Putrefaction
- August 7, 2015
- Kazakov Oleg
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Putrefaction" is a horror shooter game with fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action and tons of enemies with different behaviors. As a member of an elite force, you must find the source of a disease causing horrifying body transformations in an abandoned base and underground facility. The game features old-school gameplay with a variety of weapons, boss battles, and two game modes, offering around 8 hours of playtime. However, the plot is lacking and can be boring at times.
Reviews
- Impressive effort for a low price, with cool guns and an awesome soundtrack.
- Fun gameplay reminiscent of old-school shooters like Doom, with a variety of enemies and weapons.
- The game provides a decent challenge and is enjoyable for quick sessions.
- The game suffers from bugs, including enemies spawning directly on top of the player and getting stuck in the environment.
- Level design is linear and repetitive, lacking secrets or exploration elements.
- The final boss is frustratingly difficult, and the overall gameplay can feel tedious.
- story31 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its minimalism and lack of depth, with many reviewers noting that it consists mainly of a brief setup and little to no narrative development throughout gameplay. Set in a post-apocalyptic world plagued by a disease, the plot is described as cliché and sparse, leaving players feeling disconnected from the story. Overall, while some appreciate the game's premise, the consensus is that the storytelling is weak and underdeveloped, making it less engaging for those seeking a rich narrative experience.
“The game's story, set in a near future where a new disease is causing horrifying transformations, sets the stage for an exciting and suspenseful journey.”
“The story: you are a soldier in a post-apocalyptic world set out to find a source of a disease.”
“Sent on a mission to recon an abandoned base in the mountains, you must find the source of the disease and put a stop to it.”
“There's some hypothetical story laid out in a text dump at the start, but it's meaningless; just kill everything that moves.”
“The story isn't that good, but as I said it's an indie game and it's a shooter, so who cares?”
“The story... or lack thereof... is extremely simple, and who even plays a doom-esque FPS for the story anyway?”
- graphics27 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of classic shooters, while others criticize them as basic or outdated. Many describe the visuals as serviceable, with decent performance, but lacking innovation and depth, leading to a perception of amateurish design. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate for gameplay but fail to impress in terms of modern standards or horror elements.
“The graphics are done fairly well and the game runs smooth.”
“Great soundtrack, really made the game more tense and scary, the gun sounds are very satisfying, the graphics are very nice, the mutants look scary and the guns look great.”
“I have to say I really enjoy this game; it is definitely appealing to old school gamers that can appreciate a shooter of this style. The graphic style of Doom 3 PC, which in my mind is still very awesome in style and rendering, makes this game excellent.”
“The graphic design is quite basic.”
“Levels feel tedious and are a chore to beat, enemies just spawn randomly, the graphics are really bad and overall the game just feels amateurish and rushed.”
“Looks like pretty much any generic Unity engine mobile-to-PC-port shooter and lags on pretty much any graphic setting, most of the levels are generic underground corridors with rectangular or similarly shaped rooms with basically null lighting.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Putrefaction" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its fast-paced, old-school FPS mechanics reminiscent of classic shooters, while others criticize it for being linear, lacking depth, and offering minimal challenge. The game features responsive controls and a variety of enemies, but many reviewers noted its short length, repetitive gameplay, and absence of engaging storytelling, leading to a mundane experience overall. Suggestions for improvement include adding sprint mechanics and more interactive elements to enhance the gameplay experience.
“Are you looking for a tasty blend of quake-style gameplay with a survival horror atmosphere?”
“I recently played Putrefaction and was pleasantly surprised by the game's fast-paced and intense gameplay.”
“The core gameplay is fun, with responsive controls and the right amount of challenge for most of the game.”
“Boring gameplay.”
“Putrefaction unfortunately doesn't provide solid or enjoyable enough gameplay to justify its own lack of narrative.”
“With no secrets to find, no overly challenging or memorable battles, respawning monsters that block your progression and such point A to B gameplay, it becomes very mundane very quickly.”
- music18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to create a tense and creepy atmosphere reminiscent of 1990s horror games, while others criticize it as cheap and lacking immersion. Many agree that the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, particularly during combat, but some feel it falls short during exploration. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's suspenseful and action-packed moments.
“The ambience of putrefaction is quite good; the confined darkened corridors, the spooky music, and the monsters all add up to a 'perfect storm' of heart-pumping action.”
“As an aside, I thought that the music was very well done, and possibly outshined all of the other elements of the game.”
“Great soundtrack, really made the game more tense and scary, the gun sounds are very satisfying, the graphics are very nice, the mutants look scary and the guns look great.”
“Both the music and the shot sounds are really cheap, and thankfully this game does not take long to complete.”
“There is almost no immersion in this game, especially because when monsters start coming - you get battle music.”
“It's glitchy, flashlight and jump don't work, reload has no purpose, some stairs and small ledges aren't climbable while others are, level design is boring and sometimes there's no music.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its creepiness and dynamic level design, complemented by a strong soundtrack and a variety of interesting enemies. While the blend of quake-style gameplay with survival horror elements is appealing, some players feel it lacks depth in storytelling and can become repetitive over time. Overall, the atmosphere is engaging, though it may not reach the heights of classic titles like Doom or Quake.
“Cool guns, awesome soundtrack, dynamic enemies (that do indeed spawn out of thin air, but who cares), and genuinely creepy atmosphere.”
“Are you looking for a tasty blend of Quake-style gameplay with a survival horror atmosphere?”
“The weapons are good, the atmosphere is excellent, and the enemies are all varied and interesting.”
“This game probably has less story and atmosphere than Doom I, Quake I, and the first Serious Sam.”
“Are you looking for a tasty blend of Quake-style gameplay with a survival horror atmosphere?”
“Cool guns, awesome soundtrack, dynamic enemies (that do indeed spawn out of thin air, but who cares), and genuinely creepy atmosphere.”
- stability7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The stability of the game appears to be mixed, with some users reporting a smooth experience while others encounter significant bugs and glitches, particularly on harder difficulty levels. While some players note that recent patches may have resolved earlier issues, the overall sentiment suggests that stability remains a concern, especially at full price.
“Runs great on the mini.”
“I haven't experienced any of the glitches or bugs mentioned in some of the other reviews or comments; perhaps they've been patched out.”
“It seems buggy too.”
“Update: I did find some glitches on hard.”
“Really poor, boring, buggy imitation of FPS.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on lower-end systems and offers good performance for a budget title, some players experienced performance issues that fell short of expectations, particularly due to the unoptimized Unity engine.
“In terms of system requirements, the game runs smoothly on my setup (Windows 7, dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, and 128 MB video card).”
“Full options and good performance for a budget title.”
“The controls are smooth for the most part, the performance is good and there is a decent enough selection of enemy and weapon types to keep the game interesting.”
“At first glance, it seems like a viable option among the ranks of Doom, Quake, etc. However, upon playing, the performance didn't quite live up to expectations.”
“Another typical indie FPS powered by the unoptimized Unity engine.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly highlighting the final boss fight as annoying and unengaging. The repetitive nature of the levels and random enemy spawns contribute to a sense of monotony, leading to an overall impression of the game feeling rushed and amateurish.
“The boss fights were, as usual, tedious and annoying, and I didn't even retry the last one after mysteriously getting killed.”
“Levels feel tedious and are a chore to beat; enemies just spawn randomly, the graphics are really bad, and overall the game just feels amateurish and rushed.”
“Overall, the game feels tedious and very generic.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its amusing physics and lighthearted moments, despite its generic FPS design and technical issues. While the campaign is short, players find it entertaining enough to warrant a positive review, especially considering its low price point.
“The game has some funny physics that really add to the overall experience.”
“It's a cheap game and entertaining enough, with moments that genuinely made me laugh.”
“Despite being a generic FPS, the humor sprinkled throughout kept me engaged.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users generally find the game's replayability to be decent, suggesting that there are enough elements to encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The game offers decent replay value, keeping players engaged with its varied gameplay options.”
“I found the replayability to be impressive, as each playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and choices, the game encourages you to replay it to experience everything it has to offer.”
“The game has decent replay value.”
