Set against the backdrop of the horrific World War I, Ad Infinitum is a pay-to-play indie game from Hekate and Nacon that explores how the war tore a family apart. In this survival horror title, you get to play from the first-person perspective of Paul von Schmitt, a young German soldier grappling with the tormenting effects of the war on himself and his family.

Interestingly, Ad Infinitum’s settings are divided into two significant locations—the ravaged battlefield and the von Schmitt family home. There are four chapters to the story and it intensely deals with nightmarish creatures, depictions of violence, gore, PTSD, and more.

Explore the fate of the von Schmitt family

Each section of Ad Infinitum’s story begins in some part of the family home. You have to scavenge and look for important information contained in documents, notes, and puzzles. Through that, you will be able to piece together the story of how the war has affected a certain family member and what has strained their relationship with the other relatives.

After that, you get sent to No Man’s Land—a narrow strip of land between two forces and trench lines—where the afflictions manifest in the form of unspeakable, hideous beasts. While your character is armed with a handy pickaxe and a rifle, active combat will not take place at any point in the story. Instead, you will be given certain tasks to complete or significant items to obtain in order to clear an area.

There are checkpoints from time to time, as well, and these will save you from having to start over a level if you get mauled. The sound and ambiance contribute to a spine-chilling experience and the graphics are truly well-done and well-detailed. However, encountering bugs is rather common as your character is prone to getting stuck in some areas and some prompts fail to get triggered on time.

Worthwhile despite the cons

Packed with a gripping, poignant storyline that unravels the threads of loss, trauma, and grief within a war-stricken family, Ad Infinitum proves to be more than your typical survival horror game. The dual-setting premise allows you to explore a mansion shrouded in mystery and filled with secrets and plunges you headlong into the trenches of the Great War. If you look past the technical glitches and the vivid themes, it is worth checking out.