Looking at it globally, urban research is not a common theme in virtual titles. Moreover, the vast majority of players would have to think well if someone asked them for a recommendation of the game from that genre. This is actually not too odd, because such titles must first have interestingly designed and atmospheric locations and contain enough gameplay elements that will keep the player in front of the screen. Luckily Infra belongs to a group of the titles that have everything mentioned and more than that. Besides various locations, it also brings an interesting action that reflects the current state of our country.
The fictional city of Stalburg is a victim of corruption and corporate malfeasance which ultimately led to the neglect of the infrastructure that is the pillar of the town. Years have done their deed and now someone needs to look at everything and document the damage. This is where our character comes out on stage, a structural analyst, armed only with a flashlight and a camera, who will explore the abandoned factories, dams, tunnels, underground structures and other similar locations stretching across Stalburg.
When it comes to the locations and the city itself, it should be noted that Infra looked fantastic in 2011 when it was presented as a Source Mode for Portal 2. Now, six years later, this is no longer the case, but you can say that the Half-Life 2 starter still has something that is visually distinguished.
Though Infra may look like a walking simulator in its first steps, this impression will soon disappear because a more accurate description of it would be exploring and solving puzzles from the first person POV. However, their concept throughout the game is almost the same – valves, buttons and switches are the main elements of most of the problems facing our character. It does not sound like an overwhelmingly imaginative concept at first, but when you start reading the instructions to run different machines, it becomes more fun.
It could be compared with old point’n’click adventure games, but instead of clicking in the hunt on the pixels, here you need to thoroughly search for hidden objects. The best example of this would be opening a door for which a fuse is required. Logically, it is understandable to place it inside the box at the top of the shelf, but the box is not clear, so if you accidentally press the button to take the item, it only becomes visible. What is missing is a hint that would suggest where to logically find something we cannot see.
The field in which Infra shines the most is the puzzles that in which you cannot see the difference in importance between the one that can affect the end of the game and the one actually opens the way for progress. If water purification for the entire city can be initiated, that does not necessarily mean that doors that allow you to go to new locations have been opened.
The overall gameplay structure is designed with as little idle walk as possible and, most importantly, travelling through Stalburg is not strictly linear; certain problems can be solved in two ways. This segment is where the power of Infra lies, as it further encourages research whose secondary result may be the discovery of a new document that will further illuminate the city’s past.
Darkness will be more than present in the game and the flashlight will become your best friend in many locations. The other best friend is the camera that can also influence the end of the game. Each hole in the wall, the blocked passage, the sink corridor, sparks and all other infrastructure irregularities should be noted. But that does not mean walking with the camera in the character’s hands all the time because it needs batteries to work.
Another significant segment that contributes to a more active gameplay refers to action sequences that need to open a passage in a given time period or, in the event of a failure, to return to the last checkpoint. There is not too many of those, but when it comes to them they positively affect the atmosphere because you cannot just stand and think how to go on.
As mentioned, Infra is powered by Source so, besides visuals and other mechanics, it shows signs of aging. This is mostly related to the control of items that are carried in hands. Nowadays it can be said that the imprecision and impossibility of control is more than visible. This is especially noticeable with the boxes, when it is necessary to go through the door with them, but they get distorted when you carry them. The problem can be solved by taking another box if it is near or throw it against the wall until it straightens so you could easily go through the door with it.
Fortunately, all these things do not diminish the experience of urban exploration, especially with a special atmosphere that at times makes it feel like playing a horror game. With the addition of interesting structural problems, it really is a unique title. It would be wrong to say that the game may require a little more attention because important details can easily be missed, but that’s somehow a part of the game’s charm – find all the tiny details that make Infra exactly what it is.
