The Invincible PS5 Review – The Invincible is based on the 1964 book of the same name, and follows a space crew stranded on a desert planet while trying to find a way off and survive the dangers it poses. I have never read the book, so I can’t speak to how well it adapts its narrative, but my experience with the game left me intrigued with a desire to read the book.
The Invincible PS5 Review
A Compelling Narrative That Kept Me Going
You take on the role of Yasna, a medical doctor, as she awakens on the desert planet of Regis III. With mild amnesia, she sets off to find her base and her crew mates. The early parts of the game have Yasna talking to herself, trying to compose her thoughts. Later, she contacts Novick, the group leader, as he remains on the spaceship Dragonfly in the orbit of Regis III.
Though the dynamic between the two is outstanding, and the voice work is excellent, I did have one issue. The audio level for Novick is abysmal, and it’s almost impossible to hear him even with the sound turned up. I had a lot of issues understanding what he was saying and relayed mostly on the subtitles from him.
The story itself is a compelling one as you try and find out what happened to your crew. As you explore, you find members completely catatonic and some even dead. What led to them losing their lives and falling into a catatonic state? These are some of the mysteries that befall Yasna. The other involves mysterious metallic trees and structures coming out of the ground.
A Massive Planet Full Of Mystery
The mystery leading up to the reveal of what’s happening on Regis III is what hooked me. The story and Yasna’s slow unraveling of what is happening are done well, and I thoroughly enjoyed unraveling the mystery. However, I do feel the ending may leave some people unfulfilled.
Most of your time on Regis III involves walking across the planet and examining objects and structures in the distance. There are plenty of documents to find and read that expand on the story and the crew. There isn’t anything special to the actual gameplay as it is a narrative adventure game.
The most compelling thing you’ll do is drive a rover around large landscapes and run for your life from malfunctioning robots trying to kill you. The exploration is quite enjoyable. Though the movement may be slow, and Yasna tires from sprinting rather quickly, it’s still worth exploring and discovering secondary clues.
At one point, I found a robot waving to me from the top of a cliff. It was an unsettling sight. Reaching the robot by claiming the cliff, I discovered he was trying to inform me of a distressed human.
Knowing that Yasna was the only human still on the planet, I was curious to follow the robot only to discover a dead human body that had been there longer than any recorded planet exploration.
A Visually Stunning Experience Accompanied By Award-Winning Voice Work
Visually, the game is stunning. The vast vistas of the planet are gorgeous to look at, especially with surrounding planets over the horizon. It may be a desert planet, but it takes that desert setting and runs with it, making it some of the best-looking landscapes I’ve seen.
The audio work is fantastic. Yasna and Novick blow it out of the park, and you really feel the despair that Yasna is experiencing in many of the situations she finds herself in and Novick not being able to help her in person. The soundtrack is also very effective when it’s there, but the majority of the game doesn’t have any music.
I wish there were more for me to say on the gameplay of The Invincible, but it just doesn’t have much for you to do. Its biggest draw comes in its story and characters, with some excellent voice work and writing. It’s a game I recommend for those looking for a good sci-fi story, but not if you’re looking for any compelling gameplay; you won’t find it here.
The Invincible is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Review code kindly provided by PR