The Invincible (2023) Space Thriller Review

Game adaptations of popular literary works do not often please fans, and really high-quality ones can be counted on fingers. This time we have a unique case: Polish publisher 11bit and Starward Industries studio decided to make a full-fledged adaptation of the popular science fiction novel “The Invincible” by cult science fiction writer Stanislav Lem. Gamers are promised an interesting experience of space exploration and a deep plot based on the original novel. However, not everything is as great as the developers claimed. Let’s go to the deserted Regis III and break down all the key aspects of the game.

About the game

The Invincible is a retro-futuristic first-person sci-fi thriller where the player has to explore the space expanses of the unknown planet Regis III and find a missing expedition of scientists. The game has a fascinating atmosphere, a unique plot permeated with deep philosophical reflections and meditative gameplay. In addition, the novelty is created on the engine Unreal Engine 5, so it will pleasantly impress gamers with excellent graphics. The online casino australia real money also publish games with a similar plot.

Plot

The events of the game unfold on the deserted planet Regis III, where with a research mission went with a giant flagship “Condor”, which soon stopped communicating. The ship “Invincible” was sent to search for it. The plot of the game is based on the novel of the same name, but with some amendments.

All the characters are invented by the developers, but in another the plot of the novel is completely repeated. Sometimes the game in general turns into a loose prequel to the literary work. The game is designed for 6 hours of gameplay. There are at least 11 finales in The Invincible, some of them radically different from each other, and that’s really cool.

Gameplay

For most of the game we will be exploring the planet, walking or using a rover on the trail of a missing expedition. From time to time the player needs to use the scanner and locators to find the passing places of the missing scientists. An unusual and probably the main mechanic is Yasna’s communication with the remaining Captain Novik in orbit.

The conversations are interesting to watch, because they additionally immerse you in the atmosphere and often take place on various philosophical and practical topics. We will touch on this aspect separately in our review. The only significant disadvantage of the game is the too low movement speed of Yasna, which is sometimes well very slow.

Regis III

The landscapes of the desert planet Regis III are really amazing in their beauty. Unreal Engine 5 continues to do wonders and produce simply fantastic visuals. Locations in the game are essentially corridor-like, with an open world simulation. Each of them, especially the parking spots, are unique with meticulously detailed environments.

Navigation in the game is also made qualitatively, it is always clear to you where the next target is. However, not everything is so great, sometimes during the journey there are branching paths that end with a dead end or an invisible wall. Such shortcomings happen regularly, but these flaws are not critical.

Deep, scientific themes

The game tackles complex and deep themes that are skilfully wrapped up in the genre of scientific retrofuturism. During her quest, Jasna attempts to understand fundamentally different life forms, speculates on the nature of their evolution and the validity of human intervention in it, all as in the original novel.

On these and other topics, the heroine actively discusses with Captain Novik. The conversations of the heroes are full of scientific terms and successfully complement the general futuristic context of the game. Nevertheless, The Invincible does not impose its own opinion, but gives the player space for his own thoughts on these and other philosophical topics.

Verdict

Well, The Invincible is definitely not a game for everyone, some may find it boring or too measured. However, the main thing about it is different: incredible space scenery, great animation, deep story, imbued with adult, philosophical themes, written by the outstanding Polish sci-fi writer Lem. All this together with meditative gameplay will give you a fascinating experience of a space explorer, despite some shortcomings of the game. The novelty has a fairly high-quality localisation, which only adds to its score. We boldly recommend the game for passing. The Invincible is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S.

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