INSOMNIA: The Ark

About

INSOMNIA: The Ark is a single player survival role playing shooter game with horror, mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Mono Studio and was released on September 27, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

In "INSOMNIA: The Ark," you explore a colossal, dying space metropolis filled with intrigue, danger, and diverse inhabitants. As a "low-class" citizen, you'll need to navigate the complex politics and cultures of this isolated society, while also uncovering mysterious forces threatening the Ark. Your choices and actions will significantly impact the narrative and faction relationships in this immersive, story-rich RPG.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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51%

Audience ScoreBased on 469 reviews

story111 positive mentions

stability56 negative mentions

The game features a unique and immersive dieselpunk sci-fi setting with great art design and atmosphere.
The story is engaging and offers a deep lore with multiple quests and character interactions.
The combat system, while clunky at times, can be rewarding and challenging, providing a sense of accomplishment.

The game is riddled with bugs and glitches, including game-breaking issues that can halt progress.
Many elements of the game, including some quests and UI text, are still untranslated or poorly translated from Russian.
The camera controls are awkward, being locked to a fixed angle, which can hinder gameplay and immersion.

story
451 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The game's story is often described as intriguing and complex, set in a richly detailed world reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout and Bioshock. However, players frequently encounter issues with vague quest directions, poor translations, and game-breaking bugs that hinder their ability to fully engage with the narrative. While the atmosphere and lore are praised, the lack of clear guidance and the presence of technical problems detract from the overall storytelling experience.
- “The world and story are well crafted and engaging, with surprisingly varied environments.”
- “The story is the sole reason for the thumbs up!”
- “The story itself is interesting, if winding, and sometimes incredibly strange.”
- “The story itself may be the only part that can make the player keep going.”
- “Major plot beats happen off-screen or without the protagonist, forcing the player to play catch-up to feel included in the narrative.”
- “The story was also badly translated, with many parts making no sense, and sometimes after a reload, missions would lose their translation altogether.”
gameplay
147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
67%
10%
The gameplay of "Insomnia: The Ark" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of solid RPG mechanics, exploration, and crafting elements that some players find enjoyable, while others criticize it for being clunky and riddled with bugs. Many reviews highlight the game's intriguing setting and story, but also point out that the mechanics can feel outdated and frustrating, particularly with issues like poor inventory management and tedious survival elements. Overall, while the game has potential and offers a unique atmosphere, its execution suffers from technical problems and a lack of polish that may deter players seeking a smoother experience.
- “Astonishing art design, good combat mechanics, a lot of content, quite good writing, an unusual sci-fi setting, and a good character system are all present.”
- “The gameplay is challenging without being frustrating.”
- “The mix of Fallout and Bioshock vibes, the shooting and cover mechanics I didn't expect, the large explorable areas, and the unique story is just spot on for me.”
- “The lack of polish shows on a mechanical level in mine minigames that are insta-death and basically require save scumming to beat.”
- “The gameplay is awful, the controls are awful and the 'controller support' is a complete joke.”
- “While the story is well written, the atmosphere is perfect, and the environments are detailed and unique, this game suffers from a series of poor game mechanics and design choices made by the developers.”
graphics
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
45%
11%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning art style and atmospheric visuals that evoke a unique sci-fi and dieselpunk aesthetic. While some players noted impressive details and immersive environments, others pointed out issues such as graphical glitches, limited settings, and inconsistencies in character design. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, though they are marred by technical problems that detract from the experience.
- “One of the coolest sci-fi aesthetics I've ever seen.”
- “The visuals are stunning at times and there’s a lot of content to plough through.”
- “The graphics really shine in Insomnia, it fits so well with the atmosphere of a dystopian steampunk world.”
- “Buggy as hell, keybinds not working, no mini map, shooting with gun mechanics are crap, quests vague, graphics are terrible even on ultra, characters don't speak, it's all text. The game feels like one from 25 years ago; apart from this, it's great, but I do not recommend you buy this yet.”
- “The cinematics are made with the same engine as the game, which exposes all the errors of the graphic engine, making the cinematics look bad and lose the interest of the consumer.”
- “Very interesting game... the movement is janky, the graphics options are limited, the translation is passable but only barely, and motion blur can't be removed.”
atmosphere
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
24%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive world-building, and unique art style, drawing comparisons to classics like Bioshock and Fallout. Players appreciate the rich sound design and music that enhance the overall experience, creating a captivating and often mystical environment. Despite some gameplay flaws, the game's atmosphere is consistently highlighted as a major strength, making it a compelling reason to engage with the title.
- “One of the best atmospheres and aesthetics I encountered in video games.”
- “The atmosphere, the story, the lore, the baroque-like level of detail of the world, the sheer diversity of items and their complexity, everything screams 'work of love'.”
- “The art design, visuals, sounds, atmosphere, and world design are outstanding.”
- “The atmosphere, the story, the lore, the baroque-like level of detail of the world, the sheer diversity of items and their complexity, the human touch in every aspect of the sophisticated story that oscillates between eastern philosophies and modern cynicism and materialism, everything screams 'work of love'.”
- “I think this game is beautiful both in how the music draws you into this apocalypse and the architecture of this ancient ark of a crumbling civilization, the sorrow of a people having long suffered, encapsulated in a diesel-punk sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “This game breezes Fallout and Bioshock at the same time with a note of Russian vodka and has atmosphere so thick that you can cut it.”
stability
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly detract from the overall experience. Many players report game-breaking issues, poor AI, and a lack of polish, leading to a perception of it being unfinished and amateurish. While some updates have improved stability, the game still feels more like a beta version, with persistent problems that require frequent saving and patience from players.
- “Runs great on a 1060 GPU with everything maxed, and looks pretty decent with lots of cool little details.”
- “It's also not exactly bug free.”
- “The game is riddled with bugs and glitches.”
- “It's an unfinished buggy mess missing translations, item placeholders, and missing stats.”
- “The game has been a bug-ridden mess since release; I managed 35 hours before game breakers killed progression.”
music
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance immersion, particularly in the diesel-punk setting. While some find the soundtrack beautiful and fitting for the game's tone, others have noted issues such as unturnoffable music tied to the environment and audio bugs that disrupt the experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, though technical problems have detracted from some players' enjoyment.
- “The music is also spot on coming from all the different radios and matches the surroundings well.”
- “I loved the atmosphere, music, and style of the game.”
- “The music is moody and sets the tone very well.”
- “I would highlight the sound really above the music and what to the latter I find it very absent during most of the title.”
- “The soundtrack that they are hocking off is bland and dull at best and a dreary moan that, since we are going with a food theme here, what comes after gas station sushi?”
- “The base settings for the audio are terrible as all the narration is drowned out by the music, not sure why they did that?”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, poor performance, and instability, particularly on AMD platforms and certain NVIDIA setups. While some users experienced decent performance during their initial runs, the overall consensus is that the game is not well-optimized, with frequent frame rate drops, graphical glitches, and missing translations. However, developers are actively addressing these issues through patches, leading to gradual improvements in performance.
- “Game is playable, performance is good.”
- “The game runs solid at 1080p, no particular issues with performance.”
- “Edit for update 1.5: game just keeps getting smoother and better performance and gameplay wise.”
- “But even with these problems, the game could be at least an average indie title, but with the amount of bugs, bad optimization, and such, I don't recommend this game, at least until it's fixed into the optimal state, in which it should have been already on the release date.”
- “As of version 1.3, there are cases reported of instability, bad optimization in denser maps, and crashes to desktop.”
- “Textures clip, images and items are missing from the display or file altogether, collision meshes don't work right, it is poorly optimized (at least on NVIDIA), the animations look like I did them in stickman, and there are so many bugs in this, I might mail my PC to Orkin for a cleaning.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game offers a solid level of replayability, driven by its intriguing world, diverse content, and the ability to choose from seven unique classes that affect gameplay and narrative choices. Players can explore different playstyles and outcomes through rich, dialogue-heavy decision-making, enhancing the overall replay value. However, some users noted minor issues, such as key binding limitations, that could impact the experience.
- “Making this extremely replayable for the 7 or so unique classes, each changing your upbringing and social status.”
- “The world is interesting to explore, there is some base replayability and choice available for certain important quests, the visuals are stunning at times and there’s a lot of content to plough through.”
- “A third person action RPG with incredibly rich, dialogue-heavy decision making and decent replay value.”
- “Does give choices of look and type and a proper selection of classes for replayability and style of play.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, citing issues like a cumbersome inventory system, slow traversal across the world map, and repetitive minigames. The mechanics, including stamina management and weapon degradation, contribute to a frustrating experience that detracts from the otherwise intriguing world and story. Overall, the game suffers from a lack of engaging content, making the grinding feel more like a chore than a challenge.
- “Moving across the world map is tedious to the point that, of the 18 hours I've played the game so far, at least 8 of them have been just traversing the world map.”
- “The whole premise of the world and visual style are very interesting and can quite easily immerse you, but the rest of the game such as quests and story itself are done lazily and tediously, not to mention many of the game mechanics and combat itself.”
- “From overly complex storylines to tedious gameplay elements, a curiously obtuse inventory system and an identity somewhere between sci-fi RPG and supernatural horror, it's a game full of competing interests.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, highlighting its heartwarming qualities and the joy it brings, as evidenced by personal anecdotes and humorous commitments to gameplay. The simplicity of character selection is appreciated, allowing players to focus on the emotional journey rather than intricate customization.
- “I haven't seen a heartwarming game like this in a long time.”
- “This game evokes such deep emotions that it stays with you long after you've finished playing.”
- “The story and characters resonate on a personal level, making every moment feel impactful.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as offbeat and fine-tuned, appealing to those who enjoy unconventional RPGs. However, players also express frustration with serious bugs and confusing gameplay mechanics, which detract from the overall experience and can lead to a sense of helplessness rather than amusement.
- “It is different from what you are used to and has a fine-tuned sense of humor.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Reviewers highlight the strong character development in "Insomnia: The Ark," noting its engaging RPG elements, including a crafting and looting system, as well as a rich atmosphere reminiscent of the Fallout series. The combination of unique character design and a noir soundtrack further enhances the immersive experience.
- “Insomnia: The Ark is a science-fiction RPG with real-time combat, a crafting and looting system, character development, and noir music.”
- “If you like Fallout (atmosphere, post-apocalyptic universe, character development, perks).”
- “Very nice architecture and character design.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that impact the story.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in character progression; it feels like a missed opportunity.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional, and their development doesn't resonate with the overall narrative.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that the developers did not deliver on their advertised promises.
- “I guess it's just another cash grab game.”
- “They were unwilling to keep their word on their advertisement.”