The Invincible is a sci-fi thriller based on the book of the same name by Stanisław Lem. Announced in 2020, since then we have been able to understand various information about the game, thanks to trailers, interviews, and demos released by the developers. In this article, we’ve decided to put everything we know about The Invincible ahead of its release date into one place.
The Invincible release date
The Invincible will hit the market on November 6, 2023. Initially, the game was expected for 2021, but the development studio had several problems and was therefore forced to delay the launch of the game. Fortunately, however, by now the works seem to be almost completed and the game is ready to be launched on the market this autumn.
The Invincible platforms
Since its very first announcement, which we remember to have taken place during 2023, the development team has immediately revealed the platforms on which the game will be available. The Invincible can be purchased by all owners of PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. There are no releases for older generation consoles.
The Invincible story
The Invincible tells the story of a mission on the planet Regis III, which turns out to be progressively difficult until it turns into a sort of nightmare. As we previously stated, the game is inspired by the Stanislaw Lem novel of the same name. In The Invincible, we play Yasna, an astrobiologist who participated in a research journey to the planet Regis III. The protagonist of the novel, Dr. Yasna, initially sets out to find the other crew members who went missing during an emergency landing. However, as they explore the alien world, they learn a number of unsettling mysteries that are hidden there.
“Yasna is not terrified of the cosmos, but rather amazed by the sight of its unknown phenomena. Her training as an astrobiologist helps her manage stress and maintain focus when she wakes up on an unknown planet without her crew and with memory holes “, says Magdalena Kucenty, Narrative Designer at Starward Industries.
“At first, her professionalism and natural curiosity drive her to seek answers and successfully accomplish her mission. However, her attitude slowly changes throughout the game, as she is faced with morally difficult decisions and the realization that everything, everywhere is for us”.
The Invincible gameplay
Although the game pace appears to be rather slow from what we can tell from the trailers and demos, it appears to be able to teach us a lot about Regis III and its mysteries. The creators of this appear to have strictly adhered to Lem’s book, in which the investigation is concluded far before the conclusion in order to not interfere with the author’s philosophical views on the meaning of life.
Yasna comes across two robots that appear to be dead while conducting a study in the area. They have systems built to dig rocks, and they are really sophisticated devices. They are surrounded by nobody. Yasna observes unusual metal formations that have settled in a canal and that appear to be alive, at least according to the scanner, and learns roughly what happened to her colleagues from photos shot by one of the two robots’ security cameras. She then continues her investigation by observing these metal formations while she scans the images.
The developers have also released another gameplay video where you can view some of the settings and game mechanics. In order to avoid giving away any major plot details, the video focuses on the game’s opening hours. Despite this, it gives you a better idea of what to expect from the game, especially from the perspective of exploration.
The game appears to place a lot of emphasis on alien atmospheres and is distinguished by the specific use of futuristic technological elements but in a vision that evokes the technology of the 1950s, making it a very interesting example of “retro-futurism” that refers to the “atompunk” style, or the actualization of the sci-fi vision of the future from the 1940s and 1950s in a context that blends realistic elements, contemporary science fiction, and features clearly referring to antiquated technology.
Then there are the lengthy conversations that sometimes seek our input using a multiple-choice system. These conversations can last for many minutes. But as of right now, it’s unclear whether or not our decisions have any impact on the plot. Most likely, we should hold off on doing this till the game is released.