You are part of a scientific expedition to the planet Regis III. Embroiled in a space race you will discover mind-boggling new life and anomalies. However, things don’t quite go to plan, and you’ll soon be on a rescue mission searching for your missing crew. As you search for potential survivors you will explore stunning landscapes and strange and ancient structures. Something isn’t quite adding up here and you’re going to find out what.
Platforms: PC – Steam, Epic Store, GOG, PS5, Xbox One Series S&X
Players: 1
Genres: Mystery, Scifi, Adventure
Developer: Starward Industries
Price: £24.99
Steam Deck Verified
The Invincible Review
Loosely based on the book of the same name written by Stanislaw Lem and published in 1964, The Invincible is an Atompunk adventure full of retro beautiful sci-fi with distinctive styling. Many would describe it as a walking simulator and I’d say that’s accurate. A lot of time is spent wandering around and interacting with bits and bobs whilst being fed dialogue and having conversations. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s uninteresting. The story is engaging and well voice acted throughout. Yasna – the character you play, is headstrong, smart, and determined. She wants to help her crewmates and will do what is necessary when the time calls for it.
As for the planet Regis III it’s a weird place, there are clear signs that life used to exist here, with some still around. But there’s also some very strange ‘fauna’ now growing there. This fauna has caused a massive shift in the ecology of the planet. Part of your journey will be investigating what has happened here and perhaps how or why. But you aren’t the only ones looking to do some serious science. Another group appears to have beaten you to the punch. Friend, foe, or something in between is something you will try to discover as you progress.
Atompunk
The strongest part of The Invincible is its aesthetic. Despite the fact that most of Regis III is covered in sand I still found myself stopping and staring at the scenery at almost every new turn. Rolling dunes meander across the surface whilst rust-red mountains pierce the skyline as you traverse craggy outcrops and descend into rocky caverns strewn with metallic plant life and bizarre structures formed from pipes that you’re unsure whether they’ve grown there or been built. It’s weird and it’s striking and looks fantastic throughout.
But it’s the Atompunk machinery that I really dig. It’s big, it’s clunky and perfectly encapsulates how ‘the future’ was depicted back in the ’60s. Consoles are bulky with awkward buttons and dials. Your space suit looks retro as hell. The robots look crudely built. Additionally, you have a pack full of clunky tools that you can whip out to scan items or follow beacons. Each element of the environment and piece of technology looks brilliant and helps to fully immerse you in this version of the future.
To go with all of the brilliant visuals you also have a wonderful soundtrack by Brunon Lubas. Full of eerie synths it sets a beautiful tone throughout the game.
An Excellent Romp
The expedition and rescue mission starts as the main heart of the game. Investing Regis III and finding your crew. However, as you progress more and more questions crop up. How and why is this other team here without you knowing? What secrets is Regis III hiding? Do you even want to know… It is a gripping story and each moment wills you forward to delve deeper into the mystery. Not wanting to spoil any of the story it’s hard to talk about it in too much detail.
In terms of the gameplay, I suppose it is fairly simplistic. You don’t interact with too much. There isn’t anything like puzzle-solving. For the most part, you are interacting with a few items that fill in some plot points or open up new dialogues as you explore areas.
That being said, there are 11 different endings. This means a lot of your choices on what you say, where you look, or even where you don’t will impact your outcome. However, it’s hard to pinpoint all of the choices and subsequent consequences that lead to these endings. Therefore, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Just enjoy the ride and go with your gut. Additionally, some of the save points are fairly spread out so it’s not like you can even easily reload a section to try a different outcome.
The Invincible is a stunning-looking game that backs up the brilliant style with an engaging story full of surprises. However, if you’re not a fan of walking sim games then this might not be the one for you.
-Will
