I Am Alive

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 149 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 149
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 149
  3. Negative: 36 out of 149

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  1. danielscotth
    Jun 27, 2014
    8
    My experience of I Am Alive so far has been one of intensity, intrigue, and just plain fun/entertainment. I was worried at first that my top notch experience with The Last of Us would somehow overshadow I Am Alive, but so far, this has not been so. While the two games have been cited numerous times in comparison (and some of which I can definitely see) they play a great deal differently.My experience of I Am Alive so far has been one of intensity, intrigue, and just plain fun/entertainment. I was worried at first that my top notch experience with The Last of Us would somehow overshadow I Am Alive, but so far, this has not been so. While the two games have been cited numerous times in comparison (and some of which I can definitely see) they play a great deal differently. Perhaps this is due to I Am Alive's harsher game play style which incorporates a stressful stamina gauge, few and far between resources, and unforgiving combat situations.

    So whats good about I Am Alive?

    - The combat is completely unique (so far I have never encountered combat scenarios as unforgiving and perhaps realistic as this). The groups of street thugs that you encounter throughout the game react in such a way that you are forced, as the gamer, to think fast on your feet in any given combat situation. The player is tasked to swiftly seek out which thugs have guns and which don't, differentiate between the tougher ones and the weaker ones, and make quick decisions such as: use up the 1 bullet resource they have, sneak attack and then fire, back one up to a cliff and push them off, etc - all in a matter of about 1 minute. This inevitably ends up making every twist and turn of the game suspenseful and stressful, but yet exhilarating all the same and when (and if) you manage to survive these encounters, you'll feel like you really survived the ordeal.
    - The pace of the game - I Am Alive moves slow at times (exploring and scavenging) and fast at others (think combat and climbing scenarios with quickly depleting health/stamina). I'm a huge fan of this type of game play as 10 minutes you may spend somewhat peaceably exploring around and maneuvering a strategic climb and the very next 2 minutes be faced with an intense combat situation. All in all, game moves just slow enough and fast enough at times to keep me interested and ready to keep uncovering what might happen next in the story.

    What's bad in I Am Alive?

    - The stamina gauge and scarcity of resources. I am hesitant to put this here, but in all honesty and as much as I appreciate how this provides a new level of realism to the game play, it can be more of a pain than enjoyable.
    - The retry system. This does add a sense of "I can't just go in and mess up and reload directly from where I was two seconds before" like games such as Fallout 3 may offer, which adds to the suspense and stress of needing to get it right the first time around. However, this just doesn't happen - or at least hasn't in my experience so far in playing I Am Alive. In fact, more often than not it takes me several "retries" to get through a combat situation and there has been more than one occasion where I have been placed back at the beginning of the last time the game decided to save and redo a 10 minute segment of game play - and this definitely detracts from the enjoyability of the game.
    - The voice acting. Simply put, it's not that great.

    So, in my opinion, if you're an enthusiast of post-apocalyptic settings and narrative, enjoy games such as The Last of Us, Fallout 3, Shadow of the Colossus, and other mediums of entertainment such as The Road and The Book of Eli - you will most likely see the allure that I Am Alive has to offer.

    The game overall may be a bit weak in several areas but it definitely succeeds in providing a rich, fresh, and intense/entertaining journey through a post-apocalyptic setting that relies more heavily on survival and less on cheap thrills or unrealistic amounts of resources/ammo/guns.

    That's my take. Hope it helps in some way or another.    … Expand
  2. ShoCh
    Apr 10, 2012
    8
    I have been playing Skyrim and nothing else since December so I decided to give this a go (because it is a download I didn't have to take my Skyrim disc out of my PS3). I think that I needed this game. The graphics are a bit rubbish but only because they have a lot to live up to. I really enjoyed the sense of urgency you get when your stamina depletes while climbing or running through theI have been playing Skyrim and nothing else since December so I decided to give this a go (because it is a download I didn't have to take my Skyrim disc out of my PS3). I think that I needed this game. The graphics are a bit rubbish but only because they have a lot to live up to. I really enjoyed the sense of urgency you get when your stamina depletes while climbing or running through the dust covered streets. It's quite a linear game but you can go off the set path to assist people you hear calling to you though the dust clouds. Every person you help imparts a snippet of information about the 'event' and brings you up to date on what has happened since. I haven't finished the game yet but I do know that it is a short journey (10-12 hours maybe) that will soon be over. Put it this way - it's been an enjoyable and challenging diversion.… Expand
  3. Equinoqs
    Jun 24, 2012
    9
    I loved playing this survival game (no horror, just survival). I loved the scarcity of supplies, weapons and ammo. I loved being able to kill the leader in a pack of enemies and then intimidate the weaker ones to surrender. I loved getting stuck facing off against 3-5 enemies with only one bullet in my gun and having to think fast on my feet and then SURVIVING. I loved the graphics, bothI loved playing this survival game (no horror, just survival). I loved the scarcity of supplies, weapons and ammo. I loved being able to kill the leader in a pack of enemies and then intimidate the weaker ones to surrender. I loved getting stuck facing off against 3-5 enemies with only one bullet in my gun and having to think fast on my feet and then SURVIVING. I loved the graphics, both the toxic haze covering everything at street level and the skyscrapers collapsed onto each other above the dust. I loved climbing my way through an office building on its side, with everything topsy-turvy. I loved helping Mai and her mother, and the random survivors looking for food or first aid or just a last cigarette before they die. I loved "I Am Alive". 9/10… Expand
  4. GrumpyReviewer
    Apr 6, 2012
    8
    I found "I am alive" to be quite a surprising game. It has a lot of personality and it's a very, very ambitious downloadable title. It plays very nicely, it has great atmosphere, with constant fear and tension in the air; and, most importantly, the idea of not knowing what's around the corner. This makes any decision count, even the smallest one. To put it simple, if they had added aI found "I am alive" to be quite a surprising game. It has a lot of personality and it's a very, very ambitious downloadable title. It plays very nicely, it has great atmosphere, with constant fear and tension in the air; and, most importantly, the idea of not knowing what's around the corner. This makes any decision count, even the smallest one. To put it simple, if they had added a couple of zombies this game would easily be what the Resident Evil franchise is trying FOR YEARS without success. It's definitely worth a look!… Expand
  5. JustinnEveritt
    May 1, 2012
    8
    This game is just plain fun. Its strategy mixed with a little bit of uncertaintity as to whats around the next corner. I Am Alive is a very solid title out of Ubisoftt Shanghi well worth the $15 price tag. If youve yet to play, I recommend picking it up ASAP!
  6. iBash
    Apr 29, 2012
    10
    Graphics: There is no excuse why a game in 2012 on the PS3 should look like that, overall extremely yesterday and then there's some sort of filter over the screen where you can guess what it's trying to do, but it just looks bad. The way the game keeps a short draw distance looks amateurish as well, but the fact it has a short draw distance works in favour of it, both because the gameGraphics: There is no excuse why a game in 2012 on the PS3 should look like that, overall extremely yesterday and then there's some sort of filter over the screen where you can guess what it's trying to do, but it just looks bad. The way the game keeps a short draw distance looks amateurish as well, but the fact it has a short draw distance works in favour of it, both because the game would probably look even more ugly could you see further and because it helps set a certain mood.

    The actual design of the game is mostly kind of good, but pretty much what you'd expect from the setting. Despite the poor graphics, the visuals create an oppressing, intimidating atmosphere.

    The sound isn't too good. There could've been more background noises and the music suffers a bit from being linked to the stamina: it becomes more and more stressful the more you lose stamina, which is interesting at first but loses impact very soon when you hear the same tune start over and over again everytime you run a bit or climb around.

    Good: Combat. You'll fear every encounter. Some claim it's always the same, but even though, of course, the general strategy you want to follow doesn't change, you still need to apply it correctly. You must observe within seconds who's the main threat, who has the guns, who's wearing armour. How to deal with the enemies, in which order and by which means so that you will use as least resources as possible. This creates a lot of tension and in some areas, it's as scary as it gets without being a horror game.

    Good: Stamina. Keeping an eye on the protagonist's breath is a source of tension, too, and will keep you on the edge during the climbing sections.

    Good: Scarce ammunition and, to a degree, health items. This will force you to think during combat and you'll try to defeat the enemies with little to no shots being fired.

    Okay: Climbing. The stamina bar makes it tense, but other than that, the climbing sections are very generic, uninspired and mostly very linear.

    Okay: Helping victims. First of all, I hated that you couldn't get back to a lot of them even though it should've been possible, but the game wouldn't let you, insisting on going to your next objective instead. This kills the little open world feeling there was left in the game. Also, all the work is pretty much for nothing.

    Bad: The whole â    … Expand
  7. gietek
    Mar 6, 2014
    8
    This is such a climatic game it's a great shame it's so short. I mean really, the atmosphere in this game is its main attribute. Everything else lays in its shadow. There aren't many aspects I'd change and I wish there will be second game in the future. I guess you either love it or hate it. I loved it.
  8. hollowfication
    Jun 3, 2012
    10
    best game ever i found it so cool i thought it be like jumping on building crawling etc bout find out u can help people threaten people kill em slash em etc wish it was not downloadable game but disc alone
  9. gamesreflexoes
    Dec 21, 2012
    10
    grande jogo sobre o fim do mundo, belos graficos, belo precinho camarada, recomendo para qualquer um que que queira pagar pouco e se divertir muito neste game da renomada Ubisoft
  10. Jellybean15
    Nov 7, 2014
    8
    Since this game’s conception, I Am Alive has had a very rocky development history. Originally started in 2003, nothing concrete came along until 2008, when a trailer at E3 was shown. Since then, it was cancelled, passed on to Ubisoft, re-engineered, and finally released in 2012. After such a horrible development cycle, you would expect I Am Alive to be a very poor title, which only makesSince this game’s conception, I Am Alive has had a very rocky development history. Originally started in 2003, nothing concrete came along until 2008, when a trailer at E3 was shown. Since then, it was cancelled, passed on to Ubisoft, re-engineered, and finally released in 2012. After such a horrible development cycle, you would expect I Am Alive to be a very poor title, which only makes it all the more surprising that I Am Alive manages to be the impressive title that it is.

    I Am Alive takes place one year after an unspecified disaster known as “the Event” has left the world in ruins. Dust fills the atmosphere and frequent earthquakes have destroyed all of the major cities. Your character, who was on the other side of the country when the event happened, has finally made it back to the town of Haventon, where he hopes to find his family. He arrives only to find that his family has left, and it’s his goal at that point to find them.

    Navigating the ruined city isn't easy. Haventon’s destroyed, the dust is thick, violent scavengers are everywhere and supplies are scarce, which make up all of the right elements for a survivor game. Finding supplies is key to your survival because you’ll need the food to replenish your lost health and stamina, which are tied to one of the main gameplay mechanics; climbing.

    Because Haventon is broken, climbing is the only real way to navigate it. Scaling ledges and poles is something many other games have done, but I Am Alive has its own unique take on it with the stamina bar. Any action you make that requires any effort costs stamina, climbing included. As you climb, your stamina will drain and if it drains all the way, your stamina bar will deplete next, which decreases the max stamina you have. This mechanic is simple, but it adds so much extra tension, not just because you have to hurry, but also because you don’t know how far it’ll be before you can replenish your stamina again. Be assured, you will lose both before this game’s over, so you must have supplies to replenish it.

    The stamina bar also come into play in areas with heavy dust, where your stamina will drain due to the lack of oxygen. The only real complaint is these areas are also large and open, which encourages you to scavenge for supplies, but also discourages you at the same time with your constantly draining stamina.
    Aside from supplies and climbing, the other main form of gameplay is dealing with humans. Some want your help. Others just want to be left alone. Most of them want your supplies, and they’re willing to take it from you. This is where the second gameplay mechanic comes in; hold ups.

    When attacked, you’ll have the opportunity to hold up many enemies using your gun. Since bullets are rare, you don’t want to shoot anyone, and the gun is really more of a threat. When someone confronts you, you’ll usually have the ability to kill at least one person before they realize, using a surprise kill. At that point, you must hold up the others and pick them off one by one. When holding up an enemy, you can order them to back up, usually with the intention of kicking them into a pit or fire. However, it’s not so simple. The A.I. is smart, and will try to charge you if you turn your back for too long. Take too long in general, and all the enemies will charge you.

    There are also some smaller elements to this that make it more fun. For example, some enemies are stronger and have less fear. Take them out first, and the other enemies are more likely to put down their weapons and surrender. Other enemies are armored, and you’ll have to kill them with by hitting weak points. Later, you’ll get a bow that allows you to reuse your arrow, but is also less capable of holding up enemies.

    Despite the gameplay being fairly solid, not everything holds up as well.

    Even though the sound design is done well enough, the graphics are surprisingly outdated and there are even some graphical glitches occasionally. However, the biggest misstep is a story. Despite your character trying to find his family, he immediately gets sidetracked when he finds a young girl, Mei, who has been separated from her family. At that point, the story focuses on helping her and her family. Even though they promise to help you find their family in return, your character is all too willing to help them out without question, or without pressing on his family’s possible whereabouts. Too make matters worse, the game ends on an unsatisfying cliff hanger, despite not being any closer to your original goal, and by the end, there's just too much left out in the open.

    Despite the story's faults and cosmetic hiccups, the solid and innovative gameplay is what ultimately carries this game forward. For fans of survival games, you have to give this game a try. It has it's problems, but they pale in comparison to the good elements that are actually here.    … Expand
  11. paranoid_gamer
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    This is a must buy game for survival fans the story line is short but unforgettable and the ending is very unexpected, you will have to play more than once in order to complete side objectives

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PS3 Game of 2012
48
#48 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
8
#8 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    May 7, 2012
    70
    I Am Alive is a near-perfect, gritty struggle to survive. [June 2012, p.78]
  2. Impulsegamer
    Apr 22, 2012
    80
    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.
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  3. DarkZero
    Apr 21, 2012
    50
    Fans of Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia will doubtlessly find the occasional thrill in I Am Alive's platforming elements, but its shortcomings are nevertheless increasingly glaring. A myriad of baffling design decisions result in a game that can't seem to get out of its own way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making a punishing game and rewarding the player for mastering its unforgiving gameplay systems. But you're not wrestling with systems here – you're wrestling with their integrity.
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