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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Impressive effort for a low-priced game, with cool guns and an awesome soundtrack.
- Fun gameplay reminiscent of old-school shooters like Doom, with a variety of enemies and weapons.
- Offers a decent amount of content for the price, including a campaign and survival mode.
- Short campaign with repetitive level design and enemy spawning mechanics that can be frustrating.
- Technical issues such as bugs, poor AI, and lack of polish detract from the overall experience.
- Final boss and some gameplay elements can feel unbalanced and tedious, leading to a lack of enjoyment.
- story62 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and cliché, revolving around a soldier's mission in a post-apocalyptic world to combat a disease, with little narrative development throughout gameplay. Players note that the initial setup is presented through text, but the lack of storytelling and character development leaves the experience feeling sparse and disconnected. Overall, the story is deemed unimportant in the context of the gameplay, which focuses more on action than narrative depth.
“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 is nearly non-existent and cliché (year is 20xx and a virus bla bla).”
“The maps don't seem to have any overall theme connecting them, leaving me feeling I was being funneled through linear and seemingly random facility hallways/interiors/caves (this isn't helped one bit by the aforementioned lack of a story).”
- graphics54 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 like Doom and GoldenEye, while others criticize them as outdated and basic. Many describe the visuals as serviceable but lacking innovation, with environments that feel generic and uninspired. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate for gameplay, though they do not elevate the experience significantly.
“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.”
- gameplay50 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Putrefaction" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its fast-paced, old-school FPS mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like Quake, while others criticize its linearity, lack of depth, and basic mechanics. Many reviews highlight the game's short duration (around 2-3 hours) and the absence of engaging narrative elements, leading to a mundane experience for some. Overall, while the core gameplay is deemed fun and responsive, it suffers from a lack of polish and variety, leaving players wanting more.
“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.”
“If old school gameplay is what you crave for in a world of COD and COD wannabe games, then grab this gem in the rough right now!”
“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.”
- music36 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to create a tense and creepy atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror games, while others criticize it for being cheap and lacking immersion during gameplay. Some players found the soundtrack to be a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience, especially when using headphones. However, there are complaints about the inconsistency of music during exploration and combat, which detracts from the game's potential for suspense.
“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.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its genuinely creepy elements, dynamic enemies, and excellent level design, creating a compelling blend of survival horror and fast-paced gameplay. While the soundtrack and weapon variety enhance the experience, some players feel the atmosphere could benefit from more narrative depth, as it tends to become repetitive over time. Overall, it offers a solid atmospheric experience, though it may not reach the heights of classic titles like Doom or Quake.
“Are you looking for a tasty blend of quake-style gameplay with 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/atmosphere than Doom I, Quake I, and the first Serious Sam.”
“Are you looking for a tasty blend of Quake-style gameplay with survival horror atmosphere?”
“Cool guns, awesome soundtrack, dynamic enemies (that do indeed spawn out of thin air, but who cares), and genuinely creepy atmosphere.”
- stability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting a smooth experience while others encounter various glitches and bugs, particularly on harder difficulty levels. While some issues may have been patched, significant problems remain, leading to a lack of overall recommendation, especially at full price.
“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.”
“Runs great on the mini.”
“It seems buggy too.”
“Update: I did find some glitches on hard.”
“Really poor, boring, buggy imitation of FPS.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on low-end systems and offers good performance for a budget title, some players noted that it doesn't fully meet expectations, particularly due to the limitations of the Unity engine. Controls are generally smooth, but the performance can be inconsistent during gameplay.
“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.”
“Another typical indie FPS powered by the (unoptimized) Unity engine.”
“And 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 the expectation.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly highlighting the final boss fight and overall level design as chores rather than engaging challenges. The random enemy spawns and poor graphics contribute to a sense of amateurishness, leading to a generic and unenjoyable experience.
“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.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its amusing physics and occasional bugs, which add a lighthearted touch to the otherwise generic FPS experience. While the campaign is short, players find the game entertaining enough to warrant a positive review despite its flaws.
“The game features some funny physics that add a humorous twist to the gameplay.”
“Despite being a generic FPS, the humor in the game makes it entertaining enough to enjoy.”
“The quirky moments and unexpected physics create a lighthearted atmosphere that keeps the experience fun.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % 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.”
“The game has a good amount of replayability.”
“There are multiple paths and choices that enhance replay value.”
