(Review) The Invincible

Details:

Developed by: Starward Industries

Published by: 11 Bit Studios

Initial Release Date: 6th November 2023

Platforms: PC (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5

Genre(s): Adventure, narrative-driven

Modes: Single player

When we talk about adaptations in media, the most common form of adaptation usually being discussed is either a book to film, or a video game to film rendition. Very rarely do you find other types of cases, save for a few exceptions here and there; The Walking Dead started as a comic, for example.

This is what makes The Invincible a unique topic, because here we have a book written in 1963 that’s been adapted into a video game 60 years later. I haven’t read the book, but I’ve played through the game, and I’ve done my research into the original story and how the two compare. My conclusion? What we have here is not just compelling sci-fi, it’s also something utterly unique.

We've seen a lot of desert planets throughout sci-fi media, but Regis III feels special. It's remote, and so utterly quiet. Both pretty and terrifying in equal measure.

An Ancient Discovery

The Invincible novel was first published in 1963 by Polish author Stanisław Lem, a writer known for creating all kinds of sci-fi stories of varying natures. He usually wrote stories of a satirical nature, but other works such as The Invincible are a bit more on the serious side. Some of his other publications include Solaris and The Cyberiad. 

I won’t really be delving into the book for this review, nor will I be comparing the two products for a couple of reasons. Firstly, like I said before, I haven’t read the book, so I won’t pretend to be an expert. And secondly, this is a review solely for the game and nothing else.

All I will say in relation to the book is that Starward Industries’ take is a rather accurate reinterpretation of the events from the original story based on my current understanding of my research. The main differences are character names and events added by the game makers. It’s a pretty close adaptation, and a great amount of care has been taken to avoid disregarding the source material in any way.

The nostalgia-infused retro artistic vision is the special ingredient that makes The Invincible shine, and it's hard not to notice it.

In fact, a lot of the presentation of The Invincible feels like a love letter to the time when Stanisław wrote it. There is a strong, retro sci-fi feel that permeates in every single aspect of the game. What people in the 1950s and 60s imagined the future would look like, with regard to not just the technology but the design aesthetics, is reflected here in how the game portrays itself. 

Not only does this vibe give it a significant sense of identity, it’s also something new. Since novels are constrained when it comes to visually showcasing their worlds, video games don’t have that restriction, allowing the developers the ability to create a unique style that’s befitting of the original story and is able to carve its own identity. It’s a very purposeful decision, and it works to remarkable effect since it’s what I will remember most about the game.

Yes, there are robots here too. As well as your team, there was a much bigger group from a rival faction who came here to investigate the planet. All you find, however, are their remnants.

Despite being an old story, nothing about it resembles a dated concept. The ideas, of which I cannot go into great detail to avoid spoilers, still make for compelling science fiction even by the expectations of the genre today. 

You play as Yasna, an astrobiologist part of a team conducting a mission that makes a diversion to Regis III, a desert world harbouring a great number of secrets. Only at some point the mission goes horribly wrong, and the crew become separated. 

Alas, in the opening chapters of The Invincible, almost everything I just said is completely unknown to you. Yasna wakes up on this planet, alone in the middle of nowhere, with no recollection of how she came to be there. Unable to establish communication with any of her crew, she sets out to investigate her surroundings.

Before long, she’s able to get in touch with Novik, her mission commander. He’s still in orbit around the planet on the Dragonfly, their ship. He serves as Yasna’s eye in the sky, but also as her advisor. Despite being her boss, Yasna realises pretty early on that there is nothing he can do to stop her doing things her own way.

If I haven't hammered on enough about the game's aesthetic, this picture encapsulates it perfectly. This is exactly what you should expect to see throughout your journey.

Nevertheless, they are both dead set on finding their missing crew, and this is where things start to become very strange. She stumbles on a small base after using her tracker to locate nearby signals. When trudging through makeshift habitats, she finds one of them, only, he’s a little out of sorts.

He is barely responsive. Although conscious, he doesn’t pay attention to anything Yasna is saying. He speaks, but what he’s saying is unintelligible. In a way, it seems like he has the mental capacity of a toddler, and yet there are no clear signs as to what is actually wrong and how he ended up this way.

Yasna has her own theories, which she discusses frequently on many other topics, but without anything concrete, it’s all speculation. All she knows is that she needs to find other members of her crew, and then find a way to send them into orbit and off the planet for good.

Naturally, things go wrong, and the longer Yasna stays on Regis III, the more questions she finds instead of answers. What happened to this planet? How did her colleagues get separated? How did she lose her memory of what happened to her?

An example of some of the weird things Yasna comes across in the early chapters of the game. What is the purpose of these structures ?

This isn’t even mentioning all the weird things Yasna comes across on her travels. Her being an astrobiologist is something that’s integral to the story, because you do come across remnants of something that may have lived here long ago. The concepts that the story delves into are unique, just as they were in the book back in its heyday, and the way the game illustrates these ideas makes the mystery as a whole even more fascinating to solve. 

Nevertheless, your findings are profound enough to spark countless conversations between Yasna and Novik. This is also where The Invincible might drive a wedge in its player base. When I say it is a dialogue-heavy game, I mean that there is a LOT of talking. Whether it’s Yasna mumbling to herself, Novik giving updates or opinions on Yasna’s discoveries, or the two of them debating or arguing. 

It can be a bit overbearing at times. There were a few instances where I would wait for them to finish before progressing because I didn’t want to risk cutting off the current conversation with the next dialogue sequence. It wasn’t a big deal, but The Invincible is a pretty immersive game; until moments like that happen, and then it turns a bit comedic.

Dialogue choices are abundant in The Invincible, and they can dictate the pace of some chapters. You are given a surprising amount of freedom to approach situations in variable ways.

When approached as a narrative-driven experience, I think this design decision makes sense. You are constantly presented with interesting ideas, and Yasna and Novik are given room to discuss them in a way that lets everyone understand and digest the events of the game. Since The Invincible has an emphasis on scientific realism, there’s a lot of technical information in some of these exchanges, so hard sci-fi nerds like me will feel right at home here.

In truth, the excessive dialogue didn’t bother me because I really enjoyed the story. I can compare it a lot to Firewatch. You’re isolated, your only social companion is through a radio, you make dialogue choices that, unlike Firewatch, do have a significant impact on the way the narrative progresses. For fans of that type of experience, The Invincible is made for you.

Other-Worldly, Yet Familiar

Speaking of Firewatch, you have probably already noticed a graphical similarity between the two games by now. The colour scheme and environment design feel extremely evocative of Firewatch’s visual appeal. Could this be Firewatch in space?

One of my favourite screenshots I have taken. It looks like a postcard from a hit holiday destination. For a place that feels dead, it is remarkably pretty to look at.

At times, it’s just as relaxing as well. The idea of waking up on a different planet with no recollection of how you got there is terrifying, but the place feels peaceful and far away from anything else. The moment Yasna wakes up, the sun is shining, and the way the light reflects off the planet’s surface gives off a warm and vibrant feel.

It also manages to retain an underlying sense of dread. Your surroundings are pretty, even if it’s just rocks and desert, but they have a way of making you feel very small. You're usually encircled by large cliffs and rocky overhangs, meaning there are plenty of places where somebody could be watching you from.

The result of all of this is a sense of permeating unease that you don’t always notice is there. There’s a comfort in being alone and isolated, but when you begin to uncover things that raise safety concerns, it becomes less of a field trip and more of a question of how far down the belly of the beast you are.

The contrast between this and the last picture is striking to say the least. For all you know, anything could be up there watching you.

This isn’t the only thing that makes The Invincible’s atmosphere as special as it is. By far my favourite aspect of this game is the retro futuristic sci-fi aesthetic. It’s built into the structures and machines you come across, it’s crafted into the tools and equipment, it’s baked into the lighting and tuned into the sound design.

Everywhere you look you will see it and, in my opinion, it’s a defining trait of The Invincible. It’s a hallmark and a token of respect to the original story and the time period it was made while also serving as a strong edge for the game to stand out. There aren’t many experiences that have this look, and Starward Industries were counting on that.

It all feels weirdly nostalgic, even though it’s for a time long before mine. There’s a classic charm to it all that made me want to pay more careful attention to my surroundings than I normally would for a game of this calibre. 

Despite being far in the future, all the technology you see in The Invincible feels limited in some way. Think of computer interfaces in Star Wars or Alien, for example. You flew here on a spaceship, but surveillance footage exists in the form of serialised print-out pictures.

The only time you get to see the inside of the Dragonfly. It's a brief scene, but it tells you a lot of what living in the world of The Invincible would look like.

Equipment in general is crude, but effective. Sensors will tell you there’s a signal ahead of you, but not much else. The rustic elements on all the objects you interact with aren’t solely a result of your desert surroundings, they’re just built that way. If it works, that’s good enough.

Architecturally, it all feels distinctly Soviet, and that’s obviously due to when this story was originally made. Machines and habitats have simplified designs that almost feel like they’re supposed to be unremarkable, and yet that sentiment is what makes them iconic.

Environments consist of deserts, caves, canyons and open, rocky plains. They don’t contain a lot, but their size, something I’ll get into in a bit, is what makes them noteworthy. A particular detail I like is the game’s use of colour, which beautifully showcases The Invincible’s aesthetics, and it’s what makes every frame a worthy screenshot. 

Had to make a pit stop so I could take a picture of this lovely rock formation. Plenty of sightseeing locations like this in the game.

Sometimes it looks too good, something that becomes quickly apparent when the game starts stuttering and freezing. This occurs a lot more in some of the bigger environments where there is more detail to render. 

As a result, some levels feel more of a drag to play through than they should do. Depending on what you want from a video game, however, it might not just be the performance issues that hold it down for you.

Beginner's Expedition

I described The Invincible earlier as best approached as a narrative-driven experience, and that’s a statement that should be kept in mind when playing. It’s an experience defined by its story and atmosphere more than anything else, which is why those two aspects are its triumphs.

At no point would I suggest that the gameplay is on the same level. I would describe the mechanics as run-of-the-mill at best. I wouldn’t go on the offensive and say they are bad in any way, they’re just serviceable.

It’s not an unremarkable gameplay experience, it just doesn’t ask much from you. You are thrown into a mystery, the atmosphere is what keeps you hooked. Instead of taking a risk by having a lot of required input from the player, the modus operandi consists of: sit down, listen to the story, press that button when you need to. 

A big chunk of the gameplay is looking for highlighted spots to report to Novik, proceeded by talking about said spots.

I don’t like using the term walking simulator, as it comes across to me as derogatory in most contexts, but in the case for The Invincible, it’s not an entirely faraway suggestion to make. Most of the time spent in the game is walking, or jogging. You investigate places, then Yasna and Novik talk about what’s going on.

Investigations are not that in-depth either. You are essentially clicking on points of interest. To provide some credit, dialogue choices can affect the flow of conversations, which provides some variety, and there are multiple endings that are reached based on things you say and actions you take.

I mentioned tools in the previous section, and these range from sensors to metal detection. Again, these contribute to exploration and uncovering important pieces of information, but their uses are incredibly streamlined. There isn’t much to learn in a mechanical sense, and that’s something that can be stretched to The Invincible as a whole.

The metal detector in action. It's a very simple tool to use, but it can only be used in certain instances. It's cool to look at, though!

Traversal is where things vary the most. Since you’re navigating rocky terrain, you’ll sometimes need to climb up to higher ground. Again, this is another action that is simplified; you only have to hold the ‘w’ key. The same goes for shimmying alongside a wall.

What I did appreciate was the variety in level design. Despite what suggestions my words may imply, I didn’t mind the basic movement mechanics because each location is fun to travel through. There’s a wide spectrum of environments that range from claustrophobic mazes to grand expanses of rock and sand.

Naturally, because of their size, walking becomes an unrealistic option. This made the discovery of the rover a victorious moment in the game. It controls well, and it provides a nice change of pace. I liked that you could switch perspectives on it too. Third-person is the most convenient, but first-person definitely adds that extra bit of immersion.

Imagine having to walk through this place. The rover is a lifesaver. It's also a very cute little thing, seriously look at it.

A part of me wishes The Invincible had more surprises like this. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of shocking introductions, but they’re almost exclusively within the narrative. In its defence, the game does officially describe itself as story-driven, so it’s not like there’s any internal conflict about what it wants to be. 

It’s a strange dilemma for me because, on the one hand, I immensely enjoy games like this. I am an avid fan of titles that people call ‘walking simulators’. On the other hand, I can recognise things that can be better, even by tweaking them in small amounts, like adding an extra input for the player when interacting with objects. 

Do you enjoy the things you are given and appreciate them, or do you spend time looking at how those things could be different and risk sullying your experience? I imagine it’s a dilemma many people playing this game will bump into at some point in their playthrough.   

Final Thoughts

The Invincible is a prime example of judging something as a whole package. This isn’t to say that rough patches should be overlooked, but it’s important to realise the bigger picture. In this case, what we have is a remarkable story built on top of basic foundations. 

While it’s not a new story, it’s a fantastic retelling that pays respect to its roots and implants new aspects that enhance it even further. Despite its colourful exterior, it knows when to put you on edge in a way that is both extremely clever and highly effective. 

For fans of the original story, I imagine seeing it visualised for the first time is quite the feeling. More book to game adaptations would certainly be a welcome suggestion.

There might be a lot of chatting, but those who are really into their sci-fi will likely see it as the perfect nerd conversation, (I am one of those nerds). Its retro-inspired aesthetic is beautifully presented in every aspect of the game, from the way that it sounds to the way it feels to play.

I do think more could’ve been done to ground me even more into its immersive world, even if it was just having the chance to dig my fingers into the sand a bit more, but what’s there serves its purpose effectively enough. 

I was introduced to a classic sci-fi story, one that was retold by a talented team of people who put an obvious amount of care and passion into getting it right, and for that, I will be forever grateful to have played it.      

Final Rating:

Pros:

-Compelling story with likeable characters

-Strong connection to the source material

-Impeccable retro sci-fi atmosphere

-Beautiful visual style with some fantastic environments

-Wonderful soundtrack

Cons:

-Bit too dialogue heavy at times

-Performance issues (stutters, occasional freezes)

-Run-of-the-mill gameplay mechanics

Score: 8/10