DIG THAT: I AM ALIVE

SYSTEMS | XBOX 360
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER | UBISOFT
RELEASE DATE | 4.4.2012

Video game protagonists tend to be like super heroes. They have unlimited strength, stamina, and can recover from life-threatening injuries with just a little rest (because that’s how science works!). Playing as these characters is fun … but sometimes I like to play as that Everyman. One that can’t jump, can’t fight, and gets tired. It’s a completely different experience.

The main draw, then, to I Am Alive is that the mechanics are based around realism.

For one, our hero—a man trying to find his family in a post-apocalyptic metropolis—actually has limitations. He can collapse if you exert him too much, which means that each of the various platforming sections becomes a matter of timing and strategy. You get very little weaponry, so you have to use intimidation (if not straight bluffing) to trick a hostile.

The game is less about body count and more about the choices you make and survival tactics, which is an original take on a genre riddled with shooting monsters.

The game isn’t perfect, especially considering some jarring unrealistic elements, and various technical bugs, but I Am Alive‘s uniqueness might just be worth your $15.