Elementor #5976

Readers of Stanislaw Lem’s prose are well aware of the challenges faced by adaptations of this iconic Polish writer, especially those of a visual nature. His departure from recognizable elements of science fiction and focus on developing more abstract concepts and ideas instead of depicting events inevitably implies an adaptation accompanied by greater creative freedom for authors undertaking such endeavours.

While such efforts generally tend to be more unsuccessful than successful, Starward Industries managed to capture the “spirit” of the original text, The Invincible, quite well and transfer it into the medium of video games. Simultaneously, the title is attuned to the sensibilities of today’s pop culture, resulting in a tense first-person science fiction thriller that propels players forward both through its events and ideas.

The Story of The Invincible

Visually and mechanically, The Invincible undeniably resembles Firewatch; at first glance, perhaps even too much. A wild but beautiful terrain, map in hand, backpack on the back, a mysterious event to investigate, an established radio connection with a character you can’t see, only hear – all are recognizable elements of Firewatch. You’ll likely deduce that you are playing a new science fiction title, not Firewatch because you are not in the midst of an American forest but on the surface of an unknown planet. Additionally, you play as a female crew member of a ship that arrives to explore the planet in question.

While The Invincible lacks the freshness and originality in a presentation that would immediately catch the eye, it gradually develops its identity by elaborating on the well-known foundations set by Firewatch. As you explore the planet and try to determine what happened to the rest of the crew while witnessing various bizarre events, the radio conversations address topics Lem wrote about, maintaining relevance even today. These dialogues are crucial because much of what happens in The Invincible is on the verge of the unexplained – simply witnessing these events would likely not mean much to you. Through dialogue, the perception of the situation slowly crystallizes, striking a good balance between what we see and what everyone is saying.

The Gameplay

You, as players, will have a particular influence on understanding and developing the situation by choosing different dialogue options and making choices. It’s important to note that although you spend a significant amount of time in radio contact in The Invincible, you are fundamentally alone on the planet, so each decision can prove crucial for successful survival.

While The Invincible is essentially a linear game, the consequences of choices and story variations are tangible enough to make you think about what to say or do. The Invincible is one of those games about which it’s hard to say much about the story without revealing too much. It starts very slowly and initially resembles a classic psychological thriller/horror, but things become more complex, raising interesting scientific and philosophical questions.

However, such a dynamic story contrasts the simple mechanics of gameplay, which largely remain the same throughout the game. As a result, the tension in the story must be in the gameplay itself. Also, except for the long-distance conversations, crucial to the title’s identity, most of the remaining mechanics must be developed and integrated into the game.

The Tools

For example, although you use various retro SF devices to find specific items, dig through the wreckage of broken robots and machines for remaining data, drive a car, fix things, etc., all these activities primarily serve a functional role in advancing the story rather than being interesting in themselves. Therefore, The Invincible could be better in moments when the emphasis is on this type of gameplay, which can be overly meticulous and too detail-oriented, leading to an uneven pace of the story during these parts.

The Invincible In Conclusion

Despite these shortcomings, The Invincible still fulfills its main goal relatively well: to “translate” Stanislaw Lem’s ideas into an interactive medium. If you appreciate games where the story takes precedence and gameplay is secondary, you will likely love this title. Given The Invincible’s flaws and qualities, its current duration of around 6-7 hours is ideal for the type of experience this game offers.

There are some mild moments of violence, but they’re throughout the title. You will find some corpses due to tragedies occurring on the planet, but there’s no blood or gore shown. We would only recommend this game to kids younger than 13, as it can get intense.

If you want to play a completely different game with a more straightforward story, try Super Mario RPG.