Serum

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In "Serum," players must survive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with mutated creatures and toxic fog. With a timer on their arm counting down every second, they must explore different biomes, find clues about past events, and brew serums for unique abilities to survive. Players can also search for shelter and modify weapons for greater effectiveness in this race against time.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

story8 positive mentions

optimization6 negative mentions

The Serum system introduces a unique gameplay mechanic that adds urgency and encourages exploration.
The game features an immersive environment with good graphics and a compelling story that keeps players engaged.
The crafting and resource management aspects are enjoyable, allowing players to experiment with different serum effects and upgrades.

Combat mechanics are clunky and lack impact, making encounters feel tedious and unengaging.
The game suffers from significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
Inventory management is cumbersome, requiring players to move items one at a time without a 'deposit all' option, leading to frustration.

story
39 mentions
21 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing premise and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize its execution and lack of character development. Many users noted that the narrative feels incomplete, with unfinished quests and a rigid quest system that hampers exploration. Overall, while the core story concept shows potential, it currently suffers from design flaws and a lack of engaging content, leading some to recommend waiting for further updates before diving in.
- “I really like this system and the core gameplay loop of venturing out, gathering materials for base and weapon upgrades, and dragging them back to camp while also advancing your story quest while out and about. It works really well.”
- “The storyline is fantastic, but there are times during play when you will have to find your own path, as the game does not directly point you in the direction of the next area of interest. You will likely have to double back on your path or explore areas that don't appear to lead anywhere.”
- “As a fan of survival and crafting games, I enjoyed 'Serum' for its story, learning curve, exploration, and core mechanics.”
- “The whole story seems like an afterthought and there is no building of the characters, which is a shame because it feels like a neat core concept that could be a fun addition to the genre.”
- “See original review below: after slogging through to the two trolleys, the game just ends, saying 'you have completed all content, congratulations,' like they ran out of money or didn't even bother to finish the story. It's like they wrote chapter 1 and didn't finish the book.”
- “Would be willing to chalk it up to early access issues if there wasn't an end to the story or if it needed some development, but the problem feels deeper than that - it honestly feels like there's no real story to begin with, which is a bad sign.”
gameplay
32 mentions
28 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising the innovative time-based mechanics and core gameplay loop of exploration and crafting, while others criticize the combat system as bland and the overall mechanics as inconsistent and frustrating. Players appreciate the urgency introduced by the timer but express dissatisfaction with the inventory management and lack of clear tutorials. Overall, while the game shows potential with unique concepts, it is still seen as needing significant improvements and polish.
- “I really like this system and the core gameplay loop of venturing out, gathering materials for base and weapon upgrades, and dragging them back to camp while also advancing your story quest while out and about works really well.”
- “Great concept and unique gameplay that you have never seen before in an alchemist game like this.”
- “The timer mechanic feels well done, giving players an incentive to return home eventually as well as making time a manageable resource.”
- “Combat is very bland with the blocking, heavy attack, and regular attack mechanic, not to mention no area effects such as explosives or triggerable elements on the map.”
- “Game is held back very hard by inconsistent mechanics, annoying audio, and poor optimization.”
- “Cutting my move speed down 95% so I couldn't get to a chest to unload what had made me encumbered to begin with, coupled with no idea how to do it from inventory, and no meaningful tutorial explaining the mechanic is just chef's kiss level of annoyance.”
optimization
18 mentions
17 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players experiencing inconsistent frame rates, stuttering, and performance issues across various hardware setups. While some users report acceptable performance on high-end systems, the general consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization and bug fixes to enhance the overall experience. Many players note that the game's early access status contributes to these performance challenges, indicating that improvements are needed for a smoother gameplay experience.
- “Decent game with acceptable performance.”
- “Performance is okay; I have a 3060 Ti, Ryzen 5 5600X, 32GB RAM, and with DLSS quality, it runs smoothly at 60 FPS.”
- “Game is enjoyable and really grindy, but it could be a lot better; it definitely needs a lot of optimization, bug fixes, and quality of life improvements.”
- “I'm at medium settings for everything and DLSS performance, and it's 4-29 fps.”
- “Performance is still not great, and no matter the settings, there was always some level of stuttering.”
- “Game is held back very hard by inconsistent mechanics, annoying audio, and poor optimization.”
graphics
8 mentions
63 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere, contributing to a creepy experience. However, some users report performance issues, requiring adjustments to graphic settings for better frame rates, indicating that while the aesthetic is appealing, optimization may still be needed.
- “Graphics: 10/10”
- “Graphics and sound are done really well.”
- “The game's visuals are stunning, and the atmosphere is genuinely creepy at times, enhancing the immersive experience.”
- “Had to turn recommended graphic settings way down to get a decent frame rate.”
stability
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting numerous bugs that hinder gameplay, particularly with the serum system, which sometimes fails to apply effects correctly. While many consider it playable, the overall experience is marred by these glitches, leading to frustration among players.
- “A buggy mess.”
- “However, the serum glitches were a significant annoyance.”
- “Another criticism I would levy is that the game is pretty buggy in places but certainly not unplayable, no worse than most other early access games to be honest.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with many expressing dissatisfaction over the cumbersome inventory management and the repetitive nature of farming for upgrades. While some enjoy the grind, they feel that significant optimizations and quality-of-life improvements are necessary to enhance the overall experience.
- “Tedious and frustrating doesn't even begin to cover it.”
- “Farming these for upgrades is miserable; every other creature is in abundance.”
- “Inventory management sucks; moving things from your inventory to storage is tedious as you have to re-select an item once the previous stack has been moved over one item at a time.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals and immersive, often creepy environment that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that while the atmosphere and mystery are compelling, the significant difficulty spikes may disrupt the flow of gameplay. Overall, the combination of great concept and mechanics contributes to a captivating atmosphere.
- “The game's visuals are stunning, and the atmosphere is genuinely creepy at times, enhancing the immersive experience.”
- “The atmosphere and mystery are great, creating an engaging experience, though the jump in difficulty can be immense.”
- “Great concept, great atmosphere, great immersion, great mechanics.”
music
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's music and voice acting are generally praised for enhancing engagement, though some players find certain tracks annoying. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the gaming experience, despite mixed opinions on specific pieces.
- “I wanted to say that this game is awesome; the voice acting and soundtrack are enough to keep you interested.”
- “The music in this game is absolutely captivating, enhancing every moment of gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, making each scene more immersive.”
- “I'm not a fan of some of the music, which I find annoying.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the absurdity of navigating menus with invisible buttons, which adds a layer of frustration that some players find amusing. This quirky design choice elicits laughter, showcasing a playful approach to user interface challenges.
- “It's always funny to click through menus with invisible buttons because you can't even use your arrows on the keyboard to navigate to the resolution settings.”
- “The quirky dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud at every turn.”
- “I love how the game pokes fun at classic tropes while still managing to be genuinely entertaining.”