Ad Infinitum is an upcoming atmospheric horror game set in the Great War. You play as a German soldier who has to deal with far more than ‘just’ the trenches. Prepare for some intense moments!
No popcorn horror
First things first, Ad Infinitum isn’t a popcorn horror game filled with cheap jump scares and uninspired monsters. This isn’t random Halloween project number thirteen, no this one does things a bit differently. The story and atmosphere are the key elements of Ad Infinitum and although I was only able to play this for half an hour, I can’t stop thinking about this intense game. In my session, I started a mission that would appear rather late in the final product. I wasn’t in the trenches, instead, I was in a basement of an old house. My goal? Escape the basement and stay out of the claws of the hideous monster lurking in the shadows.
It’s here where the atmosphere really elevated my experience a lot. The theme of this level was clearly light and darkness, where the light guided me towards the right direction without becoming too obvious. There was a certain filter over the screen which made the game feel more appropriate for its time. The developers really payed attention to the era of the great war. Everything is written in German (although translated in the menus) and the many tools you’re using are all time- accurate. This also means you won’t have access to a bright flashlight that can be switch on for hours, instead you’ll need to wind up your flashlight in order to have some light. This comes in handy to face off with the creatures that are afraid of the dark although the noise of you winding up the light might attract them even more… Atmosphere is everything and while I was playing this, it gave me the same vibe and feeling of Alien: Isolation. I really was alone with a horrific creature and I was afraid to look behind the corners because I wanted to stay unnoticed until the very end.
Escape room
This brings me to the actual gameplay of this title. During my session, the level reminded me of a better escape room. By studying the objects in your environment, you’ll get important clues and solutions for the puzzles you’ll face later on. From numbers written on keys to mysterious phone calls pointing you towards files of missing soldiers. It all has that escape room flair and I can’t wait to play some more in the final game. The puzzles are clever and everything you find and read can help you out. Where notes often only offer extra lore in different games, they can be crucial to advance in this one so you better pay attention!
Searching for clues in your environment is only one aspect of the gameplay. The other is the usage of your tools. From using your ax to take down obstacles to putting on your gas mask to advance, it’s all there and again very accurate. Your tools always give you an important advantage but they come at at cost too. If you put on your gas mask, the controls will become a bit more chunky and your character will be harder to control due to a decrease in his sight because of the mask. Some interesting mechanics that can become very stressful when the monster is chasing you!
Don’t forget the monster
In all honesty, I was already incredibly impressed by the game’s atmosphere and clever puzzles but don’t forget the monster! In my level I faced off with an extremely creepy monster that appeared to be an alien-hybrid on prosthetic legs. It loved roaming around in the dark and only turned away when I pointed my light directly at it… If I was lucky. Knowing where the monster is and trying to navigate around it is very thrilling and stressful, again reminding me a lot of my confrontations with the Alien, which is high praise! If you manage to get around the monster you’re never really safe. Although the game doesn’t throw jump scares at you that much, they certainly are there in some of the cutscenes. One thing’s for sure, you’re never really completely safe until you manage to escape the house.
Early conclusion
Ad Infinitum is a true love letter to the horror genre as it emphasizes on atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares. This is easily my most anticipated game in its genre and I can’t wait to discover all its secrets when it hits stores!
