Set in the world crafted from Stanisław Lem's hard science fiction novel, The Invincible kicks off with a promising setup. Despite the game's lifeless environment, which might give the impression of a slower pace and fewer gameplay interactions than expected from a narrative adventure game, it still manages to shine with its impressive storytelling, captivating visuals, and polished UI.

On Regis III, a seemingly desolate planet, The Invincible unfolds its narrative through the perspective of Yasna, a Commonwealth research team member. Waking up in an unfamiliar location, separated from her team, Yasna's story leads us through thought-provoking concepts that challenge our understanding of the universe. As we delve deeper, we're compelled to make decisions based on our beliefs and ideals. The unfolding mystery will eventually reveal the reasons behind Yasna's memory loss, the fate of her team, and the secrets held by the planet itself.

Guiding us through the game's narrative are the voices of Yasna (VA: Anne-Jane Stilwell) and Novik (VA: Adrian Schiller). According to the game's writer, Olga Piech, "Yasna and Novik represent two different worldviews. Novik appears to be a conqueror type who wants to subjugate the universe to humanity. Yasna is focused on exploration and discovery." Yasna's perspective, rooted in her role as an astrobiologist, allows us to approach seemingly incomprehensible phenomena through a scientific lens, offering crucial insights for us to comprehend the game’s plot. The ethical and scientific debates between Yasna and Novik, despite their conflicting opinions, weave a narrative that sparks deep contemplation, prompting us to consider our beliefs and ethics before making pivotal decisions.

The game meticulously brings to life the developers' vision of Regis III through captivating visuals. Adapting a popular novel into a visual medium means translating the author's word-based imagination into compelling graphics, and the developers definitely deserve props for achieving this feat. The game succeeds in presenting the enigmatic, desolate, yet stunning world of Regis III. Enhanced by the evocative music, the diverse landscapes, ranging from expansive desert sandstorms to mysterious metal structures, create distinct spectacles that make us feel as if we’re right inside a blockbuster sci-fi movie.

While not as boundless as a fully open-world game, the gameplay offers us a substantial degree of freedom in shaping the story. The narrative unfolds based on the choices we make throughout the adventure, ranging from seemingly trivial decisions like sharing an oxygen tank with team members to more impactful ones that like which belief to pursue. Notably, some decisions come with a time limit, pushing the dialogue forward even if Yasna remains silent. The extent of each decision's impact on the story is unknown, but it seems to me that choices without time limits imply greater significance to the plot than those that could be skipped. Interestingly, even seemingly inconsequential choices can later reveal themselves as important for some characters, prompting careful consideration for every single choice, regardless of its narrative significance.

The game's freedom is also evident through the fact that not every area requires investigation, leaving room for the possibility of unintentionally overlooking a note or an inconspicuous object that could profoundly alter our understanding of the unfolding events. The minimalistic UI that indicates interactable objects with only a small white circle, demands careful attention to avoid missing crucial parts of the game's story. Also, with only a single sentence indicating our objective, players who feel disconnected from the narrative might find it challenging to progress. However, I believe that the lack of a detailed objective guide amplifies immersion, requiring us to think in the shoes of Yasna to figure out our next steps.

Rather than a cluttered UI, the game provides us with a variety of atompunk-themed tools to aid our journey through Regis III. Emphasizing immersion, the game takes a distinctive approach to navigation. Instead of a 2D map, the in-game map takes the form of Yasna's diary, gradually filling as we venture into new areas. Yasna's diary not only functions as a map but also records points of interest, offering a concrete sense of our surroundings. The experience is enriched with a delightful touch of realism as Yasna actively flips through pages, like we’re flipping through a diary ourselves in real life.

Meanwhile, the tracker enables us to identify both machines and humans in close proximity, introducing an element of collectibles gameplay through item searching later in the game. Additionally, the telemeter and metal detector, more plot-specific in nature, contribute to the unfolding narrative. Each of these tools plays a significant role in uncovering the truth behind the mysterious phenomena of Regis III, delivering a highly immersive adventure characterized by less abstract UI and more tangible, hands-on tools.

Despite the game's maximum effort to enhance immersion, it is inevitable that there’s still some flaws that stand in their way. The fact that the interactable icon (white circle) doesn’t appear until we’re really close to the item makes progressing through a large area more difficult that it should be. Perhaps in such situations, a reasonable UI guide could prove beneficial. It also doesn’t help when the game’s foreground seems lifeless compared to its impressive background. While it's understandable that the developers want to find a sweet spot between realism and pacing, Yasna's slow movement speed and the need to catch her breath after a brief run occasionally make the game feels like walking simulator, especially during extended periods of exploring large areas filled with uninteractive objects in search of a single cue to advance the story.

The Invincible offers abundant stories, characters, and captivating sceneries for exploration through multiple playthroughs, urging us to reevaluate our understanding of the world. However, despite the game's brilliance, the apparent lifelessness of Regis III appears to have translated into the gameplay itself, with its environment seems more for show. It's like a "Pro Max" version of a visual novel—better and more dynamic graphics than usual but fewer gameplay elements than an adventure game should have. Still, with its beautiful visuals and compelling story, whether you're a fan of the original novel, a sci-fi lover, or just want a story-driven game to play while chilling on the couch, Starward Industries and 11-bit Studios' The Invincible is a good choice to explore a reimagined perspective of Stanisław Lem's novel.

And that concludes Lluvia’s review of The Invincible on PS5. The game was released on November 6 and is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.