replayability.”
“It doesn't have the replay value of a game like Fallout 4, but I can see myself playing through again in a few months.”
“Highly replayable.”
“I enjoyed the gameplay a lot, but it has limited replayability and it's too short (took me 7 hours).”
“While I believe that shorter games are valuable, ultimately this game, in my opinion, cannot justify its price when, for me, it ran for as long as a longer movie while being more expensive than a movie ticket and has no replayability.”
“After you beat it, there is also no replayability with something like mod support, multiplayer, etc., so it would be great to see something like that added to make up for the short playtime.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Reviews consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and lacking enjoyment, with players feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. Many express that the grinding is excessively time-consuming and boring, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement.
“But then it is just tedious and void of fun.”
“I agree with one of the other comments -- this game just feels tedious.”
“I came from playing Ghostwire Tokyo, which was super tedious and boring and way too big for its own good.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by funny enemies and amusing glitches, which some players found endearing despite the game's optimization issues. The visual design and nostalgic gameplay elements contribute to a lighthearted experience, though technical problems like frame drops and bugs detracted from the overall enjoyment for some users. Overall, while the humor is appreciated, it is often overshadowed by the game's performance issues.
“Quite funny really, although I now need therapy for my nervous tick.”
“It's not a problem at all, you can rebind that; that's just too funny not to mention.”
“I found myself always being sucked into the world even if a funny bug happens.”
- character development8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding character development, with some players appreciating strong narratives in dystopian sci-fi settings, while others criticize the game for its lack of depth and explanation, particularly concerning key plot elements like the Atlas Project. Overall, the game appears to fall short in delivering meaningful character arcs and story progression.
“I love dystopian sci-fi games that feature well-developed characters and a compelling plot.”
“The narrative and character development are truly impressive.”
“The game was lacking in character development (story-wise).”
“There was little explanation of what the Atlas Project is, no build-up, no character development.”
“The game was lacking in character development (story-wise).”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews do not directly address monetization, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics related to aiming and gun handling. There is no mention of in-game purchases or monetization strategies, suggesting that this aspect may not be a significant concern for players.
Critic Reviews
Industria review — Reaching for the Skynet
Industria lacks polish and isn't very long, but it's a well-made, interesting first-person shooter created with some clear talent.
70%Industria Review – Bot Attack
Industria is rough around the edges, but its solid world, world-building, and storytelling are still worth experiencing.
60%Industria Review
While not without its flaws, Industria offers a nice bite-sized experience with enough lore to keep you wanting to discover more.
75%