We are almost at the end of the journey to Indivisible, role-playing game with a decidedly long and troubled development, the work of the Lab Zero Games team, a small independent studio already responsible for the popular Skullgirls fighting game. After the announcement in 2015 and following crowdfunding campaigns, postponements and our previews that go back even four years, October 8 will arrive on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (a Switch version will arrive later in the fall) a title that could represent one of the surprises of this end of 2019.
Of course, it will not be easy for a similar game to establish itself in a period where not only the big releases like Gears 5 and Borderlands 3 crowd the physical and digital stores of our consoles, but also where other indie sensations like Untitled Goose Game or Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair are making fans' ears prick up. However, even in our latest test - after that of Gamescom a few months ago - we were really impressed with this peculiar RPG with platform colors and adorable graphics.
A feast for the eyes
Face to face with the final PS4 version of the game in the offices of 505 Games, we were able to start a new game in Indivisible, after watching the splendid opening video (you can also find it further up on this page) which introduces the colorful fantasy world where the young Ajna takes her first steps as a warrior. Indivisible is all hand drawn and also this time we were able to see the goodness of the work done by the artists of the game and those responsible for the animated scenes, the famous Studio Trigger of Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia.
Even in the initial areas, including the village where Ajna's journey starts, they are a joy for the eyes: not only the 2D models of the characters and monsters, animated with mastery, but they will leave you speechless in particular the settings and backgrounds, where it is the small moving details that make the difference and to give Indivisible a look that few other independent productions can afford. And all at excellent performance, at least on the base PS4 where we carried out our test (we will see in the review if the title will offer improvements on PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, it would be really splendid in 4K!).
Once we have passed the love for the graphics and since there will be time to talk about the story in the final judgment in a few days, for our last minute test we focused on the gameplay of the first minutes, taking some time to acclimate with really special controls. In fact, in Indivisible the battle system appears decidedly simple and limited in the very first fights: each element of the Ajna party is in fact assigned one of the four front buttons. To make the team member at the top attack, in fact, press triangle (or Y), for the one on the right circle (or B) and so on, paying attention to the reload timer of their skills; moreover, when the monsters will attack, by pressing the same keys with the right timing you will be able to parry the attacks, something really fundamental, although complex to master. By parrying or attacking in time we will gradually fill a gauge that will allow either to heal the team or to launch a special attack.
That's it?
That's all. As mentioned, the first impression is that of a battle system that is perhaps original but certainly limited and simplistic. Just an impression because we can already tell you that in the first few hours of the game already in a couple of situations the fights - especially with the bosses - of Indivisible put us in difficulty. Managing things (attacks, parries, special skills bar) when you are up against a single opponent is not complex but when the battles begin to be crowded with enemies who attack multiple elements of the area party, with different timing, perhaps protected by shields that must be surpassed by using the D-pad to modify attacks, while at the same time thinking whether using your energy to heal or to inflict damage is something else entirely. And this is where Indivisible won us over, also considering his funny and original way of exploring the maps, complete with wall jumps and platforming sections that are more reminiscent of a Rayman than a Final Fantasy.
There are still elements to consider, including the longevity of the whole, the solidity of the story and the dialogues and the variety of situations, but the second effort of Lab Zero Games seems to have what it takes to give RPG lovers a ' compact but fresh adventure, with a retro flavor and a touch of anime, which never hurts.
► Indivisible is an RPG type game developed by Lab Zero and published by 505 Games for Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game was released on 08/10/2019
Indivisible is a beautiful game that cannot be missing from your collection: we have decided to evaluate it with a 86%, if you are interested in learning more you can read the Indivisible Review
