Infra is exactly what I didn't expect, an exploration game that isn't just a walking simulator. You go through a lot of places, all fairly different from each other and also all of them are extremely atmospheric. I think they did it on purpose to make the various levels seem like they're devoid of life but at the same time there's always an impending danger that could pop up at any time (and maybe it just might?). My only complaint is that sometimes the puzzles are extremely obtuse in ways you also don't expect but it's nothing that can't be solved by looking it up. I wouldn't really call it euro jank because there's really not much jank to it, but it's definitely a fairly good game with some very weird stuff. The humour is pretty hilarious at times and genuinely brings the game up a notch for me.
Really fascinating game. Rides the line between walking sim and 3D environmental puzzler. I feel like this game should be talked about more. Definite cult classic vibes, the twelve people who played it all love it deeply.
Eurojank in the best possible way, Infra has some truly unique ideas. Its puzzles are all set in the context of the real world - repairing switch boxes, setting up a water treatment plant, and other engineering problems are seamlessly integrated into the levels. A pretty interesting backstory of corporate corruption and greed underlies these puzzles, though it's perhaps a bit overwritten near its end. It also commits the dire sin of being about 2 hours too long.
Still, I haven't played anything like this before and probably won't again. Despite my minor complaints, you can tell the developers really gave a shit about putting something new into the world. Glad the Euros still have their magic Source engine touch.
Still, I haven't played anything like this before and probably won't again. Despite my minor complaints, you can tell the developers really gave a shit about putting something new into the world. Glad the Euros still have their magic Source engine touch.
Weird, kinda cool adventure-lite game where you walk around an abandoned power plant taking pictures of dilapidated infrastructure. It's pretty cool if you're into poking around old buildings. There's some lite mystery/horror stuff going on in it too, I think. Never got far enough to know how good the story gets.
One of my all-time favs. INFRA is an unusual and engrossing adventure in which you play as a structural engineer investigating seedy goings-on, solving problems and exploring derelict environments as you unravel a tasty conspiracy. Highly recommended.
Here is my review of Infra AKA Level Design: The Official Game of the Movie
If you love to explore meticulously recreated virtual renditions of civil infrastructure, industrial facilities, and other man-made utilitarian spaces, with a few caves thrown in for good measure, then BOY have I got the game for you. You are a Finnish Structural Analyst tasked with investigating the deteriorating facilities at a hydroelectric dam in a fictional Scandinavian city called Stalburg. Things spiral into the dark from there. Those facilities, they sure are deteriorating something fierce! Time to photograph all the broken parts while solving puzzles, fixing utility systems, and trying not to drown, fall, get crushed, electrocuted, burned, poisoned, or blown up! And what is this? A far reaching industrial conspiracy? Just how run down IS this city, and how'd it get this bad? And what's going on with this Open Sewer place I keep hearing about? And what's with all these beers and mushrooms? Well.... at least I Have Five Batteries for the Flashlight Now...
Let me tell you, this game GOES places. Like the deterioration of Stalburg's civic infrastructure, it is far larger and more extensively detailed than it seems at first glance, but for the most part it uses that time very well. It is jam-packed with secrets and weird level-design jokes, and weird one-off bespoke systems. There is some truly wild deep lore that rivals dark souls in its hiddenness and depth of its story implications. No really. It has some charmingly rough voice acting and some really spectacular atmosphere. The level design creates this eerie feeling of isolation and lostness and I-shouldn't-be-here-ness that makes you believe that at any time, it could turn into a horror game. And well, it kind of is a horror game, but the monster is government corruption, neglect, and neoliberal austerity measures.
You WILL learn how a civic water filtration facility works and you WILL have a great time doing it.
Infra is a very special game that was clearly made with a ton of love, and if any of the above sounds good to you, you owe it to yourself to play it.
If you love to explore meticulously recreated virtual renditions of civil infrastructure, industrial facilities, and other man-made utilitarian spaces, with a few caves thrown in for good measure, then BOY have I got the game for you. You are a Finnish Structural Analyst tasked with investigating the deteriorating facilities at a hydroelectric dam in a fictional Scandinavian city called Stalburg. Things spiral into the dark from there. Those facilities, they sure are deteriorating something fierce! Time to photograph all the broken parts while solving puzzles, fixing utility systems, and trying not to drown, fall, get crushed, electrocuted, burned, poisoned, or blown up! And what is this? A far reaching industrial conspiracy? Just how run down IS this city, and how'd it get this bad? And what's going on with this Open Sewer place I keep hearing about? And what's with all these beers and mushrooms? Well.... at least I Have Five Batteries for the Flashlight Now...
Let me tell you, this game GOES places. Like the deterioration of Stalburg's civic infrastructure, it is far larger and more extensively detailed than it seems at first glance, but for the most part it uses that time very well. It is jam-packed with secrets and weird level-design jokes, and weird one-off bespoke systems. There is some truly wild deep lore that rivals dark souls in its hiddenness and depth of its story implications. No really. It has some charmingly rough voice acting and some really spectacular atmosphere. The level design creates this eerie feeling of isolation and lostness and I-shouldn't-be-here-ness that makes you believe that at any time, it could turn into a horror game. And well, it kind of is a horror game, but the monster is government corruption, neglect, and neoliberal austerity measures.
You WILL learn how a civic water filtration facility works and you WILL have a great time doing it.
Infra is a very special game that was clearly made with a ton of love, and if any of the above sounds good to you, you owe it to yourself to play it.
Honestly, Genuinely, this is my dream game, and I will continue to shill it for as long as I draw breath. Playing Half Life 2 from a young age gave me specific brain worms about two things: Exploring dilapidated European urban/industrial environments and the vibe of the Source Engine. This game features both of these things in their most extreme. It's all about exploring environments of the aforementioned type, photographing structural damage and finding notes that gradually drip-feed you the surprisingly large scope of the story.
Being released in parts means the story of this thing is surprisingly long and in-depth, with huge, beautifully crafted environments that really just ooze the "Urbexing in cool old places" vibe. Things start off as just you trying to get through the fucking deathtrap places you've been sent into, and escalates into the most insane climax a walking simulator about being a structural analyst ever could.
The sheer amount of hidden stuff you can just stumble across or completely miss makes this game so compelling for multiple playthroughs. My first few times playing through the early part of this game, I missed one of the darkest, most unnerving possible things lying around in an otherwise innocuous place, complete with missable dialogue and all.
Speaking of dialogue, the protagonist is just voiced by Some Dude with a mic of questionable quality, but his remarks and reactions to all the nonsense he eventually goes through went on to endear me towards him way more than I ever expected.
Also, this game features some pretty in-depth puzzles revolving around the various places you visit. Don't let that turn you off if you're not big-brained, though, since they're implemented in a way i'm not sure I've ever seen done before. Since your actual job is just to get in there, take pictures, and get out, the puzzles are designed such that you don't actually need to "solve" them and fix the problem in order to progress. To illustrate, an example of this is the water pumping station early on. To progress, you need to either get a key from one of the pools, or just shut the whole place off and leave via a pipe. However, you could choose to stick around, grab the key, and then reconfigure the whole system to run correctly. Not only is this immensely satisfying, but it has impacts on your playthrough further down the road, in the state of the world reflecting your choice to break the puzzle, leave it as is, or leave it better than you found it. This also plays into the game's multiple endings, giving this game a frankly shocking degree of scale, scope and replayability for a relatively obscure indie title.
Unironically, this game sold me on the concept of a "walking simulator", and I would buy copies of it for everyone I know if I had the money to throw around. If you like Source Engine environments at all, please give this game a shot, it deserves the world.
Being released in parts means the story of this thing is surprisingly long and in-depth, with huge, beautifully crafted environments that really just ooze the "Urbexing in cool old places" vibe. Things start off as just you trying to get through the fucking deathtrap places you've been sent into, and escalates into the most insane climax a walking simulator about being a structural analyst ever could.
The sheer amount of hidden stuff you can just stumble across or completely miss makes this game so compelling for multiple playthroughs. My first few times playing through the early part of this game, I missed one of the darkest, most unnerving possible things lying around in an otherwise innocuous place, complete with missable dialogue and all.
Speaking of dialogue, the protagonist is just voiced by Some Dude with a mic of questionable quality, but his remarks and reactions to all the nonsense he eventually goes through went on to endear me towards him way more than I ever expected.
Also, this game features some pretty in-depth puzzles revolving around the various places you visit. Don't let that turn you off if you're not big-brained, though, since they're implemented in a way i'm not sure I've ever seen done before. Since your actual job is just to get in there, take pictures, and get out, the puzzles are designed such that you don't actually need to "solve" them and fix the problem in order to progress. To illustrate, an example of this is the water pumping station early on. To progress, you need to either get a key from one of the pools, or just shut the whole place off and leave via a pipe. However, you could choose to stick around, grab the key, and then reconfigure the whole system to run correctly. Not only is this immensely satisfying, but it has impacts on your playthrough further down the road, in the state of the world reflecting your choice to break the puzzle, leave it as is, or leave it better than you found it. This also plays into the game's multiple endings, giving this game a frankly shocking degree of scale, scope and replayability for a relatively obscure indie title.
Unironically, this game sold me on the concept of a "walking simulator", and I would buy copies of it for everyone I know if I had the money to throw around. If you like Source Engine environments at all, please give this game a shot, it deserves the world.