INFRA
- January 15, 2016
- Loiste Interactive
- 19h median play time
Get on SteamINFRA 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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fantastic and diverse atmosphere with stunning visuals.
- Engaging puzzles that require critical thinking and exploration.
- Intriguing story that unfolds through environmental storytelling and documents.
- Some puzzles can be overly obtuse and frustrating, requiring guides.
- The game can feel overly long and repetitive in certain sections.
- Voice acting is inconsistent and can detract from immersion.
- story1,706 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Infra" is a complex and engaging narrative that unfolds through environmental storytelling, documents, and audio logs, immersing players in a world of corporate corruption and urban decay. While some players find the pacing slow and the plot occasionally convoluted, many appreciate the depth and intrigue of the story, which rewards thorough exploration and attention to detail. Overall, the game is praised for its rich lore and the way it intertwines storytelling with puzzle-solving and exploration, making it a standout experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
“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, while very long, is engaging and enjoyable throughout.”
“The story is very disjointed, so it can be difficult to track.”
“I gave this game an honest try, but it's long, slow, big areas, slow walk, slow run, and almost a non-existing story.”
“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.”
- gameplay746 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Infra" is characterized as a blend of exploration and puzzle-solving, primarily revolving around documenting structural issues in a richly detailed environment. While many players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and unique mechanics, such as the photography system, there are significant criticisms regarding repetitive tasks, clunky controls, and frustrating battery management for tools. Overall, the game offers a lengthy experience that may appeal to fans of slow-paced, narrative-driven gameplay, but it can also feel tedious and unpolished at times.
“The brilliance of Infra is that it creates more than what appears to be just a walking sim at first glance: it adds genuinely interesting exploration, puzzles, and since you're an inspector you are encouraged to really analyze and take in the world and its details for gameplay purposes.”
“Gameplay is quite immersive and relaxing as it's the urban exploration style mixed with a slight horror tone which makes it really interesting.”
“The gameplay is mostly exploration and puzzles, but in an original way, since you're not solving a work of some madman, but mostly machinery that requires logic and a more engineer-y approach.”
“The gameplay is my strongest dislike - the most important aspect of a game.”
“I don't know how long it will take me to finish this - the mechanics wear out very early on and most puzzles are essentially just variations of turning the right valve or pressing the right buttons.”
“But the gameplay quickly turns into a torturing walking simulator, where you just trial-and-error the same spots 5 times until you find a solution or quit.”
- atmosphere552 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Infra" is widely praised for its immersive and detailed design, effectively capturing the eerie essence of abandoned industrial environments. Players appreciate the game's sound design, which enhances the tension and realism, alongside a haunting soundtrack that complements the exploration experience. While some find the puzzles challenging, the overall ambiance and environmental storytelling create a compelling and atmospheric adventure that resonates with fans of urban exploration and atmospheric games.
“The atmosphere is great, the way maps are connected is super clever, and the environment is filled with fragments of narrative.”
“The sound design further enhances the atmosphere, making every creak and distant noise add to the tension and immersion.”
“Infra is a captivating and atmospheric adventure that offers a unique blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and storytelling.”
“Super boring atmosphere with puzzles that are overly complex with minimal reward.”
“In many of these situations, nothing is happening, nor is there any atmosphere being built by these.”
“The only thing scary of this game is the dark atmosphere.”
- graphics488 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their impressive detail and atmospheric quality, effectively utilizing the Source engine to create immersive environments reminiscent of urban exploration. While some players note that the visuals can feel dated and occasionally suffer from low-resolution textures or performance issues, many appreciate the game's unique aesthetic and the overall visual experience it offers. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's engaging atmosphere, despite some technical limitations.
“The visuals, enhanced by the source engine, create a realistic and immersive environment, from crumbling factories to abandoned tunnels.”
“The graphics are stunning, the story is actually very intense and deep, and the sudden changes and the knowledge needed to complete this makes it even better.”
“I highly recommend this game, for its insane attention to detail, mesmerizing soundtrack, breathtaking visuals (in the source engine, too!), and impressive scale.”
“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.”
“Graphically, the objects are unavoidably square and jagged, although for the amount of machinery you encounter this fits very well.”
- music214 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience and mood of various environments. While much of the soundtrack is sparse and used sparingly, it is noted for being well-timed and fitting, with standout tracks that players enjoy enough to purchase separately. Overall, the combination of ambient sounds and occasional music contributes significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere.
“The soundtrack is quite good and very atmospheric as well.”
“Even the soundtrack knows when to be tense and when to be soothing, adding another layer to the experience.”
“The music, by Finnian Langham, is incredible and fits the tone of the game perfectly.”
“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.”
- humor150 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a diverse range of humor, from dark and satirical to light-hearted and absurd, often enhanced by clever pop culture references and Easter eggs. While some players find the voice acting flat or cringeworthy, others appreciate the deadpan delivery and comedic moments that arise from the protagonist's interactions and the game's quirky scenarios. Overall, the humor is a significant aspect that adds depth and entertainment to the gameplay experience, despite some inconsistencies in execution.
“There is plenty of humor to be found - though much is understandably dark in context - if you're willing to look for it.”
“Awesome game, great puzzles, good graphics, a nice sense of humor, and surprisingly good music.”
“Looking for a certain machine or terminal and rounding the corner only to be confronted with a piece of bare plywood with a (probably months-old) note on it that says 'management finally replaced this damn thing' is so funny, because yeah... yeah.”
- grinding96 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious, with many players expressing frustration over excessive backtracking, slow movement, and repetitive puzzle mechanics. While some enjoy the exploration and intricate puzzles, the overall sentiment leans towards the experience being a chore, particularly in the latter stages of the game where the enjoyment diminishes due to the monotonous tasks required to progress.
“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.”
“After a while, the game becomes very tedious and the puzzles are a slog.”
“Altogether, this added up into an incredibly tedious experience that was decidedly not worth it.”
- replayability78 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, driven by its numerous 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 the challenge of uncovering all secrets make it appealing for completionists and those seeking varied experiences. Overall, it is regarded as one of the more replayable titles in its genre, with a wealth of secrets and alternate paths to discover.
“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.”
“I probably don't see myself replaying this game, but there is replay value to be had here for the completionists, so do keep that in mind.”
“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.”
- stability42 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marked by a mix of minor glitches and more significant issues, including control mechanics that occasionally falter, graphical glitches, and crashes. While some players report a generally stable experience with few bugs, others encounter frustrating problems like save issues and physics glitches. Overall, the game exhibits a range of stability concerns that can detract from the experience, though some players find these quirks add to its charm.
“But apart from that, there were no glitches and no bugs.”
“Applying graphics settings freezes the game for several settings while repeating the same last 100 milliseconds of sound.”
“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.”
- optimization32 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, with smooth performance on various hardware, including low to mid-range systems. However, some users reported performance dips, particularly in the last chapters and in specific areas, as well as issues with memory requirements and occasional stuttering. Despite these drawbacks, the developers have effectively maximized the capabilities of the Source engine, resulting in a visually impressive experience.
“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.”
“Performance is buttery smooth and it should run well on even low to mid-range hardware.”
“Speaking of, infra runs on the source engine, and 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.”
“This doesn't seem to be done at some places, as I felt some stuttering at some points, which only happened in very certain areas.”
“The developers have squeezed every bit of performance out of the source engine, making the game a sight to behold even compared to some of today's more modern game engines, although at the price of extreme memory requirement.”
- emotional26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of heartwarming moments and tension, as players navigate through atmospheric environments that evoke feelings of cleverness and responsibility. While some find the experience to be intense and occasionally nauseating, the game ultimately offers a rewarding sense of discovery rather than a deep emotional narrative. Overall, it resonates with players through its unique blend of humor, fear, and a commendable message about environmental awareness.
“You run into situations that are funny, heartwarming, frightening, or even outright terrifying.”
“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.”
“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.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for its inadequate advertising and promotional efforts, which fail to reflect the game's quality and depth. Despite the involvement of notable characters like Jc Denton from Deus Ex, the game's marketing does not effectively showcase its hidden areas and intricate storytelling, hindering its visibility on platforms like Steam.
“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 development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is polarizing; while some players praise its richness in story and character depth, others criticize the lack of a tracking system for character health and the absence of meaningful rewards for engaging beyond the minimum requirements. Overall, the game offers a strong narrative experience but may fall short in providing tangible character progression.
“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.”
