INFRA

1. Dunge

   Sep 26, 2016

   10

   Not your average walking simulator.
   
   INFRA might not have enemies to kill, but it have a very different structure than most "walkingNot your average walking simulator.
   
   INFRA might not have enemies to kill, but it have a very different structure than most "walking simulator". There's no forced story to go through via sluggish walking while a narrator speak, collecting journal entries and audio logs. No, INFRA run on the Source engine, and have the fast running and jumping we love and never block the player from moving. It is also not completely safe, you can fall to your death, be poisoned, crushed by heavy machinery, and even explosions and flooding.
   
   What makes the game really strand out is, as the name implies, the infrastructures. I played several hundreds first person games in my life, and none have buildings that are as nice to walk in as INFRA. You have HUGE complex spanning over hundreds of kilometers where every single small rooms is filled with details that make it feel real. It does not look like video games rooms, it look like place you could actually go. Every support beam, every light fixture, every pipes have cuts in the walls. You have thousands of hand-drawn textures for every ads, graffiti and doodle scratched on the desks and walls, and they are all unique. Not only that, but the game is LONG. It's not like other indie first person games that can be completed in 2-3 hours running around the same house, this game you can just keep entering new rooms and environments for hours and it still keep going. From office complex, to sewers, to sawmill, water filtration plan, metro, restaurants, etc. The attention to details is marvelous.
   
   Another thing I like is the fact it never take the player for an idiot. There's no bright arrows with waypoints, you have to think how you would progress if you were stuck there in the real life. You have to crouch in tunnels, break things, repair machines, etc. All that without ever being too hard/impossible to find out.
   
   Unfortunately, it have a few flaws. The biggest one is the introduction room, the only place of the games you see humans, they look AWFUL. The voices are awful too. Makes a really bad first look impression for new players. The game also suffered from a lot of missing triggers that would prevent players from continuing, but every time a problem was reported in the forums, the devs would release an hotfix in the hours following. Very nice support, and the game is mostly flawless now.
   
   Thank you INFRA for making me feel in a real world, something I haven't felt since I played the first Half-Life, and giving me hope that it's still possible for AAA studios to make shooters with proper levels design, something that is rare nowadays.… Expand

   • 3 of 5 users found this helpful
2. beer_master

   May 29, 2022

   10

   The game is fantastic, it may not be your "cup o tea" but I recommend trying it.
   The puzzles are good, some are pretty easy and othersThe game is fantastic, it may not be your "cup o tea" but I recommend trying it.
   The puzzles are good, some are pretty easy and others require significant brain usage, the story is told mainly through environmental storytelling and the player needs to look for it.
   It does not have any significant bugs, and the gameplay is smooth most of the time.
   The graphics and sound design are great, the devs must have visited some factories and other real-life counterparts of the levels because they look amazing.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. skater777

   Feb 22, 2021

   10

   One of the best games I have ever played.
   
   If you enjoy puzzle games, walking simulators, and the feeling of exploring all alone, this gameOne of the best games I have ever played.
   
   If you enjoy puzzle games, walking simulators, and the feeling of exploring all alone, this game is for you. You truly feel like you are immersed in the environment, and there is easily 30-40 hours worth of exploring. I can't say enough how enjoyable it was to just explore in peace without enemies jumping out at you, loud music playing, items to farm, an inventory to manage, or abilities to upgade. Just you, your camera and flashlight, and the crumbling infrastructure of what looks like an eastern european city.
   
   Some puzzles are just trial and error, and you can't see your inventory (so if you pick up a key, read the label because you can't look at it later to see what door it opens). I had to resort to a walkthrough on a couple parts. But all in all, it was so enjoyable to just chill with this game after a hectic day at work.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. ChaosmelonexD

   Aug 27, 2023

   10

   Its the best game I ever saw and played. The Story and Graphic was the best. But sadly there is no Part2 Like "Infra 2" I would buy it dosentIts the best game I ever saw and played. The Story and Graphic was the best. But sadly there is no Part2 Like "Infra 2" I would buy it dosent matter how much kost Infra 2 I would buy it.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. PeterRJG

   Feb 5, 2020

   9

   Frankly, one of the best things I've ever played - certainly the best use of the Half-Life 2 engine I've seen. It's bright, it's colourful,Frankly, one of the best things I've ever played - certainly the best use of the Half-Life 2 engine I've seen. It's bright, it's colourful, it's detailed, and it's massive. Yes, massive. The game is you, a structural engineer, visiting various locations such as dams, power stations, office buildings, sewers, and so on, uncovering endemic incompetence and corruption. While that may not sound like a lot of fun - especially since there's zero combat - think again. This is no walking simulator. It's a puzzle game at heart, and some of those puzzles are a nightmare to solve without a walkthrough. This aspect is one of the game's minuses, as well as an annoying rafting sequence in the sewers.
   
   Apart from these, INFRA is a wonderfully realised game in a massive game.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. fortigurn

   Oct 26, 2018

   8

   This is a stunning game.
   
   1. Graphics are incredibly detailed and beautifully presented. I played at 2560x1600 with the highest graphicalThis is a stunning game.
   
   1. Graphics are incredibly detailed and beautifully presented. I played at 2560x1600 with the highest graphical options on. it's hard to believe this is built on the Source engine (though those familiar with Source will recognize it). So many textures look really great even close up. The original release of INFRA looked amazing, but over time the dev team has updated it with even more advanced visuals, including improved lighting and particle effects.
   
   2. Sound is extremely well managed, with an absolute minimum of music; 95% of the time all you hear is ambient sound, which is highly atmospheric and conveys a strong sense of realism (I love games which do this, instead of hitting you with an operatic soundtrack the whole time). The Source sound library has been used extensively, but it doesn't seem out of place. Seriously, they did an amazing job with the sound. The atmosphere is just perfect. So much silence, with beautifully managed ambient sound. The bird noises are superb, so realistic, and the creaking, clanking, and groaning of the underground levels is perfect. But I keep coming back to the silence. This game uses silence in such a powerful way. The sense of isolation is oppressive at times, it just hammers the atmosphere into you.
   
   3. Puzzles are well thought out and genuinely challenging. I was stuck for half an hour or so on more than one occasion, and every time I resisted the temptation to look for the solution online; instead I have backtracked carefully, reviewed the options and items in the environment, and focused on understanding how the game "thinks". Every time I did this, eventually there was a sudden moment of realization when I finally understood what I should be doing. The game really encourages you to think. There are some dead ends and blind alleys (which is great), and some of the puzzles are not very intuitive (not so great), but they are always logical, rational, and actually make sense once you figure them out. In game guidance is handled very well, typically in the form of notes written by NPCs which have useful information, but more often by environmental clues which seem incidental at first. The game does not hold your hand by any means, but it doesn't leave you completely in the dark either.
   
   4. The game rewards careful, patient exploration, and rewards players who prefer to think about "What I want to do", rather than "What I'm allowed to do". If you see something like a ladder which suggests you should be going somewhere, then there's probably something you can do at the other end once you climb it, even if it doesn't look that way at first. Additionally, there are surprisingly few invisible walls, and if you see a location you're very like to be able to reach it.
   
   5. Sure the levels take time to load, but when they do they are astonishingly huge. I love the fact that once the level loads I can spend so much time exploring without a break in the action. This really contributes to the immersion.
   
   6. The immersion. The immersion! This is one of the most immersive games I have ever played. If this is ever ported to VR I will probably just get lost in it for a few days.
   
   I am just astonished that a tiny team can pull off a game like this, which is definitely in the top tier with AAA titles. This is clearly a work of love and dedication. I really hope Loiste become extremely well known, and investors start throwing money at them. I have given this eight stars only because I know the sequel will be even more polished.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Renovatia

   Jan 7, 2019

   5

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The idea is good I think: it's sort of a "walking simulator" and puzzle game. Walk around, end up in an old factory, plant or cave, get some machines working then proceed to the next area. That's the bottom line.
   
   The game uses the source engine and if you're fine with that, you'll be fine with the graphics. Sounds and whatnot are minimal but the voice acting was an abomination lol. That's OK though as there isn't much talk going on.
   
   Here's a big minus though: the game was presented by review-sites (totally not paid at all *wink*) as if infrastructure could be a sexy thing and this game supposedly showed it. I doubt it
   After having turned the same type of valve, having pushed or pressed the same type of button, having pulled the same type of lever a million times, without knowing whether you're fixing a factory, or just moving forward towards an exit, you kinda lose interest.
   
   Often I simply didn't know what I was achieving big picture wise. Also, the story is hard to follow (something about corruption) because the letters you're supposed to read are often near-unreadable. So I skipped reading many letters and surely missed out on the storyline.
   
   Then, the end... the first part ends with a cliffhanger. So much for all your troubles. But there's part two and you can continue the game. Halfway through I couldn't be bothered anymore as it offered nothing. I watched the end on the internet, which turned out to be a cliffhanger again! But wait, there's part three... and I don't care anymore. I just un-installed everything without having achieved anything but losing time.
   
   This game is not sexy at all. Puzzles are simple, it's finding the levers, buttons and your way around what defines the challenge. And god forbid you miss a button like I did a few times. So I had to lookup a walk-through and there it was, in the shadows again. I don't care for that, just as much as I hated pixelhunting in the old games.
   
   If you never get tired of running around trying to find buttons, levers, valves and keys, then this is the game for you. If you're more into games like Myst, Quern, etcetera, then move on as the complexity of this game puzzles are below highschool grade.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful

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