Notrium
- December 7, 2015
- Instant Kingdom
Get on SteamNotrium is a survival game set on an alien planet where players must scavenge for food, supplies, and equipment to survive harsh environments and dangerous alien creatures. With four playable characters, each with unique abilities, players can choose their strategy to explore, fight, or sneak past enemies, working towards one of six possible endings. Originating in 2003, Notrium inspired a wave of indie survival games and mods, becoming a classic in the genre.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Notrium is a pioneering survival game that offers a unique experience with multiple playable races, each with distinct gameplay styles and storylines.
- The game features a high level of replayability due to its randomized environments, crafting mechanics, and various endings, making each playthrough feel fresh.
- It has a strong modding community that enhances the game further, allowing players to customize their experience and extend the game's life.
- The graphics and sound design are dated, which may deter some players who expect modern visuals and audio quality.
- The user interface and inventory management can be cumbersome, making crafting and item management a frustrating experience.
- The game can be punishingly difficult, especially for newcomers, which may lead to a steep learning curve and potential frustration.
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a mix of run-of-the-mill elements and decent narrative depth, featuring four playable characters, each with unique storylines that evolve through journal logs and lead to multiple endings. While some players find the worldbuilding uninspired, others appreciate the distinct gameplay strategies and well-crafted backstories associated with each race. Overall, the story offers a blend of challenges and engaging content, despite criticisms of its presentation.
“The neat thing here is that you get 4 playable characters to choose from, each with their own story that progresses via journal logs the longer you survive, as well as 6 different endings.”
“Each of the races you can play has their own story, and they feel like a slightly different game.”
“It covers multiple races with distinct gameplay strategies, crafting, a nicely written backstory, and loads of aliens to kill... or be killed by.”
“The terrible UI design, run-of-the-mill story, uninspired worldbuilding effort, and poor crafting system are major drawbacks.”
“The story feels lackluster and fails to engage, making it hard to stay invested in the game.”
“While each character has their own storyline, they ultimately feel disconnected and fail to create a cohesive narrative experience.”
- music12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered repetitive and lacking in variety, with short tracks that can become tiresome. However, players appreciate the ease of modding, allowing them to quickly add new music to enhance their experience. Overall, while the music may not be impressive, it is manageable for those willing to customize it.
“Personally, I'm fine with it, but Notrium is extremely easy to mod, and adding new music to the playlist won't take you more than a few minutes.”
“- Awesome music”
“There isn't a whole lot when it comes to music.”
“The music can get repetitive, because none of the tracks are particularly long.”
“The graphics, sounds, and music are, obviously, crap-tier, but that's not the issue here.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is challenging and requires some adjustment, but it excels with robust crafting mechanics and a well-developed story. Players can choose from multiple races, each offering unique strategies and narratives, enhancing the overall experience. The game provides a strong value for its price, delivering extensive gameplay and engaging content.
“It can be difficult at times and takes some getting used to, but it delivers with some excellent crafting mechanics and a decent story.”
“It covers multiple races with distinct gameplay strategies, crafting, a nicely written backstory, and loads of aliens to kill... or be killed by.”
“I personally prefer the human and alien to the other two races, because of the amount of gameplay each presents.”
“Each come with their own plot, journal, and gameplay style.”
“This is a great game, and for the price versus the amount of gameplay you're likely to get out of this, it offers a great fun-to-cost ratio.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics are simple and dated, characterized by a basic 2D art style that may appeal to fans of retro games, though they are generally considered low quality. While the visuals may not impress modern players, they are functional enough to run on very low-end hardware, making the game accessible to a wide audience. Nostalgia plays a significant role in the appreciation of the graphics for those familiar with similar titles from the past.
“I have no idea what this art style is called, it might be a Finnish thing, because Crimsonland looked almost the same back in the day and I loved how that game looked too.”
“Graphics are a bit dated but you could run this on your grandmother's toaster.”
“If you are okay with simple 2D graphics and ready to die a lot before you learn how to play, you may find it relevant even today, especially if you are a fan of the genre.”
“The graphics, sounds, and music are, obviously, crap-tier, but that's not the issue here.”
“Graphics are a bit dated, but you could run this on your grandmother's toaster.”
“I have no idea what this art style is called; it might be a Finnish thing, because Crimsonland looked almost the same back in the day, and I loved how that game looked too.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering a variety of activities, characters, and random elements that encourage multiple playthroughs. Additionally, the inclusion of different races, endings, and modding options further enhances its replay value. Overall, players find it simple yet engaging enough to revisit frequently.
“With different races, endings, and modding, you can say the game has a lot of replayability.”
“There's a ton of things to do, and with different characters and the random elements, the replay value is high.”
“This gives the game a lot of replayability.”
“With different races, endings, and modding, you can say the game has a lot of replayability too.”
