Info about INCISION:

Official game description:
INCISION is a brutal, fast, merciless blast from the past inspired by the godfathers of the first person shooter genre such as Doom, Quake, Blood, Shadow Warrior. INCISION offers an experience that demands skill and focus from its player, and rewards them with intense carnage that will paint the town red. Yours is a simple job. Cut, shoot, burn and decimate it all to stop the spread of the Growth. Mercy is weakness. Hesitation is death.
INCISION is designed to be merciless in its difficulty, but the player will never feel weak in the face of danger. Your arsenal is varied, powerful, loud, and will easily turn enemies into sticky red puddles, as long as they don't first do it to you. Movement is fast and responsive; story never gets in the way of the gameplay.
Ten weapons of mass-slaughter, all including powerful alternative firing modes. Fire a volley of bouncing incendiary bombs out of your shotgun. Lob grenades from your heavy machine gun to turn your foes into red mist. Do tricks with your trusty revolver to maximize its damage output. Spray a volley of four incendiary rockets and watch even the strongest foe crumble into ashes before you. Go berserk with a saw-spear that works as a long-range slashing weapon or as a close-range buzzsaw.
The world of INCISION has been transformed into a living nightmare where a ever-consuming, ever-growing mass of flesh and machine live in unholy symbiosis. All we hold familiar and comfortable has been turned into a network of hellish, rusty, pulsating labyrinthian series of factories that serve as the nerves and organs for some greater being that only seeks to merge, unite and grow.
The Growth has merged and united all life on the planet, turning its people into machine-freaks, all of them designed to turn anyone who opposes their regime inside-out. Augmented soldiers with burst-firing energy rifles, mad sycophants with ricocheting sawblades, machine spider-priests aka. "Spiderpopes" with homing missiles. INCISION's roster of monsters will keep you on your toes til the bloody end.
HEAD-BANGING & SKULL-RATTLING
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INCISION includes a soundtrack by Frédérick Chicoine "iNi"; An entire album's worth of atmospheric horror ambience and mayhem-inducing metal that will burst your veins with adrenaline.
Dive in!

Release date: 28 Aug, 2025

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Action Horror, Gore-focused Combat, Environmental Storytelling, Exploration, Single-player, First-Person Melee Combat


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outstanding Weapon & Combat Design (weight 0.91): The game's weapons are highly lauded for being fun, impactful, and satisfying to use, with excellent variety and well-implemented alternate fire modes. Combat is engaging due to diverse and well-designed enemies, making every encounter feel nuanced and challenging.
- Exceptional Gameplay Experience (weight 0.78): Players consistently praise the game's fluid, fast-paced, and satisfying gameplay, highlighting its unique blend of familiar retro elements with fresh execution. The overall experience is described as enjoyable, challenging, and dynamic, with strong fundamentals in controls and movement.
- Immersive & Unique Atmosphere (weight 0.78): The game's brutal, gritty, and grotesque aesthetic, combined with its industrial, metal-influenced soundtrack, creates a deeply immersive and unsettling atmosphere. This unique visual and auditory presentation is a major draw, often compared to classic horror and FPS titles.
- Excellent Retro Shooter Homage (weight 0.73): The game is celebrated as a standout 'boomer shooter,' masterfully blending elements from classic FPS titles like Quake, Doom, and Dusk with modern innovations. It successfully captures the fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled action of 90s shooters while offering a fresh experience.
- Masterful Level Design & Art Direction (weight 0.66): Reviewers consistently commend the game's intricate, well-crafted, and visually striking level design, which is rich with secrets and environmental storytelling. The art direction is described as unique, disgusting, and beautiful, effectively blending retro graphics with body horror.
- Fair & Engaging Difficulty (weight 0.36): Players appreciate the game's challenging yet fair difficulty, noting that deaths rarely feel cheap and the save system, along with extra lives, adds tension without excessive punishment. The customizable difficulty options are also a plus.
- Fluid Movement Mechanics (weight 0.22): The game's movement system, including double-jump and speed boosts, is highly praised for being fluid, controllable, and phenomenal. It allows players to navigate levels and combat encounters with great agility and precision.

Common complaints:
- Frustrating Save/Checkpoint System (weight 0.92): Players are highly frustrated by the lack of quick saves, checkpoints, and autosave features, especially in long levels or during boss fights. This often leads to losing significant progress upon death or exiting the game, making the experience feel disrespectful of player time and discouraging exploration.
- Unsatisfying Level Design (weight 0.69): Many players find the level design confusing, unrewarding to explore, and often forgettable. Issues include maze-like layouts, repetitive visuals, narrow corridors, and a lack of strategic platforms for combat, leading to players getting lost and feeling bored.
- Poor Weapon Feel & Balance (weight 0.4): Weapons generally lack a satisfying feel, punch, and impactful sound design, making them feel weak or 'wimpy'. There are also concerns about weapon damage balance, inconsistent hitboxes, and an excessive number of keybinds for weapons.
- Weak Combat & Enemy Variety (weight 0.26): The combat experience is hampered by enemies that are not interesting or challenging, limited enemy variety, and a perceived lack of impact from weapons. This contributes to a bland 'hit and run' gameplay loop and an uninteresting difficulty curve.
- Technical & Quality of Life Issues (weight 0.25): Players reported several technical issues, including significant bugs, particularly during boss fights, and a lack of essential quality-of-life features like in-game keybind remapping, a weapon selection wheel, and proper mouse sensitivity settings.
- Unremarkable Overall Experience (weight 0.15): Despite some positive aspects, many players found the game to be generally unremarkable, with a mediocre story, subtle background music, and visuals that become monotonous. The game struggles to stand out among other titles in its genre.
- Visual & Audio Presentation Flaws (weight 0.13): The game's visual style, including its dirty palette and rough textures, can cause eye strain and readability issues. Additionally, sound effects and music are often described as mediocre or lacking impact, failing to enhance the gameplay experience.
- Movement Mechanics Need Refinement (weight 0.1): The double jump is often found to be insufficient or cumbersome, and air control can feel too floaty. Issues with jump pads causing a loss of vertical velocity also detract from the movement experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Difficulty Settings and Customization (weight 0.34): The game offers multiple difficulty settings, with players experiencing a range from enjoyable challenge to significant hurdles. There are also extensive customization options for gameplay speed, enemy projectile speed, and damage taken, allowing players to tailor their experience.
- Challenging and Varied Enemies (weight 0.3): Enemies are described as tanky, damaging, and a constant threat, regardless of player power. The roster is varied, with new enemy types introduced regularly, and some designed to overwhelm players, contributing to the hardcore gameplay focus.
- No Mid-Level Saves or Checkpoints (weight 0.29): Players frequently note the absence of mid-level saves, quick saves, or checkpoints, requiring a full level restart upon death. This design choice, while intentional, significantly impacts gameplay difficulty and player progression.
- Weapons with Alt-Fire Modes (weight 0.28): A significant feature is that every weapon in the arsenal comes with a unique alternate fire mode. These alt-fires provide diverse tactical options, from powerful single shots to area-of-effect attacks, enhancing combat versatility.
- Retro Shooter Gameplay Style (weight 0.23): The game is firmly categorized as an old-school 'boomer shooter,' drawing comparisons to titles like Quake and Painkiller. It emphasizes pure, fast-paced FPS action without complex modern features like skills or tactical elements, appealing to a specific niche.
- Moderate Game Length (weight 0.17): Players report the game's current length to be around 4-6 hours, typically spanning two episodes. This suggests a concise experience, with individual levels often lasting 15-30 minutes.
- Movement and Exploration (weight 0.15): The game features a double jump and sprint, allowing for accelerated movement and traversal of levels. Levels often include verticality, hidden places, and environmental storytelling, encouraging exploration.
- Early Access Status (weight 0.11): The game is currently in Early Access, indicating it is still under development and potentially unfinished. This context is important for understanding the current state and future potential of the game.
- Limited Combat Mechanics (weight 0.06): The game is noted for lacking certain modern shooter mechanics like dashes, projectile parrying, or iframes. Combat scenarios are generally not 'close the door and fight' arenas, focusing instead on continuous engagement.
- Varied Player Playtime (weight 0.05): Player feedback indicates a range of playtimes, from an hour to several hours, with some players restarting levels multiple times. This reflects individual playstyles and progression rates.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues at start (weight 0.03): Players experienced significant frame rate drops, specifically at the beginning of levels, with performance plummeting to 1-3 frames per second. This severely impacts the initial gameplay experience.

Recommendations:
- Mixed reception, general recommendation (weight 0.57): Player sentiment is divided, with many recommending the game for its aesthetic and potential, while others suggest waiting for further development or trying alternatives. Despite the mixed views, a significant portion finds it enjoyable and worth the price, especially for fans of the genre.
- Strong appeal to boomer shooter fans (weight 0.41): The game is highly recommended for fans of the 'boomer shooter' genre, especially those who enjoy retro FPS games and a specific aesthetic. Comparisons to games like DUSK and Quake are frequent, suggesting it caters to a niche but dedicated audience.
- Early Access considerations (weight 0.26): Many players advise caution due to the game being in Early Access. They recommend waiting for the full release or a sale, and to set expectations appropriately for an incomplete product. Some are willing to support the developer through Early Access.
- High anticipation for future content (weight 0.18): Players are very excited and eagerly awaiting future episodes, content, and the full release of the game. There's a strong desire to see the game develop and evolve, indicating a positive outlook on its potential.
- Save system is a divisive feature (weight 0.08): The current save system is a point of contention. Some players find it acceptable or even prefer it, while others strongly desire a more traditional mid-mission save system, suggesting it impacts their enjoyment and willingness to play.
- Accessibility and difficulty notes (weight 0.08): The game is noted to be challenging, potentially more suited for experienced players, but also manageable on easier difficulties. There's a suggestion for accessibility options like brightness adjustment or enemy outlines.
- Minor miscellaneous points (weight 0.07): These points include recommendations for the soundtrack, a desire for a demo, and a note about adjusting in-game sound. These are less critical but still contribute to the overall player experience.
- Wait for sale if price is a concern (weight 0.04): Some players suggest that if the current price is a deterrent, it's advisable to wait for a sale. This indicates that while the game is generally considered worth its price, a discount could broaden its appeal.

Other player notes:
- Incomplete Episodic Release (weight 0.12): The game is currently released in an episodic format, with two out of three planned episodes available. Players are anticipating the final episode, which is expected to complete the game's story and content.
- Rich Lore and World-building (weight 0.1): Despite its simplicity, the game features deep lore and small, fitting narrative bits that enhance its unique world. This contributes to a 'fever dream' like experience, blending dystopian body horror with artistic elements.
- Concise Gameplay Experience (weight 0.08): Players describe the game as relatively simple and short, offering approximately six hours of content. While some find it a good value, others might desire more extensive gameplay.
- Solo Developer's Vision (weight 0.06): The game is the creation of a solo developer, Sami 'SmoothBrain' Malaska, and represents their first foray into game development. This context is important for understanding the scope and ambition of the project.
- Affordable and Discounted (weight 0.06): The game is considered fairly cheap compared to other 'boomer shooters' and offers a discount for owners of 'Dusk'. This makes it an accessible option for many players.
- Community and Localization Issues (weight 0.04): There are mentions of issues within the English comment section, with some users mocking negative reviews related to save issues. Additionally, there's a comment suggesting the developer may not understand Chinese, hinting at potential localization challenges.
- Desire for Workshop Support (weight 0.02): One reviewer expressed a wish for Workshop Support to be implemented upon the game's full release. This suggests a desire for community-created content and modding capabilities.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.32): Players are highly satisfied with the game's core mechanics, including crisp, punchy gunplay, fluid movement, and well-designed levels. The dark, gritty aesthetic, immersive atmosphere, and brutal soundtrack also contribute significantly to a rewarding experience, often compared to classic shooters like Quake.
- Excitement (weight 0.16): Excitement stems from the game's overall high quality, its brutal and dark tone, and dynamic, adrenaline-inducing gameplay. Players are particularly thrilled by the satisfying weapons, unique art direction, and the game's potential, especially with updates and full releases.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Frustration primarily arises from the unforgiving save system, or lack thereof, which often leads to lost progress and forces players to replay long levels. Performance issues, confusing level design, and specific boss fight mechanics also contribute to player annoyance.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Disappointment is often linked to the game not meeting high expectations, particularly regarding weapon audio feedback and overall balance, making guns feel weak. Visual monotony, unengaging combat stretches, and the absence of a proper save system also detract from the experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Players express general enjoyment of the game's overall experience, highlighting its fun factor as a top-notch 'boomer shooter.' Specific elements like visuals, music, movement, and melee combat are frequently cited as sources of this enjoyment.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Anticipation is driven by the game's ongoing development, with players eagerly awaiting the full release, future episodes, and additional content. There's a strong desire to experience more of the game's world and story.
- Acceptance (weight 0.02): Players show acceptance of the game's challenging aspects, such as its 'jank' feel, punishing save system, and the potential to get lost in long levels. This acceptance often comes from hardcore players who appreciate the high difficulty and unique design choices.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is reported due to severe issues like terrible visuals, clunky controls, and game-breaking bugs such as clipping into the floor. The no-save design combined with difficult bosses also elicits strong negative reactions.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is directed towards the solo developer, with players frequently praising their amazing work, effort, and significant achievement in creating the game.
- Desire (weight 0.01): Players express a desire for more content, specifically more lore and additional save options, indicating a wish for expanded gameplay and improved quality-of-life features.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is focused on future improvements, particularly for the save system and the introduction of a level select feature. Players also hope for continued creativity in future episodes and more releases from the developer.
- Stress (weight 0.01): Stress is experienced due to the game's high difficulty and the level restart mechanic, which can be intense but is sometimes described as a 'good stress' by players who enjoy the challenge.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arises from combat feeling like a chore and long, unengaging stretches between combat encounters, especially when facing basic enemies.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express strong affection for the game overall, indicating a deep appreciation for its various elements and the experience it provides.
- Fatigue (weight 0.01): Fatigue is reported due to prolonged exposure to elements like long English text and a persistent red screen, as well as the overall demanding experience of the game.
- Neutrality (weight 0.01): Neutrality is expressed by players who find the game competent but ultimately unremarkable, noting aspects like visuals and difficulty options without strong positive or negative feelings.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe is inspired by the game's unique pixelated style, impressive level geometry, and stunning soundtrack, which collectively create a powerful aesthetic experience.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy is derived from actively playing the game, particularly from jamming to the music, fluidly moving through levels, and the nostalgic feeling reminiscent of classic shooters like Duke Nukem and Quake.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players show appreciation for the game's aesthetic, soundtrack, and the developer's efforts. The atmosphere, enemy design, and combat flow are also highly valued.
- Intrigue (weight 0.01): Intrigue is sparked by the game's strange, nightmarish environments, dream-like logic, and unique aesthetic, which create a captivating and mysterious world.}