INFRA
- January 15, 2016
- Loiste Interactive
- 18h median play time
INFRA is a single-player adventure game with a stunning story, excellent gameplay, masterful visuals, and stellar music. As a structural analyst, you'll navigate a labyrinth of debris, solve puzzles, and uncover a massive scheme in the crumbling city of Stalburg. With high replayability, INFRA offers a gun-free puzzle adventure that will make you laugh, despite its numerous bugs and dense atmosphere.
Reviews
- Incredible atmosphere and detailed environments that create a sense of immersion.
- Engaging puzzles that require exploration and critical thinking, rewarding players for thoroughness.
- Unique storyline that unfolds through environmental storytelling and documents, making it intriguing to uncover.
- Some puzzles can be overly complex or obtuse, leading to frustration and reliance on guides.
- The game can feel long and tedious, especially in later chapters with repetitive mechanics.
- Voice acting and character animations are subpar, detracting from the overall experience.
- story973 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Infra" is widely praised for its depth and complexity, unfolding through environmental storytelling, documents, and audio logs that players discover during exploration. While some players find the narrative engaging and intricate, others note that it can be convoluted and difficult to follow, often requiring multiple playthroughs to fully grasp the plot. Overall, the game is recognized for its unique blend of urban exploration, puzzle-solving, and a rich backstory centered around themes of corruption and decay, making it a compelling experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven gameplay.
“The real star of the show, however, is the game's story.”
“The story is incredible; it's got such a unique playing experience.”
“The game excels in environmental storytelling, with every location filled with clues and hidden narratives that unravel the mystery of the city's decay.”
“The story is very disjointed, so it can be difficult to track.”
“The story is sparse up-front, requiring you to dig up documents, newspapers, notes, recordings and other evidence to start loosely piecing together the full picture.”
“The story is dragging me in so deep...”
- gameplay442 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Infra" is characterized by a blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and a unique photography mechanic that encourages players to document structural issues within a richly detailed urban environment. While the game offers a compelling atmosphere and engaging narrative, many players find the mechanics, such as the limited battery life for the camera and flashlight, to be frustrating and counterproductive to the exploration experience. Overall, the gameplay is immersive and rewarding for those who appreciate slower-paced, puzzle-heavy adventures, but it can also feel tedious and repetitive at times, with some puzzles lacking clarity and intuitive design.
“Incredible atmosphere, fun and very unique gameplay, pretty engaging narrative and just breathtaking views.”
“The gameplay is pretty much exactly as advertised - you explore a variety of locations, taking pictures of ruined infrastructure and solving puzzles to either open a way forward or dig up secrets and traces of lore & conspiracy.”
“The gameplay consists of exploration, puzzle solving, and taking photos of structural/engineering problems and hazards.”
“The gameplay is my strongest dislike - the most important aspect of a game.”
“The worst part is that taking pictures of everything is a core mechanic but the battery dies after a dozen photos, which forces photo rationing.”
“The gameplay itself is painfully tedious and I couldn't care less about the story.”
- atmosphere329 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting quality, often likened to a blend of exploration and horror without relying on jump scares. Players appreciate the detailed environments, sound design, and the sense of isolation that enhances the overall experience, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric adventure and puzzle games. While some find the gameplay tedious at times, the rich atmosphere and environmental storytelling keep many engaged throughout their journey.
“Infra is one of those games that oozes atmosphere and definitely is a walking simulator but with a massive twist.”
“The atmosphere is often like a horror game but there are absolutely no jumpscares (save for one that you have to really go out of your way to trigger).”
“The atmosphere is often like a horror game but there are absolutely no jump scares (save for one that you have to really go out of your way to trigger).”
“The atmosphere of decay and isolation in this game is so extraordinarily well done, and is clearly designed to satisfy a certain urban exploring itch that some people (including myself) have.”
“The atmosphere, the music, the environment, is all perfect.”
- graphics296 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and attention to detail, effectively creating an immersive atmosphere despite being built on the aging Source engine. While some players note that the visuals can appear dated or inconsistent, many appreciate the stunning environments and the overall aesthetic, which evokes a sense of exploration and mystery. Technical issues such as graphical glitches and performance drops are mentioned, but they do not significantly detract from the overall positive reception of the game's visuals.
“The game truly excels in two main areas: exploration and visuals.”
“The graphics are sharp, clear, and expressive.”
“I really wanted to recommend this game - the visuals and audio are fantastic, and the amount of detail this team put into the worldbuilding, environmental storytelling, and easter eggs is insane.”
“The environment and graphics do not look like a game from 2016.”
“The graphics look a bit outdated, especially at first, like they are from 10 years ago.”
“The graphics in Infra, combined with a lack of HUD or consistent crosshair, gave me some pretty rough motion sickness.”
- music136 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the mood of various environments, from foreboding sewers to serene city overlooks. While some players note that the soundtrack is not always prominent, its strategic use during key moments adds depth to the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, with many players expressing a desire to purchase it separately for continued enjoyment.
“The soundtrack is stunning, and the world is absolutely breathtaking, whether it be exploring abandoned tunnels or finding yourself in the middle of power plants and steel mills.”
“The music is incredible as well.”
“The soundtrack is brilliantly composed and consists of a mix of industrial, ambient, and action-oriented tracks which I find myself listening to outside of the game.”
“The music... most of the game doesn't have any.”
“The audio is sparse, there is very little music and sounds.”
“It has a plot as thin as a weak cup of tea, any kind of soundtrack or sound design is pretty minimal, and poking around in old abandoned factories and tunnels gets a bit old after you've been doing that for a couple of hours straight.”
- humor85 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of dark, absurd, and self-referential elements, often enhanced by pop culture references and quirky character interactions. While some players appreciate the subtle and dry humor, others find the voice acting and certain comedic attempts to be hit-or-miss, with a mix of funny and cringe-worthy moments. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor into its atmosphere, making for an entertaining experience despite some gameplay and technical issues.
“All of this is done with a healthy injection of humor, often from the strange (and occasionally somewhat absurd) things you will find as you explore, but for me this only served to enhance the atmosphere.”
“There is also a lot of meta humor and pop culture humor sprinkled throughout the game.”
“The writing is genuinely good, there are a lot of funny references, and the level design is superb.”
- grinding58 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a prevalent sentiment that the game features significant grinding elements, particularly in the form of tedious backtracking, repetitive puzzles, and slow movement, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the atmospheric design and intricate puzzles, many find the gameplay to be frustratingly slow and monotonous, leading to a sense of boredom during extended play sessions. Overall, the game may appeal to those who enjoy exploration and puzzle-solving, but it risks alienating players who prefer a more dynamic and engaging experience.
“This could be very dull, but the game actually manages to make grinding not tedious but challenging because, in many cases, you have to overcome obstacles and use your brain to get further.”
“No tedious crafting or running out of food.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“From this point on (and really, even before that), nothing awaits you but tedious backtracking, pushing buttons and turning handwheels to open elaborate series of locked flood doors, and more jumping on crates floating in electrified water pools.”
“Outrageously tedious, excruciatingly slow, lack of direction or instructions in most areas, death is all too easy, severe lack of narrative and story to keep you occupied as you wander around, movement speeds are way too slow, some bugs are game breaking including random crashes, gets boring rather fast, nothing but back and forth button pushing, lever pulling and door opening puzzles.”
“The game becomes very tedious, despite being praised as 'an explorative experience' you end up penalized and punished by the game, you either are given false opportunities to reward meagerly with stupid batteries that you can either forget to bother with or given batteries for an object you rarely use in the beginning.”
- replayability42 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with many hidden achievements, collectibles, and multiple endings that encourage exploration and experimentation. While some players may not feel compelled to replay it immediately, the depth of content and secrets available make it appealing for completionists and those seeking to uncover all aspects of the game. Overall, it is regarded as having high replay value, particularly for players who enjoy uncovering hidden lore and alternate paths.
“This game offers a lengthy and immersive experience that rewards patience and exploration, making it highly replayable.”
“The amount of endings and different options throughout the game makes it highly replayable.”
“There is so much depth - massive maps which feel very polished and detailed, many secrets to be revealed, and the complexity of choices affecting the outcome makes it very replayable.”
“I'd like to get all the achievements, but other than that, there is not that much replay value.”
“It's very difficult to gather the full story from a single playthrough and there's no way to review the evidence you've gathered, so you have additional replay value to understand it all and find things you missed.”
“Not immediately replayable (beating this in a couple of days was draining).”
- stability28 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting a range of glitches, including graphical issues, control mechanics bugs, and occasional crashes. While some players experienced smooth performance with minimal problems, others faced significant gameplay interruptions due to freezing and save feature malfunctions. Overall, the game's stability appears inconsistent, with both minor annoyances and more serious issues affecting the experience.
“But apart from that, there were no glitches and no bugs.”
“So far, I've encountered no glitches, crashes, or even frame rate drops in this game.”
“The walking/running is quite slow and the game physics are also pretty buggy (the game crashed on a few occasions).”
“I had the game crash on me a few times as well as some weird graphical glitches.”
“The game looks good enough, but runs very unevenly, freezing sometimes for no reason for a second or two, and having other graphical glitches like doorways that are nothing but bright white light until you walk through them.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance and commend the developers for maximizing the capabilities of the source engine, others experience frequent FPS drops, stuttering, and crashes, particularly in later chapters or on older hardware. Despite these issues, many still find the game enjoyable and visually impressive, suggesting that ongoing improvements may enhance the experience further.
“The graphics are wonderful, the performance is pretty good (runs perfectly playably on my Intel Iris Xe system), the plot that gets played out through the letters you find is honestly pretty intriguing, and there's enough little goodies and secrets to search for that I imagine you could get a lot of replay value out of this.”
“It's a beautiful game with a lot of work and dedication put into it, it uses the source engine and the dev really took every way to make you forget that it uses that by bringing the source engine to its limits, yet the game still runs smoothly.”
“This atmospheric, well-optimized game (source engine) has exceeded all my expectations and it is definitely worth the money!”
“FPS drops are constant; the optimization is very bad.”
“Speaking of, Infra runs on the Source engine and is relatively pretty at that, though it definitely pushes the (primarily) corridor shooter engine to its limits, with maps so expansive and detailed that performance drops regardless of settings, and crashes with memory available set to anything above low are impossible to avoid.”
“The game had a bumpy release with performance issues and bugs, but the developers have really listened to solve them as quickly as possible!”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game evokes a unique sense of responsibility and connection to the environment, with players feeling both clever and accomplished as they solve puzzles and repair systems. While it offers moments of humor and warmth, it also instills a sense of tension and unease, contributing to an atmospheric experience rather than a traditional narrative. Overall, the game is praised for its heartwarming message about environmental stewardship amidst its engaging gameplay.
“You do a lot of touching and installing and inspecting, and at the end of the day you develop a feeling of responsibility for this place that I'm not sure a game has ever given me before.”
“The pleasure of this game comes not so much from challenge, nor a heart-wrenching story, but from quietly traversing long-forgotten places on your own and uncovering their secrets.”
“The game sends a strong message of being responsible with the world around you, which is, among all these hugely expensive and ultimately pointless games, thoroughly heartwarming and commendable.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for its inadequate advertising, which fails to reflect the game's quality and depth. Despite the presence of hidden areas and rich storytelling, the promotional efforts are seen as lacking, potentially hindering the game's visibility and success on platforms like Steam.
“Jc Denton from Deus Ex is also involved; he's running a digital advertising display firm, lol.”
“This game’s crummy previews and advertisements don’t do justice to the beauty found in this work of art.”
“The only thing that lacks, that would make this game on Steam's first page, is the advertising.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is inconsistent; while some players appreciate the rich story and depth of character development, others feel that there is a lack of tracking and meaningful progression, resulting in minimal rewards for engaging beyond the basics.
“This game is extremely well developed, and very rich in story and character development.”
“The game doesn't have a system that keeps track of character health, and there doesn't seem to be any kind of character development or any other real rewards for doing anything more than the bare minimum to advance from level to level - at least no reward that is apparent at the time.”