Energy Invasion

About

Energy Invasion is a single player casual puzzle game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Sometimes You and was released on January 10, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Energy Invasion - an arcade game inspired by the classic Breakout. Unlike the original game, your ball does not break blocks on its own, but can launch missiles in a chosen direction.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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62%

Audience ScoreBased on 21 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Energy Invasion offers a colorful and visually striking aesthetic that captures attention with its psychedelic graphics and vibrant colors.
The game introduces an intriguing dual-layered mechanic that combines traditional brick-breaking with shooting elements, providing a unique twist on the classic formula.
Despite its flaws, the game has a variety of modes (Invasion, Linear, and Endless) that add some replay value and cater to different play styles.

The control scheme is often awkward and imprecise, leading to frustrating gameplay where players struggle to manage both the paddle and missile aiming effectively.
The overwhelming visual effects and chaotic design can obscure gameplay, making it difficult to track the ball and paddle, which diminishes the overall experience.
The game lacks depth and variety in content, with levels that begin to blur together and a difficulty curve that fluctuates wildly, leading to a repetitive experience.

gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The gameplay of "Energy Invasion" attempts to innovate on classic arcade mechanics but suffers from sluggish paddle movement and imprecise aiming, leading to a frustrating experience rather than the intended flow of action. While the game features colorful graphics and a variety of modes that add some replay value, the lack of clear feedback and significant progression undermines player engagement, making it feel more chaotic than enjoyable. Overall, despite its potential and unique mechanics, the gameplay fails to deliver the sharpness and satisfaction expected from the genre.
- “At its core, it builds upon the foundation laid by timeless arcade staples like Breakout and Arkanoid but attempts to inject a new layer of mechanics and visual intensity to stand out in a genre that has remained relatively static over the years.”
- “The attempt to evolve a classic genre is commendable, and the fusion of shooting mechanics with traditional brick-breaking could have yielded something special with more refinement.”
- “Energy Invasion is notable for its addictive gameplay and colorful graphics.”
- “The paddle movement is sluggish, making it difficult to adjust for rapid rebounds, while the aiming mechanic lacks precision, leaving players feeling detached from their own input.”
- “The backgrounds, while artistically interesting, tend to compete for attention with the gameplay itself, turning what should be a test of reflexes into an exercise in visual endurance.”
- “The lack of clear feedback also hampers progression; you’re never quite sure whether success is due to skill or luck, which undermines the sense of achievement that should come from mastering the gameplay.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics of "Energy Invasion" are polarizing, featuring a chaotic and psychedelic aesthetic that some find visually appealing, while others criticize them as lazy and unrefined, resembling low-polygon assets from the early 1990s. The use of minimalist design and heavy post-processing effects can overshadow gameplay, leading to frustration with controls and visibility. Overall, while the graphics may be colorful and smooth on older hardware, they are often deemed simplistic and lacking in quality.
- “Visually, Energy Invasion embraces a chaotic, almost psychedelic aesthetic.”
- “Energy Invasion is notable for its addictive gameplay and colorful graphics.”
- “Overall, the graphics are simplistic, but pleasing.”
- “The visuals and sound are loud and expressive, yet they overshadow gameplay that should be sharp and satisfying.”
- “Actually treating this as a game is futile... there's a couple of game modes, ugly, lazy graphics, and the biggest problem, because the paddle is a 'funky halo thing', you can't see the edges of it properly, so receiving the ball correctly is a nightmare... made even worse by oversensitive controls, as the developer clearly never playtested the game.”
- “The lack of textures is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to disguise it under the name of 'art', or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game is polarizing, with some praising its intense electronic score that enhances the action and creates an immersive atmosphere, while others criticize it as annoying and poorly designed, with complaints about the lack of audio controls. Overall, the soundtrack is described as both energetic and headache-inducing, reflecting a significant divide in player opinions.
- “The soundtrack continues the game’s sensory overload with an intense electronic score that drives the action forward.”
- “With its energetic and harmonious music, the game provides a unique atmosphere for the players.”
- “The music score is interesting, with some weird beats, but definitely a nice sound overall.”
- “There's fundamental design problems, not least of which is the godawful garbage dubstep soundtrack as the developer decided his only hope to try profit from this before Atari filed a DMCA complaint was to scam trading cards and compete with Spotify's Skrillex playlists.”
- “Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying background music; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop the music using the Windows sound mixer.”
- “- horrible music (I initially thought there was some problem with its playback on Mac due to how bad it is - turns out, it's just the way it is)”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's story conveys a powerful message about perseverance and the unpredictability of life, emphasizing that giving up can hinder personal growth. However, some players feel that the narrative is insufficient and lacks depth, which may hinder their overall experience and progression in the game.
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “The content and story of the game may not be enough for some players; they may have difficulty progressing.”
- “Also, the lack of content and story may prevent some players from fully experiencing the game.”
- “[b] Insufficient content and story!”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant and immersive audiovisual experience, enhanced by energetic and harmonious music. However, some reviewers feel that the lack of tight gameplay undermines the overall impact of this presentation.
- “With its energetic and harmonious music, the game provides a unique atmosphere for the players.”
- “There’s an undeniable atmosphere to the presentation—Energy Invasion feels like an attempt to immerse players in a hyperkinetic audiovisual experience.”
- “There’s an undeniable atmosphere to the presentation—Energy Invasion feels like an attempt to immerse players in a hyperkinetic audiovisual experience—but without the tight gameplay to anchor it, the presentation alone can’t carry the weight of the design.”
- “The game tries to create a unique atmosphere, but it often feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “While the visuals are striking, the overall atmosphere feels hollow and fails to evoke any real emotional response from the player.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
While the inclusion of various modes offers some replay value, the core gameplay loop tends to be repetitive, limiting the overall incentive to replay the game.
- “The variety of modes adds significant replay value, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “Each playthrough feels unique due to the diverse choices and outcomes available.”
- “The game encourages multiple runs with its branching storylines and unlockable content.”
- “The variety of modes adds some replay value, but the gameplay loop remains largely the same across all of them.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, featuring short load times and smooth performance, even on older hardware like a 9-year-old Mac with Intel 4000 graphics, with no significant bugs or issues reported.
- “Load times are short, and there are no major performance issues or bugs.”
- “Performance is excellent - the game runs smoothly even on a 9-year-old Mac with Intel 4000 built-in graphics.”