Truly one of the best games I've ever seen. The game is a sweet Survival game with well thought out linear maps. The cool replay feature is fun, giving you time to think of other options to replay a scene - cool!. Graphix are decent, and the price was right .

Quote: "PC users should be more than happy to enjoy this peculiar survival game"

No thanks, we not happy with this peculiar but not good game. Ruined city is beautiful, but gameplay is terrible.

This game is a perfect example on how not to make a game difficult - most of my deaths in this game where the result of enemy encounters. They attempt to make the "combat" hard by limiting ammo for your weapons... ok. that might be interesting for one, maybe two encounters. after that it's just a repeat of the same thing over and over. Shoot the guy with the gun and if you already ran out of bullets try to fool them. Oh now they have body armor - use the clunky free aim mechanics to shoot the one guy in the head... The rest of the game consists of running around in dust and climbing buildings - no challenge in that at all.
The whole stamina mechanic is yet another attempt to make a boring game harder - you have a limited amount of stamina that gets depleted by running, walking in dust and climbing. This forces you to look for ledges while climbing or higher ground while walking around the city. saving other survivors may see to be rewarding but you don't actually gain anything from it - it feels more like an attempt to make the game longer.

The PC version is a bad port (1.0). The game is stable but in my case tends to forget it's settings, i gave up and just played in 720p windowed mode because it never saved the screen res. Xbox Controller support for this game is broken, KB + Mouse works but derps at some points if you try to climb down.
The camera controls are probably better on controller - i had a hard time looking around in some hallways with KB+M.

In conclusion ... for me this was a 5h game - i spend at least an hour in total wandering around the dust totally lost because i always had to climb up for air, i spend at least 30 minutes with deaths due to the totally unnecessary combat (28 deaths, i believe 3 of them by actually failing at something other than combat) and the rest of the time with the actual game. The story was ... well a story - if you are actually playing this for the story you are going to be disappointed by the end.… Expand

As a big fan of Cold Fear, also developed by Darkworks, I was really looking forward to this game. I was not disappointed. Reminds me of Legendary, another great game in the modern apocalyptic setting. For those who rate it low, they must want COD. It's not COD, it's great in it's own right.

I Am Alive is a low-budget post-apocalyptic survival game that fails to deliver due to poor execution. Ultimately, you end up with a rather unremarkable game, even considering the $15 price-tag. This game is essentially a clunky and unforgiving button-mashing combat system tacked on to an equally clunky climbing game. The graphics feel outdated and exist solely within a very bland color palette. It looks nice and atmospheric at first but you quickly wish there was more to this game design than putting grey dust everywhere. The level design is linear and there is only one way to advance. Don't expect a lot of exploration, but do expect to be following on-screen hints as to what to do next -- MOST of the time that is, because you will likely end up scratching your head for a while when the hints fail to guide towards the golden path. The worst thing is definitely the automatic save/retry system, which reloads from one of the few and far between checkpoints while you're playing the game. However, if you have to quit the game and come back later you're likely to have to restart the whole level. This can be both time consuming and frustrating, and contributes to a growing impression that I am not going to bother completing my play-through. It's not like I was expecting I Am Alive to be another Fallout 3, but frankly I wish I was playing the latter.… Expand

I am alive is above all else a great opportunity missed. The biggest complaint would be the length - *taking your time* you will complete this in 4-5 hrs. I also have an issue with the general gameplay, you pretty much cannot fall off anything. So even walking a narrow bit of track many stories high with certain death if you fell, you dont feel anything as you just walk/run forward without a care. My last main complaint would be that your weapons and gadgets expand far too late, the game is short enough, why give you some neat items to let you get around and add some gameplay only half way thru AND under use it :s Those are the negatives, it does have its share of upsides too! The atmosphere is great, the stamina gauge adds something to what would otherwise be a boring affair scaling building etc and altho the combat does get repetitive, its a decent change from the norm (could be better, but its nice to see something a lil different from time to time). Its pretty linear, which could be seen as a negative, but tbh, with little to gain apart from achivs, I dont really want a huge world to explore (unless they tweaked the gameplay and gave u more to do). In summary - this is a once-play title (no online/coop/other modes/not many achivs and only a few people would be bothered playing it again to collect them all), with good atmosphere and detailed environments (when you can make them out!). An uninspiring engine, unoriginal story and extremely short campaign will disappoint. Get it on the cheap if your interested.… Expand

Just bought it off Steam (also came with something called 'Bloody Good Time', which looks a bit lame). Right off the bat it's not really worth 17 bucks. $10 flat. Here's why. 1) the graphics are okay, and run reasonably smoothly, but the difference between the landscape and your character is very distinct, and it draws you right out of the immersive experience. The landscape is all soft and grainy, and your character is high contrast and sharp lines. Looks terrible. Very amateurish. 2) the movement controls suck. You have to press space to start to climb, and then when you're climbing you press 'w' to go up, but then to pull yourself up, you have to press space again. Why not just let me keep pressing 'w' for up? The movement is also a little clunky, but not too bad. 3) everything appears to be static. That shopping trolley in the middle of the street? Stuck to the ground. Super-glued there, in fact. Yes, it's only a 2GB game, but that is pretty lame. 4) Very linear map, which isn't too bad, but, again, it draws you out of the game. The idea of exploring this strange world is less fun when your route is boxed in and confined. Again, only a 2GB game, but even a few extra routes to add to the illusion would help. 5) mouse-button-mashing combat system. For some reason, whenever I play a game that requires regular button mashing (especially mouse buttons), I think "low quality", and lo and behold, here we have that very thing. It screams console-kiddie games, and is an insult to PC gamers in my opinion. I have an entire frigging keyboard - just let me press the space bar or something, you dipsticks. I've only played it for about an hour, and it looks okay so far, but there are some very simple things the developer should have done. Yes, I know it's cheap and small in size, but things like these are very important for the gaming experience. I hope there's a significant amount of content to make up for the above shortcomings, but only time will tell. I'm giving it a 6 out of 10, but only because I haven't finished it yet. We'll see how it ends up. Get it when the price has been discounted.… Expand

Another game where player feels more like being a puppet. You can only do things what developers want you to do. No freedom what so ever. Mixed with terrible combat, washed out graphics and forgettable story.

Just now purchased this game. I Thought this would be a good single player expierence. However I must say that i was severly dissapointed. After seeing the option screen wich only excists out of only a few graphic options, my hopes dropped. The game runs terrible even on a high end pc and it just looks bad. The game is riddled with unnecesairy effects and a really hard to controll main character. Now you're probably wondering if the story is any good. Well it isn't. The story is near non excistent and to top it off, the voice acting is really bad. I Would avoid it at for the time being. The problems I have with the game, might just be personal, but if you're thinking about picking this game up. Do it on a 360 or ps3.… Expand

Originality: Somewhat. The stamina bar, the way action sequences take place, and the fact that the game-play is unique make this original. We also haven't played a game with such bad/irresponsive controls in ages. Flare/appeal: The game tries to take you on an emotional survival-like adventure; but, the repetitive nature of the game makes it dull. Remember that movie "The Book of Eli"? This game attempts to build that atmosphere but fails at it, miserably. The game tells a decent story if you stick around long enough to suffer through it. Overall: Originality is just about the only thing keeping us from rating this game a solid 4.… Expand

To describe it with one word: this game is FRUSTRATING. The setting is nice, the storytelling and development is good, and graphics are OK. However, everything is spoiled by the crappy save system (or rather, the lack of it). From playing other checkpoint based games, we are used to repeating some areas of a game over and over. But normally, these areas cover some minutes at most. Not here. It can be easily up to 30-45 minutes you have to replay after dying the third time in a row. This might be fine for the few masochist players around. For me, it's no fun at all, it's just VERY boring. Worse: you cannot just quit the game when you want, because this will also force you to restart a LONG way back. To sum it up: if this game had five times the number of checkpoints it has now, it could be a nice game. In the current state, it's for masochist hardcore players only.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I hate linear-like-a-corridor games. I hate checkpoint games. I hate games that don't let you save your progress whenever you want. I hate games that despite offering me graphic detail and effects adjustments, it still looks rubbish with everything on maximum, on a high-end machine. I hate games that don't let you have freedom and total control over your character, and only let you perform certain actions in designated areas. Most of all, I hate console ports to PC with a passion. Despite all that, I still wanted to give this game a try, and I have to say I was enjoying it for the first two hours. I had already left the apartment and was chasing the little girl, then my character died while fighting the three thugs. It's fine, I don't mind that, really don't. Just load the last save, right? Wrong. The last save was done at the sewage entrance, something like 90 minutes worth of playtime for me, since I was 'exploring' the map (while pretending it was an 'open world' kind of a game), searching for supplies, and getting used to the game controls. The character is almost always outnumbered and under-equipped, so it will die a lot along the way. Not that I mind that, as I said, but with such rubbish save system, there is absolutely no way I am going to keep playing this game. Shame I paid 15 bucks for that. Still, I'll give it a score of 3, based on the first two hours. But my advice? If you are thinking of buying it, save your money. Go to the cinema instead, if you feel like spending it. *** UPDATE: Having only one bullet in your pistol and a machete, how can you possibly defeat a gang of four thugs, two of them armed with pistols that seem to have infinite ammo? Well, you can surprise kill one of them magic pistol guys, but before you finish, your character is already dead meat. Anyway, I tried it again, and went as far as finding the medicine for the little girl. I was trying really hard to enjoy it, thinking "hey, just do it for the challenge, man!", but the character ended up dying so many times that I got really frustrated and angry, and this is no good. I just deleted the game, and I am not going back to it.… Expand

Playing the game feels like you are playing it through thick gloves. The controls are very clunky, every action is simple button-smashing (why do I need to ruin my mouse just to open a simple door?) and the combat is very repetitive. There are way too much useless game flow interruptions. For example these hint boxes that stop the game just to tell you something that is obvious or the game already told you at least 10 times before. And it takes ages until the game gives you back control of your character.
The level design is ultra linear, no choices to make. And after climbing up to locations that can only be reached by professional free climbers you will find a gang of people who are waiting for you. And thanks to the stamina system climbing makes no fun at all.… Expand

No support for gtx680 and that prevents me from playing the game entirely... thanks a lot.... complete waste of money if you have a 680 because chances are you cant play it...

At one point in this game's development Ubisoft got bored and decided to do something else, then forgot all about it. When they inadvertently came across the game a while later, they thought they might as well punt it out as it is and see if anyone was mug enough to buy it. Ok Ubisoft you got me. I bought it. To say this game is linear and repetitive barely does those terms justice, while the gameplay is about as enthralling as a touring holiday of Norwegian public toilets. Yes this is one of these games where even a small pile of rubble is enough to thwart progress if you're not following the strict A to B to C route of lazy developers. Combat is probably the poorest I have ever come across, and that's saying something. Killing a baddie sometimes involves waiting to be told when its the right time, and you'll know that when a screen message appears stating ["Ok now hit E and then mash the mouse button like mad then wait to die"]. if you do manage to survive an encounter with several baddies, you'll find the usual blissful period of happy looting is noticeable by its absence . Four dead bad guys and the booty was... one bullet. One damn bullet. I would have preferred to run away but of course Mr Survivor can't run for more than 10 seconds without collapsing in a sobbing heap and throwing up his dinner of fruit **** and rat. Alan Wake is a Kenyan marathon runner compared to this guy. Lastly there's the city, looks good from a distance but kind of sucks as well. Before the city was largely abandoned a team of crack experts obviously trawled the whole place locking doors thoroughly and coating everything in a hardening resin that locked every object in place for ever more. Normally I play games in the highest setting possible for the challenge, and this game was no exception, at least for a short while. Faced with the above and I Am Alive's bizarre I'll Save When I Feel Like It feature, a balance had to be struck between challenge and just wanting to get this damned thing finished so I'd could try pretend that it all never happened.… Expand

I tried liking this game! But the graphics are bad, black and white with a cheesy fog effect. the game is very linear for a game with these graphics I was expecting it to be more open. and worst of all is the gameplay. The climbing is "ok" but the combat is just awful.

Truly one of the worst Ubisoft games I have ever played. Every aspect of the game play is ruined by just plain cumbersome features. Combat is ruined by the limited ammo(I know its a survival game but seriously :P, stupid QTE for melee kills which make fights unwinnable unless its 1v1 or you have bullets, and a piss poor health system with no noticable regeneration overtime and hardly enough health items to keep you from playing in the gray blurry screen mode 24/7 . Also the platforming element of this game which should be it's key feature is ruined by a poorly implemented stamina system. Because of the stamina system every climb become a puzzle and not the fun kind :P. Finally the story and setting just seem bland. Don't get me wrong i love apocalyptic games, but this one just falls flat the lack of color and film grain while cool ideas look pretty horrid in this game.

Overall i would recommend passing up this game.… Expand

Well intended and potentially interesting but so poorly executed that it is boring as hell. The colour palette is bland and feels flat and the checkpoint and reset system is broken and unwieldy and simply unfair even on normal. Seriously a bad game that I want to forget.

Not a very good game. For under £5 it's not a big loss, but the controls are terrible and the cameplay mechnics are very weak. It's also completely linear - which is about the opposite of what I want in a survival game.

I´m **** would be right title of this ! If you get it for less than 2, 50 just have a try. But it´s absolutely idiotic scripted, and after the climbing over the bridge i try for plenty times to brake the gate lock chain, but its only hurts my finger and my conscious is gone... Somehow it reminds me of that ugly atmosphere of Alan Wake, even the woody figure movings. So there are lot much better gems to play, dudes… Expand

Alternate title: Climbing Simulator 2012

In this game, You're a total badass that can't hold onto a ledge with foot supports for more that 15 seconds.

Wait what?

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm an older player and I'm getting more and more in to the story driven games rather then the FPS genre. The story line is interesting enough and I regret that I wasn't able to find all possible survivors in the game. It is more of a puzzler game that you play at leisure, take your time with and figure out the way the level is built and how to best tackle the enemies.

The game is very monochromatic. To me it underlines the desolate and grim isolation the player is in this game. It sets a great mood, dark, gloomy, surreal that a game like this needs.
I got a rush out of knowing to have to get it right or I would have to do the whole level over again. I am glad however that the creators allowed for a limited amount of continues on each level.

One major down side was that I was fully expecting to find out why the city is in ruins and find my way out. The ending was anticlimactic because you don't know what happened at the end. Almost like the creators ran out of money or storyline and just ended up finishing abruptly. This game SCREAMS for a sequel!

That said, I wouldn't finish a game if I didn't like it enough.… Expand

If this would have appeared before Fallout 3 it would have a chance, but it feels like a Fallout with less options & possibilities. After half an hour it gets boring &repetitive.

Excellent! Game to come closest yet to The Road, really nails the survival element. And no it is not purely linear, you have a lot of freedom within places and particularly in the centre of town (using the overhead railways as a starting point). Personally I liked the dust/fog that makes you not exactly sure of what is in the distance and forces you to climb up every so often. It could have been made a bit easier and a few more checkpoints, but that's the only fault I can think of. The way it presents the horror and grimness of immediate post apocalyptic life where someone's life is worth a couple of bullets is quite unique.… Collapse

I love what they did in the game. The storyline is great and the paths/map is well designed. Controls are O.K., but the graphics are pretty poor. Good for $15, better on sale. Just a little work on the graphics and controls and this game would have been just about perfect!

Love it! There are a few things I would improve on like the linear story is a little not so good, the fact that you cannot just jump wherever you want or have to obey the level designers directions. This game engine put in an open world would be the perfect game!

Sheesh. It really grates my cheese when a good game misses. "I Am Alive" (terrible title) is a dystopian adventure in the likes of the Assassin's Creed and Just Cause series. The biggest difference is that they actually took the time to test it. IAA is a complete mess in terms of the game mechanics. It has - quite possibly - the worst controls I've ever played. Even worse than Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness. Well, OK, it's not that horrid. It's glitchy, sloppy and only works correctly when you're walking. It is absolutely infuriating and it almost had me throwing my PC out the window. That rant aside, the game does have it pros: It looks very dire. Gray, dusty and grainy. Maybe a bit too grainy. The foley work is great: Nice ambient sound and vocals are clear and well performed. The story is simple but interesting given the main character is compelling and honest and worth taking to the end. I like the stamina concept when climbing but didn't make much sense when jogging. The use of items to increase stamina and health is great and sensible. Now back to the cons. The biggest con (as described before) are the controls. The attack engine is atrocious. It is unforgivably bad. In order to use your default weapon you must hit the USE function when the game says you can. You can't just attack early or late or to the left or right or wherever - only to meet your enemy, wrestle with machetes for whatever reason and then you attack. It's simple asinine. The other weapons can be used at your discretion and they function adequately. The controls fail again when climbing. It doesn't always turn left or right when you need it and if you don't have the stamina you die. Grrr. You can't pick up/climb/fall/slide,etc. to the elements in the environment - it is very limited in terms of interaction. The game just has so many failings that there really isn't much incentive to play it at all. I paid $5 for it and I was more insulted by the time I wasted than the $ I spent. It's such a dame shame - this could've been epic but instead it drove me up the wall. Literally. ;-)… Expand