https://gamerant.com/the-invincible-gameplay-sci-fi-aesthetic-robots/Game Rant talks with the director of The Invincible about gameplay elements that help the game retain its heart while honoring the source material.
Based on the iconic novel by Stanisław Lem, The Invincible is the next sci-fi adventure crafted by the team at Starward Industries. The game drops players in the heavily stylized, retrofuturistic world of Regis III where they will be able to chase mysteries, interact with technology, and ponder humanity’s place in the universe. Those who want to dive into the atompunk setting of Regis III can play the game this November on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Game Rant spoke with director Marek Markuszewski about the elements of Lem’s novel that were instrumental in developing The Invincible and ensuring that the video game adaptation would maintain the sci-fi roots of the book.
The Invincible Retains the Heart of Its Source Material in Its Aesthetic and Mechanics
the invincible game robot
Markuszewski’s history with The Invincible started as a simple conversation at work. During a discussion about books, a coworker praised Lem’s novel for its interpretation of several moral issues and recommended it to Markuszewski. He would go on to read it in its entirety over the course of two evenings, quickly realizing it was exactly the kind of story he wanted to tell in the format of a sci-fi video game.
" I wanted to create a game where players can step into the shoes of a character from The Invincible universe and make decisions themselves."
Lem’s novel is considered hard science fiction, featuring many trappings of the classic trope. What distinguishes hard sci-fi from other subgenres is the way in which the medium deals with the realism and rigor of the scientific phenomena involved. Hard sci-fi media strives to be logical and accurate, honoring current scientific and technological knowledge whenever possible. Some softer versions of the genre do exist and allow for looser interpretations of technology and phenomena for the sake of allowing the story to take place.
The Invincible novel is cited as being one of the first novels to address certain technologies like microrobots, swarm intelligence, and necroevolution–a term introduced by Lem himself to describe the evolution of non-living beings. These topics sit comfortably within the genre of hard sci-fi, following established theories like those of evolution and social organization within species communities.
When setting out to translate the story of The Invincible from novel to video game, Markuszewski tells Game Rant the team had to consider the possibilities as well as the limitations of the game medium. The first step was to detail the critical narrative points while also focusing on how the player would be situated in the world. Since the game focuses heavily on exploration, many of the elements of the game overlap with elements of the book. This would be crucial in helping maintain the heart of Lem’s work.
As such, the team was careful to maintain certain features of the novel. Markuszewski was careful not to give too much away, but he alludes to certain aspects of the book such as Lem’s cyclops and the inclusion of atomic bombs. Other callbacks include the assistance of robots to help players find clues in the world, a feature which Markuszewski believes fits solidly into the narrative presented in the novel.
“In our game, we expand upon the world of The Invincible. Therefore, there are elements of gameplay which, in our opinion, fit seamlessly into the narrative presented in the book, such as searching for clues with the help of robots.”
Another important quality of The Invincible is its retrofuturistic style. This aesthetic was common for Lem’s time, featuring designs and themes of an imagined future blended with mid-century, retro styles. Creating the visuals in such a way was a crucial step to ensuring Starward Industries’ game would remain true to its source material, calling back to the sensibilities of the era in which Lem’s novel was written.
Through carefully curating their game’s aesthetic, Starward Industries blends retrofuturistic flair with hard science fiction elements to make sure that The Invincible shines as a standalone game but also as a faithful representation of its original source material. The callbacks to Lem’s novel mixed with new mechanics that build on classic themes are sure to make The Invincible a game players will enjoy regardless of their familiarity with the original book.
The Invincible is slated for release November 6, 2023, on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X.
