INFERNIUM

68%
Game Brain Score Based on 94 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
INFERNIUM Game Cover
Infernium is a beautiful, strange first-person adventure that draws its inspiration from an eclectic range of sources. It's frequently frustrating and maddeningly vague, but those with the determination to crack its secrets will be richly rewarded.
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Infernium is a single-player horror shooter game with a good plot and ingenious game mechanics. Players navigate through a brutal and challenging world filled with enemies, hidden shortcuts, and a non-linear narrative. Every action has consequences, such as harvesting light or causing deaths, which will permanently affect the game world. Infernium is also easy to modify using the Unreal Engine 4.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews
story7 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning level design and beautiful graphics that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • It offers a unique blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival horror elements, reminiscent of classic titles like Dark Souls and Pac-Man.
  • The game has a rewarding sense of discovery, with interconnected worlds and various mechanics that encourage players to think critically and adapt.
  • The game suffers from frustrating difficulty spikes and a punishing permadeath system that can lead to tedious backtracking.
  • Many players find the lack of clear direction and minimal tutorials overwhelming, making it hard to progress without external help.
  • Technical issues, such as crashes and clunky teleportation mechanics, detract from the overall experience and can lead to frustration.
  • story48 mentions

    The game's story is often described as intriguing yet cryptic, with players expressing frustration over its disjointed delivery through scattered notes and journal entries. While some appreciate the atmospheric worldbuilding and the potential for a compelling narrative, many feel that the lack of clarity and accessibility detracts from the overall experience, leading to confusion and a reliance on external resources for understanding the plot. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a mixed bag, with potential that is not fully realized due to poor design choices and fragmented presentation.

    • “The combination of beautiful worldbuilding, a very surreal and interesting set of game mechanics, a fairly compelling story, and a nicely balanced challenge made this one of my favorites I've played in a long time.”
    • “The story, sort of clumsily told through journal entries written on the walls, is actually pretty intriguing and provides context without taking away the mystery of the setting.”
    • “Gameplay frustrations aside, without monsters, the game is beautiful exploration interwoven with the story you read from the walls and some environmental storytelling.”
    • “I had to go to the official wiki to understand what the plot was about.”
    • “The story isn't very compelling, sadly.”
    • “The game tells a secondary story through writings left on walls that is disjointed and needs piecing together.”
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay is a mixed bag, appealing to a niche audience with its unique mechanics and challenging puzzles, but often criticized for its clunky controls and frustrating design choices. Players appreciate the beautiful world and the sense of exploration, yet many find the lack of clear tutorials and the punishing permadeath mechanic to be significant drawbacks. Overall, while the game offers an interesting blend of action, survival, and puzzle elements, it struggles with pacing and clarity, leading to a frustrating experience for some.

    • “There's just one single large world but with lots of interconnected paths that lead to fairly distinct areas with different puzzle mechanics.”
    • “The combination of beautiful worldbuilding, a very surreal and interesting set of game mechanics, a fairly compelling story, and a nice balanced challenge made this one of my favorites I've played in a long time.”
    • “Gameplay progresses in a natural way, allowing for you to get an idea of what's to come, instilling a fantastic sense of dread as you realize what you're going to have to do.”
    • “It's very interesting that when you die, you go to a new stage but it also feels like it really breaks up the flow of the gameplay at times.”
    • “The timed puzzles/sections later in the game are just terrible, holding a switch for 5-10 seconds to loop around and miss an opening by a pixel again with the stupid teleport whilst being chased by multiple enemies is pure tedium, the timings in this game are at times mean and stingy considering how clunky the mechanics are.”
    • “Very sadly to say this, but what could have been an amazing game with stunning environments, a well-built game world, and a relatively good story has turned out to be a mediocre game simply because of terrible design decisions and boring gameplay.”
  • graphics20 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals and beautiful scenery, including detailed environments like lava streams and dark caves. Players noted that the graphics enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion, contributing to a memorable horror experience. While some mentioned minor issues with sound effects, the overall presentation and level design were highlighted as superb, particularly on higher settings.

    • “The graphics of this game I would give a 5 out of 5; they are beautiful from the lava stream to the dark creepy caves, and even though the graphics are extremely nice, it doesn't affect the overall lag factor.”
    • “A great horror experience and stunning visuals.”
    • “Great game, I completed it on Nintendo Switch, but the graphics on PC with the settings in ultra and 4K look astonishingly beautiful.”
    • “The visuals will leave a lasting impression as the intense horror begs to be forgotten.”
    • “If the developer reads this review, maybe rethink graphics on trading cards to showcase purgatory, crimson river, waterfalls or what is above the inverted castle?”
    • “Graphics is okay, but haunting sound effects might annoy some people.”
  • atmosphere17 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its imaginative and immersive environments, featuring unique areas like an upside-down castle and an endless waterfall that evoke a sense of surreal beauty and eerie isolation. Players appreciate the effective sound design and artistic direction that enhance the feeling of unease, although some critique the lack of varied enemy designs and background noise, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's atmospheric qualities are a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal as a tense and challenging exploration-driven puzzle/survival horror experience.

    • “The upside-down castle, the endless waterfall, all so imaginative and atmospheric.”
    • “The atmosphere is fantastic and immersive; the sound design and artistic direction is great.”
    • “The sense of unease in the atmosphere is very well crafted, and even without enemies I still feel on edge.”
    • “It feels psychedelic in respect to the different atmospheres in each area you go to.”
    • “The level design shapes the gameplay, horror, pacing/atmosphere, and the sense of exploration.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the background music for its emotional resonance and fitting atmosphere, others find it chaotic and lacking coherence. Overall, many agree that the soundtrack complements the game's visuals effectively, enhancing the overall experience without standing out too much.

    • “The background music of the game is also pretty spot on; it goes very well with the levels and it is amazing listening to it while you enter a new level for the first time, it will hit you directly on the feelings.”
    • “But like other beautiful puzzle and walking simulator games, they have a more clear and intriguing story, nice soundtrack, and events that keep happening as you progress.”
    • “Beautiful art and music design that I honestly find no flaws in.”
    • “The music in the game feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
    • “I wish the soundtrack was more engaging and memorable.”
    • “The background music doesn't match the game's atmosphere, making it feel disconnected.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Replayability is mixed; while some players find it engaging due to the mastery of maps and strategies reminiscent of Dark Souls, others feel that after completing the main game and New Game+, it becomes repetitive and predictable.

    • “It's super replayable since after your first struggle, you will internalize maps and tricks that allow you to move through areas a hundred times faster, much like Dark Souls.”
    • “The replay value is okay; once you complete the main game and the additional harder game of New Game+, it becomes kind of boring and predictable.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, with a lack of efficient movement options contributing to a frustrating experience. While the initial exploration may create tension, the repetitive backtracking and lengthy travel times diminish enjoyment, particularly in the endgame. Overall, the potential for a more engaging experience is hindered by the clunky mechanics and excessive grinding.

    • “It is a shame because in the right hands this could have been a great game with the same level design and quicker, fluid gameplay. A reliable, faster charge teleport or a limited sprint system would make it feel less slow, clunky, and tedious.”
    • “The only reason why someone might want to explore the different areas is to find the notes related to the story. However, considering that you will have to walk all the way back to the different areas, this also becomes a boring and tedious task.”
    • “It makes for a lot of tension in the beginning, but around the endgame, it gets incredibly tedious having to travel all the way to the sun just to get more lives quickly.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players report a strong emotional engagement with the game, feeling a sense of accomplishment when solving sequences and a healthy level of frustration that fosters personal growth. The juxtaposition of beautiful, surreal environments with feelings of discomfort and paranoia enhances the overall emotional experience, creating a unique and immersive atmosphere.

    • “The game made me feel uncomfortable and paranoid, a really cool contrast with the environments that didn't seem that scary; they were more like beautiful and surrealist.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is praised for its high quality and strong optimization, indicating that it runs smoothly and efficiently.

    • “A very good game that's very well made and obviously well optimized.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users express some disappointment with the game's stability, noting issues with spatial relativity and glitches in the teleportation mechanics that can hinder gameplay. Despite these frustrations, players still enjoy the overall experience and controls.

    • “This doesn't make me not want to play, and I still love this control, but it is a bit disappointing when space is not always relative, so you can't get to a place that is absolutely close enough to reach, or when your teleportation circle glitches out on a piece of ground and will only let you hit it if you swing your teleportation beam back and forth one-millionth of a millimeter.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

57% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
20-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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