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I Am Alive PS3 Review - www.impulsegamer.com -
I Am Alive
Reviewed by
James Wright
on
I Am Alive PS3 Review. As the developers have kept the story open to interpretation, this in turn is filled by the imagination of the gamer which makes this game uniquely different for every individual that plays it. Definitely a great game from the PSN!
Rating:
4.0

Gameplay 8.0
Graphics 8.0
Sound 8.0
Value 7.0
Distributor: UbiSoft
Review Date:
April 2012
Reviewer:
James Wright

8.0


I AM ALIVE AM ALIVE

Set in a post apocalyptic world, Ubisoft's I AM ALIVE might sound like another clichéd survival horror game but in actual fact, it's probably one of the most realistic third person shooters to date. Imagine a world where I AM LEGEND meets MAD MAX and this is the world that you will be playing as society has crumbled due to some mysterious event and from the lack of order, chaos reigns.

It's become a dog eat dog world that is quite dangerous due to the pack mentality of this new world, although there are some "normal" individuals left. This is where you come into the picture, an unnamed man who is desperately searching for his family in this tainted and quite irrational world.

There is also an element of mystery involved with the story as the game never fully informs you how this disaster occurred and it also pulls on your emotional heartstrings, especially in relation to your family and whether they are still alive. Your upper hand against the thugs and packs that you encounter is your determination and love for your family plus the limited weapons that are scattered through this desolate world... the biggest weapon however if your brain, welcome to I AM ALIVE.

Unlike similar games of this genre, I AM ALIVE is quite a difficult title as the realism has been upped to a whole new level which will inflict you with an unhealthy amount of controller rage. Joining our nameless protagonist are a variety of interesting individuals that you will meet like Mei, a young girl who has similar parallels to your daughter and is also the catalyst of unleashing your inner rage as you try to protect her from a group of nefarious men.

Without spoiling the story, unintentionally she becomes your adopted daughter that may be a replacement to your daughter because the possibility or probability of your family surviving is quite slim. It's an interesting take on the character. Atmosphere plays another key role to the overall gameplay and the world has been beautifully designed to portray this dark and desolate world that at times makes you feel like you are the only person left on this world.

Navigating the world of I AM ALIVE is a challenge in itself. As many of the roads are now blocked, you need to traverse the ruins from climbing up drain pipes or precariously hanging on ledges. This is where the realism of the game comes into play again because as we all know, when you hang or climb, you do become tired. This is also true for our protagonist and when you are hanging or climbing, your stamina levels start to drop. It's obvious what happens if your stamina drops too much (e.g. death) but you can call upon your reserves for that added boost. It's definitely a juggling game and does add a unique element of strategy into the gameplay.

You never also get stuck either as the game does a decent job at creating this giant world with subtle hints from the game pushing you in the right direction. The map is also handy. Combat is a true mindf**k. This isn't like your standard third person shooters as there is an element of psychology involved. This world is totally messed up and the people that you meet in it are also totally messed up.

The individuals that you encounter have this almost primordial survival mechanism to their existence which may force them to see you as a threat or as a victim where they can benefit. You do have a gun but once again this has limited ammo and sometimes you can bluff your way through fights with an empty gun. Other times, it's reversed and when someone wants to kill you, you need to use your counsellor skills to help lure their guard down before you slice their throats.

There was one moment in the game where I only had one bullet left in my gun and four attackers. I shot the first attacker which put the fear of god into the other three but I was not out of ammo. Fortunately, I managed to bluff my way to victory thanks to the other three surrounding. It's eerily realistic and it's these little nuances that make the game so engaging to play.

To compliment the exceptional gameplay, I AM ALIVE has some impressive graphics that successfully creates this post apocalyptic world from all the destroyed buildings, abandoned vehicles and overall dirtiness to the title that is quite gray and abysmal. Characters are well animated and there's some nice lighting used in the game. Add in decent sound effects and voice acting and I AM ALIVE is almost a Grade-A release.

Final Level

I AM LIVE is an enthralling game that will draw you in from the very first few minutes that you start playing. Given the realism of the game, it can be quite frustrating, however this is the charm of the game as it opens up the title for quite a psychological ride that definitely challenges this genre, especially with how you interact with others from combat to conversations. As the developers have kept the story open to interpretation, this in turn is filled by the imagination of the gamer which makes this game uniquely different for every individual that plays it. Definitely a great game from the PSN!





 

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