izigame.me

After 7 years of development, finally the boys at Hekate (Berlin) released Ad Infinitum. Well, it's very polished, no need of further patches after release, that's very appreciated and so rare nowadays. Graphics, sounds and animations are top notch. Interactions and mechanics could be better, but it's an indie production, so it's ok. Acting is quite good.
You're adviced: it isn't an action game where you shoot and fight monsters, not at all! It is a pacifist game, against war and violence, so it's the negation of the usual war games. Sometimes they put a shotgun in your hands that apparently gives you more security but very soon you find that it's useless in front of the war horrors. A clear message from the developers.
It's no survival horror, it isn't the usual horror game that makes you jump or scare; It's a psychological dark drama with horror nuances. At most it has something of Layers of Fear. When not competent reviewers cannot understand what they are playing, they use the term "walking simulator" that means nothing. It's an interactive experience like What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, Gone Home, Dear Esther, The Town of Light and so on
Ad Infinitum puts you in the shoes of a veteran traumatized by the horrors of war and gives a glimpse on his problematic family. You experience in first person the nightmarish memories of a traumatized mind where the horrors of war mix with family drama. The game gives its best in depicting the tragedy of First World War: the inhuman fight in the trenches, the chemical weapons, the sufference of mutilated soldiers, the air alerts, the suicide missions, the insensitivity and narrow-mindedness of the commanders, etc. A senseless war supported by patriotic fanaticism and laughable sense of superiority of the German people, forerunner of Nazism.
I appreciated the criticism of the ideology of the strong and heroic german man, without physical defects, tireless, ready to sacrifice himself for his country; an ideology leading to the contempt for those who are disabled, for other ethnic groups considered inferior.
Not everything is good. Story is a bit disjointed, too many narrative elements that are hard to manage and blend, especially concerning the family drama. Too many documents as main narrative mechanic. Some puzzles are dissonant with storytelling. A few interactive mechanics can be frustrating. You can see some naivety, it's the first work by talented but young developers, especially 7 years ago!
Not at all a masterpiece as Edith Finch or Firewatch, however the experience does not leave you indifferent; some surreal representations of horrors of war are very effective, some scenes have the right atmosphere, they remain imprinted in your memory, they touch you deeply and make you think. You can see it's a work of passion; the young authors have something deep and meaningful to tell through the game experience. Don't miss their message, play Ad Infinitum; games are not just to have easy fun.