Investigator

About

"Investigator" is a single-player horror simulation game that features wonderful graphics using CryEngine and an immersive audio experience. As a former private investigator, players will explore various locations from mysterious villages to dark basements in a world of extreme weather cataclysms. The game offers a compelling soundtrack, plenty of humor, and a dense atmosphere for an unforgettable gaming experience. A free story DLC is also available in the main menu.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 271 reviews

story50 positive mentions

replayability4 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted environment that enhances the overall atmosphere.
The sound design is immersive, with effective use of ambient sounds and a haunting soundtrack that adds to the tension.
Despite its flaws, the game provides a unique experience with some surprising moments and a decent storyline.

The story is confusing and lacks coherence, leaving players with many unanswered questions and plot holes.
Gameplay is very linear with minimal interaction, often feeling more like a walking simulator than a horror game.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including problems with subtitles, camera angles, and performance optimization.

story
211 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
61%
15%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it confusing, disjointed, and lacking depth. While some appreciated the atmospheric elements and potential for an engaging narrative, others criticized the incoherence and abrupt transitions that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the story seems to be a weak point, often overshadowed by the game's visuals and sound design.
- “The story was very good, that's what kept me going on in the game but the protagonist never gets heavily injured, I mean he falls down a 20-meter-high hole and everything he says is 'argh'.”
- “I found the story gripping and simply kept going until I reached the end.”
- “The story is simple but good.”
- “The game wants to deliver a storyline throughout all 10 levels but sadly fails.”
- “The story is shallow, with the main character and its antagonist not really adding to any emotional depth or investment.”
- “The story is all over the place and quite honestly I found it quite boring overall.”
graphics
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
38%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and attention to detail, often described as stunning and comparable to high-budget titles. Many reviewers noted impressive environmental effects, atmospheric lighting, and solid level design, although some pointed out minor graphical glitches and limited settings options. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, several players felt that the game lacks substance beyond its graphical showcase.
- “Absolutely stunning visuals!”
- “The graphics are incredible.”
- “The graphics are very nice but everything has so much glare, even clothing glares.”
- “The graphics look bad, the gameplay is kinda boring, the fact that the camera forces itself on certain story elements is kinda obnoxious, and I could go on if I wanted to.”
- “Unfortunately along with the previously listed issues there are other graphical quirks as well, like a random fire burning high amongst the branches of a tree or floating texts remaining in the air.”
- “This feels more like an engine/artwork demo than an actual game, and while it would seem tempting if you look at some screenshots and unexplainable high review ratings, there are quite a lot of better ways to spend your time and money.”
atmosphere
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
22%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive graphics, sound design, and environmental details that contribute to a strong sense of place. While some players found the atmosphere to be a standout feature, others noted that it could feel somewhat lacking in depth or engagement, particularly in terms of gameplay. Overall, the game is recognized for its ability to create a captivating and often eerie ambiance, making it a notable experience for fans of atmospheric storytelling.
- “The oppressive atmosphere is enhanced by the darkness all around and good sound effects, making you very aware that there is someone or something horrible out there hunting you.”
- “The environments range from a downpour of rain and thunderstorms to snowy blizzards, and pretty much all of them are just oozing with atmosphere, even the indoor sections.”
- “I absolutely loved the atmosphere, the nice graphics, and the top-notch beautiful Russian voice acting.”
- “The oppressive atmosphere is enhanced by the darkness all around and good sound effects making you very aware that there is someone or something horrible out there hunting you.”
- “This game solely lives off of its atmosphere and graphics.”
- “Investigator is a short game that feels like a demonstration of the developer's talent for building an atmosphere.”
gameplay
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
69%
12%
The gameplay is primarily a linear walking simulator with minimal interaction, consisting mostly of exploration and simple item collection, which many players found boring and lacking depth. While the game offers a visually appealing atmosphere, it suffers from a lack of coherent story and engaging mechanics, leading to a generally underwhelming experience. Despite its short playtime of around 4-6 hours, some players appreciated the low price point, but overall, the gameplay is criticized for being tedious and disconnected from the narrative.
- “Playing the game was nice; it delivers almost 4 hours of gameplay (DLC and survivor update included) and different things to do.”
- “Beautiful graphics and the gameplay works just fine.”
- “At such a low price, I think this game is definitely worth it if you don't mind slow-paced movement with little gameplay.”
- “The graphics look bad, the gameplay is kind of boring, the fact that the camera forces itself on certain story elements is kind of obnoxious, and I could go on if I wanted to.”
- “Unfortunately, it doesn't make this first-person walking simulator a good game: without a coherent plot and due to its general awkwardness, it falls into the below average category and sinks into boredom, even despite its short gameplay time.”
- “This game is the very essence of poorly made games on Steam; no effort was made to create a storyline or any gameplay elements.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many players expressing a strong emotional connection to the soundtrack, even purchasing it separately. While some critiques mention issues with audio settings and the music's volume, the overall consensus highlights the soundtrack as a standout feature that complements the game's narrative effectively. Despite minor cinematic flaws, the music is described as beautiful, fitting, and integral to the gaming experience.
- “The two things that stand out most about this game are the graphics and the soundtrack, both of which are beautiful.”
- “I loved the wonderful music; it was suspenseful at times and soothing when needed.”
- “The soundtrack and the voice acting are better than most triple-A titles.”
- “Just a black screen and music you can't skip.”
- “The music: sound/music went with the game but it did not really lift up the game from where it fell short.”
- “Furthermore, it comes with two separate paid DLCs: one is the generic soundtrack, which, trust me, you are not missing out on and the other is an extra map in which you do... nothing really.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting poor performance regardless of the selected settings, leading to issues like lag and crashes. While some players noted that the game runs smoothly on decent hardware, others experienced significant problems, including soft locks and inconsistent frame rates. Overall, the lack of customizable performance options and frequent optimization issues detract from the gaming experience.
- “Doesn't matter if you pick low-end or high-end PC because performance is mostly the same.”
- “Seems to work fine and runs smoothly.”
- “Optimized very well also.”
- “Absolutely horrible optimization too and you can't change any options other than choosing from 'high-end PC' and 'low-end PC'.”
- “It lacks any sort of optimization and performance settings (even on low PC settings it will try to melt your hardware down).”
- “Good game but the worst experience due to bad optimization!”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring cute and funny hidden finds, amusing dialogue, and unintentionally hilarious moments, particularly with clunky controls and jump scares. While some elements are charming, others, like poorly designed graphics, detract from the overall experience, leading to a blend of intentional and unintentional comedy. Overall, players appreciate the humor but note inconsistencies in its execution.
- “The hidden finds along the way are cute and funny.”
- “Some funny and interesting details to find within the game.”
- “It has a nice environment, cool levels, funny dialogues, and was overall nice to play.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
38%
50%
The game has been criticized for its very low replayability, with many reviewers noting its linear structure and lack of alternative paths or significant content changes upon completion. Most agree that the replay value is minimal, often rating it around 2-3 out of 10, and suggest waiting for sales due to its short length and limited replay incentives. Future DLC or story expansions may influence replayability, but currently, it is deemed lacking.
- “Replayability will be dependent upon DLC or added storylines introduced into the game.”
- “No replay value in this game at all in my view; nothing to change in the way of choosing a different path.”
- “If you're thinking about buying the game, I'd wait till it was on sale because it's so short and the replayability is close to none.”
- “Very linear, so there’s no replay value once you’ve finished it.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, particularly affecting gameplay with controllers and causing issues like oversized hitboxes and problems during cinematic moments. Despite these stability concerns, some players find the experience enjoyable enough to overlook the technical flaws, noting that it runs smoothly overall for an indie title.
- “The game runs smoothly; for an indie title, it has no freezes or stutters.”
- “What I will tell you is that this buggy mess of a game is a half-assed attempt at exploration and horror.”
- “Bug/glitches: to me their V-Sync did nothing at all and it appears the game does not like the use of screenshots at cinematic moments.”
- “My biggest complaint (besides the wonky graphical glitches) is that the hitboxes for objects that you interact with are huge.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
While the game effectively immerses players in its world through strong graphics and sound, the emotional impact is limited due to a shallow story and underdeveloped characters. Some players feel that the lack of depth detracts from their overall investment, with a desire for a more emotionally resonant experience.
- “The screenshots are an accurate representation of the game, and while it isn't an open-world game, it took me through enough locations with solid level design and great use of graphics and sound that it made me feel like I was in this very different world.”
- “And I personally wish it was longer and more emotional.”
- “The emotional depth of the game is completely lacking, making it hard to connect with any of the characters.”
- “I felt no emotional investment in the story; it was predictable and uninspired.”
- “The attempts at emotional moments fell flat, leaving me feeling indifferent rather than moved.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, particularly due to slow sections where players lose the ability to run, making the experience feel drawn out. While the game is inexpensive, it may only appeal to those who enjoy farming achievements rather than those seeking engaging gameplay.
- “Give this one a miss, unless you really love farming Steam achievements.”
- “I know it's cheap, but I won't be farming.”
- “Not that any of the levels are incredibly long, but there are some sections that can be tediously slow as the run mechanic is taken away from you.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting it as virtually non-existent and feeling disconnected from the overall mediocre story and limited interaction with the game world.
- “The overall story is mediocre, the lack of interaction with objects is shaky at best, and the character development is essentially non-existent.”