The Invincible (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): November 6, 2023
- Release Date (EU): November 6, 2023
- Publisher: 11 bit studios
- Developer: Starward Industries
- Genres: adventure, exploration, walking simulator
- Also For: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
The Invincible begins with astrobiologist Dr. Yasna waking up after an apparent fall while on an expedition on the unexplored planet Regis III. As she attempts to get her bearings, she realises that she cannot fully recall recent events that led her to her current location and cannot communicate with her spaceship Dragonfly.
However, Yasna manages to piece together part of her current objective from her journal notes and figures out that she needs to find the other crew members of the Dragonfly on Regis III who haven’t been responding. As she sets off to investigate the disappearance of her crewmates, she learns more about the alien planet she has landed on, makes unexpected scientific discoveries and inches closer to danger…
A majestic atompunk alien planet
Well before its release, I was already drawn to The Invincible’s atompunk-style aesthetics; and I was thrilled to find that the actual game didn’t disappoint. Regis III’s landscapes from desert areas to its caves to its temporary human settlements offer scenes that can each serve as individual wallpapers. The retrofuture depiction is on point, with detailed elements crafted that expertly depict the style’s interweaving of past and future aesthetics. The whole game feels as if you’re walking across a retro space ad.
The Invincible’s sci-fi thriller presentation is hammered in with the atmospheric, droning score composed by Brunon Lubas. The soundtrack is tightly knitted within the gameplay to elevate the experience with a cinematic touch. If they decide to release the game’s score on LPs (and I hope they do!), I’m definitely getting a copy.
Atmospheric walking sim
The gameplay further enables you to take in its stunning vistas as it features minimal to no HUD that makes for an immersive experience. Interactive elements are indicated with an icon, which can range from opening doors to reporting your findings to Novik, the Dragonfly’s Astrogator (space navigator), when you eventually regain comms. There are some actions you can perform at will such as running, viewing your journal and using your metal detector. But actions remain limited as the game is mostly linear and doesn’t allow you to wander (or even jump at will) across Regis III.
Indeed, The Invincible is best described as a “walking sim” as you guide Yasna along her quest to find her missing crewmates and explore Regis III. It is also notably combat-free and features minimal puzzle solving. This might be divisive for players looking for a more challenging or free-roaming experience.
However, I was perfectly content with Starward Industries’ gameplay design as it makes for a more focused experience. It’s also respectful of your time, clocking at around 6 hours, while still offering a captivating experience. The Invicible’s main draw is equal parts its stunning atompunk presentation and sci-fi narrative. The latter is captivating, with thriller elements that kept me hooked to the game wanting to learn what happened to Yasna’s crewmates as well as uncover the secrets of Regis III. The more tense and dangerous sections kept me on my toes, feelings which were enhanced by the soundtrack. It also offers some branching paths and narrative options during conversations that get you to learn more about the game’s universe and characters. In addition, there are alternate endings that can entice replays. That said, the storyline can be a bit slow-paced but I found that this helps build on the atmosphere and help you settle in Regis III.
The Invincible: an incredible narrative-focused game?
While I found the streamlined gameplay and level design appropriate for the title, there are some downsides to it. For example, some objectives can be occasionally unclear and having an on-screen indicator would have helped in these situations but the game’s minimal HUD does not offer such indicators, only general locations from the journal. However, these instances don’t last very long as the game is quite linear which helps in this regard.
However, I had major gripes with one gameplay element in particular: sprinting. While it’s mentioned that you can get Yasna to pick up her pace by pressing RB, very often I could not see any increase in speed even when pressing RB. Sometimes it does work but at other times it does. Yasna’s stamina also limits how far you can continue running, but due to the lack of HUD you cannot gauge if Yasna has enough stamina or not to run, or if the game isn’t registering RB input.
Even if the narrative is overall strong and compelling, some beats are underdeveloped. For example, we don’t learn much about The Alliance, which is an apparent opposing space-faring group to Yasna’s own, until later. But even before we do, Yasna is provided dialogue choices about them when you don’t have much reason to be for or against them.
I could however overlook these downsides in favour of what The Invincible had to offer: a gripping, narrative-focused sci-fi thriller. As a fan of sci-fi genre and narrative-focused games, I was immersed in the experience, especially with its unique atompunk atmosphere and excellent score. Fans of narrative-focused games will find in The Invincible a compelling, maybe incredible, experience, even if it is devoid of challenges. It goes to show that Starward Industries expertly handled the adaptation of Stanisław Lem’s book to the gaming medium.
The Invincible | Launch Trailer
Verdict
- Stunning atompunk-styled environment
- Original and gripping plot
- Excellent audio score that adds to the sci-fi thriller aspect
- Some story beats are underdeveloped
- Lack of challenge can be divisive
- Issues with activating Yasna’s sprint
