Retro-futuristic atompunk technology and machinery feels real and believable.
The narrative is well written and engaging.
The run time doesn’t over stay its welcome, wrapping up in less than 8 hours.
Players can record information discovered on Regis III in Dr. Yasna’s astrojournal.
Easy to replay narrative branches to experience different outcomes.
Character and vehicle movement is painfully slow.
Lack of waypoints and limited visual indicators can leave you lost or looping areas without progress.
Players can record information discovered on Regis III in Dr. Yasna’s astrojournal.
Disclaimer:This review was made possible by a review code provided by 11 Bit Studios.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
What is The Invincible?
The landscapes of The Invincible are sure to make the player pause and look on in awe.
With Novik’s guidance, players will be forced to make decisions for Yasna that result in narrative branches.
The Invincible features multiple endings that are directly affected by the player’s choices.
Can you find your missing crew and discover what is growing beneath the surface of Regis III?
Unreal Engine is good at a lot of things, but hair is not one of them.
Even when the game became soft-locked it did not crash, stutter or have any other issue.
I was still able to pause and navigate the menus.
To alleviate the soft-lock, I just had to pause and choose to restart the checkpoint.
The Invincible’s checkpoints are frequent, and only a few seconds were lost the two times this occurred.
In sandy areas, players can turn around to see a lone pair of footprints marking their trail.
Vehicles, campsites, and living quarters are crafted in incredible detail.
Getting lost can be a nightmare when the landscape all looks the same.
Animations, too, are given careful attention to detail.
Even just navigating through Yasna’s astrojournal triggers smooth animations of the pages being turned.
It’s better to focus on the achievement of the environmental design than the character models with this one.
Giant metal spider things that shoot lasers? Check.
Yasna awakens at the beginning of the game following a brief moment of memory loss, confused and alone.
My primary issue with The Invincible is Yasna’s slow pace.
I get it, she’s an astronaut on a distant planet wearing a heavy space suit.
Accessibility settings in The Invincible.
It makes sense for her to move slowly.
It’s okay to expand that disbelief and put a little extra pep in Yasna’s step.
You’re left to rely on Yasna’s audio and behavior cues for that.
Being stranded on an arid planet overcome with evolving metal flora is terrifying.
The second issue with The Invincible’s gameplay is the absence of a mini-map or waypoints.
Because the game is centered on exploration, it is expected of the player to just roam freely.
It can also be easy to miss side stories that are hidden away without any markers or indicators.
The game is narrative-focused with an emphasis on the exploration of the planet, making it very approachable.
The game is meant to be played at your pace and on your terms.
There is also the option to increase the font size of the subtitles.
You’re not going to be engaging in magic-infused battles with giant robot overlords.
You’re not even going to walk at a brisk pace, for that matter.
That slower gameplay is ultimately fine but it’s not for everyone.
