Indivisible
- October 8, 2019
- Lab Zero Games
- 15h median play time
Lab Zero's latest release looks to cross traditional platforming with RPG mechanics. Our review.
"Indivisible is a fantasy action RPG platformer with stunning visuals, an outstanding soundtrack, and unique real-time combat. Play as Ajna, a rebellious girl who absorbs characters to fight alongside her in a diverse world inspired by various cultures and mythologies. With plenty of humor, a deep story, and some grinding, Indivisible offers a memorable single-player experience, but note that it can be buggy at times."
Reviews
- Beautiful hand-drawn art and animation that enhances the overall experience.
- Unique combat system that combines elements of RPG and fighting games, allowing for creative combos.
- Engaging story with lovable characters, particularly strong character interactions and development.
- Frustrating platforming mechanics that can feel clunky and imprecise, especially in later levels.
- Significant backtracking required with limited fast travel options, making exploration tedious.
- Combat can become repetitive and lacks depth as the game progresses, with many encounters feeling like a slog.
- story1,513 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of "Indivisible" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet flawed. While some appreciate the charming characters and unique art style, others criticize the pacing, predictability, and lack of depth in character development. Overall, the narrative is seen as a simple hero's journey that, despite its shortcomings, offers moments of genuine charm and emotional impact, particularly through character interactions.
“I enjoyed the story a lot, and the characters are all quite lovable.”
“Wonderful storytelling and great character interactions and depth.”
“The story is sweet, and leaves you wanting more (in a good way), once you complete it.”
“The characters, story, and overall writing are quite insufferable about 90% of the time.”
“The story is a pretty mess.”
“The story is an absolute joke that doesn't seem to take itself seriously, feels rushed, and is filled with tonal inconsistencies.”
- gameplay823 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Indivisible" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of metroidvania platforming and RPG-style combat that some players find engaging while others deem repetitive and shallow. While the platforming mechanics are praised for their depth and creativity, the combat system often falls into button-mashing simplicity, lacking the complexity expected from a game developed by a studio known for fighting games. Overall, the game offers unique mechanics and beautiful visuals, but many players feel it lacks polish and depth, leading to a less satisfying experience than anticipated.
“Great story line, great gameplay, great mechanics, excellent platforming.”
“The gameplay feels like Paper Mario combat meets Metroidvania exploration.”
“Indivisible is an extreme form of Metroidvania, extreme in the sheer number of mechanics you're given to use.”
“Which is why the shallow gameplay is disappointing.”
“I really wanted to like this game but everything outside of the core gameplay is just lacking.”
“The gameplay is quite repetitive.”
- graphics452 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning hand-drawn art style and vibrant visuals, often compared to titles like "Skullgirls" and "Shantae." While many players praise the character designs and fluid animations, some note inconsistencies in the art style and occasional graphical oddities that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered the game's strongest feature, contributing significantly to its charm and appeal.
“Indivisible's strongest quality is probably its visuals and presentation.”
“The graphics are stunning and charming, the musical score is great and as long as you can platform, the game should be no more than slightly challenging.”
“The visuals in this game are spectacular animations, character details, environments, they are all gorgeous.”
“On the other hand, the game's cutscenes are a bit lacking in many places, feeling a lot more like placeholders, especially towards the end, and certain parts of the map don't mesh all that well with the art style.”
“I bought it expecting a level of quality at least resembling that of Skullgirls, at the very least aesthetically, but it didn't even deliver on that front.”
“The animations are gorgeous, but the art is a hodgepodge of mostly competent work polluted with nonsensical background characters and inconsistent art styles.”
- music352 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its catchy and immersive soundtrack, often highlighting the contributions of renowned composers. While some tracks are described as phenomenal and fitting for various environments, others are noted for being repetitive or lacking memorability. Overall, the music enhances the game's aesthetic appeal, though some players feel it could benefit from greater variety and depth.
“The music for this game is beautiful and brilliant to listen to and fitting to any place you visit during your travels in this game.”
“The stunningly beautiful backgrounds, alongside the music by the legendary Secret of Mana composer, Hiroki Kikuta, makes for a really pretty package, presentation-wise.”
“The music did a good job at creating a mood for where you were whether it was combat or platforming through the overworld.”
“Around hour 3 the music starts getting unbearable, which is annoying because I wanted to keep the volume on for the voices.”
“The majority of the game feels incredibly unpolished, the sound/music direction is all over the place and just didn't sound or feel right.”
“The music gets boring, really really fast.”
- character development199 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and imaginative character designs and animations, but criticizing the overall depth and pacing of character arcs. While the main character, Ajna, experiences some growth, many players feel that other characters lack meaningful development, often appearing as underutilized or forgettable. Overall, the game's strong visual appeal contrasts with its shortcomings in narrative and character progression, leaving some players disappointed.
“The characters are the true driving force for the overall story, Ajna being one of the biggest turnarounds for character development in a game that I have personally seen -- and that's a good thing.”
“The story and character development is awesome and well-paced.”
“Compliment #1, the writing is amazing, some of the characters (mostly the optional ones like Ren) are terrible, but the rest are astoundingly well written and most impressively, the majority of the main cast including the player character have well-written character development.”
“Terrible character development.”
“A lot of the characters exist because why not and do things just because and there is hardly any character development.”
“I guess if we are being honest here, the most disappointing thing would be the lack of character development in this game.”
- grinding140 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that grinding is largely absent in the game, as combat scales with the player's level, making traditional grinding unnecessary. However, players frequently describe the overall gameplay experience as tedious, particularly due to repetitive combat mechanics, excessive backtracking, and frustrating platforming sections. This combination leads to a sense of monotony, with many players expressing a desire for more engaging combat and exploration elements.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Makes me wish there was more combat in this game or a place where I could grind levels, because there is no grinding in this game, I am afraid.”
“Every fight scales with your level, so there is no point in grinding.”
“The fights should've been amazing, but most of them are just padding random encounters. The enemies are uninspired, and the fights just feel grindy, when the system had so much potential that every now and then shines in some boss or mid-boss fights; but instead, it turns into a button-mashing frenzy so you can kill the pointless random enemy and keep moving forward.”
“The final half more than wears out its welcome by focusing on an extremely difficult platforming experience as well as tedious backtracking.”
- humor111 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky and engaging dialogue, with many players finding themselves laughing out loud at the interactions between characters, particularly the deadpan humor of Razmi. While some moments may feel cheesy or inconsistent with the story's serious themes, the overall comedic tone is seen as a highlight, contributing to the game's charm and enjoyment. However, a few reviewers noted that the humor can be hit or miss, with some jokes not landing as effectively as others.
“I love the animation and the voice acting is cheesy but it puts a smile on my face because the lines are funny.”
“The game has a very quirky sense of humor that continues to be spot on for most of the 20-25 hours.”
“Best character designs, incredible voice actors, hilarious writing and story development.”
- emotional65 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding the story heartfelt and capable of evoking strong feelings, particularly during key moments like the final cutscene and character interactions. However, many criticize the writing as clichéd and lacking depth, leading to a disconnect with the characters and their emotional arcs. Overall, while there are moments of genuine emotional impact, they are often overshadowed by a perceived weakness in storytelling and character development.
“And the most important part, after an extremely difficult final boss fight that forces you to use the blocking mechanic instead of normal combat, the final cutscene is so good it made me cry and made up for the difficult boss fight.”
“The story is excellent, with bright characters, heart-wrenching character development, and a climax that put my jaw on the floor.”
“I cried at the ending.”
“It's a shame it's brought down by a boring story, terrible writing, confusing moments, and some absolutely atrocious platforming.”
- stability57 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, affecting various aspects such as platforming, combat mechanics, and save functionality, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players report occasional stability, many highlight issues like camera glitches in co-op mode and unresponsive controls, indicating that the game requires significant improvements to achieve a smoother experience. Overall, despite its fun elements, the game's stability issues detract from its potential enjoyment.
“For the most part, I found no glitches other than maybe a cut scene messing up one time.”
“An ambitious idea and massive props to trying a rare combat style, but it would be great if it could be as streamlined as an older game, or at least as bug-free.”
“This game is buggy as all hell.”
“The game is extremely buggy.”
“Some places had bugs and glitches that even didn't let me continue the story.”
- replayability24 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting its simplicity, lack of content, and repetitive gameplay as significant drawbacks. While there are some secrets and team customization options that could encourage multiple playthroughs, the absence of branching paths or new game plus modes diminishes its long-term appeal. Many reviewers suggest waiting for potential updates or DLC to enhance the experience before diving in.
“The game also has secrets and areas which leads to replayability if you are inclined.”
“The ability to mix and match your team offers strategy and replay value.”
“I just wish there was slightly more replay value once you collected the whole team.”
“The story isn't that good, the gameplay is repetitive, the game has little to no replayability, the co-op is lackluster, so the only things that hold this game together are the art and the music.”
“This game does not have replay value due to its simplicity and lack of content.”
“You can blow through the game in about 25 hours (I beat it missing 3 side characters in 17 hours), there's no branching paths from what I can tell, and there's no new game plus (probably because nothing actually grows besides ringels, just numbers increase) so replayability is close to none!”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful graphics, vibrant backgrounds, and effective sound design, which collectively enhance the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the cheerful and engaging tone, complemented by a diverse cast of characters and a humorous narrative. However, some reviewers noted occasional abrupt transitions in atmosphere, particularly at the game's start, which can be jarring.
“Very original story and a very entertaining atmosphere.”
“The score and sound design are all appropriate for the different atmospheres the settings give off, and meaningful themes in the storytelling.”
“Beautiful visuals, some bugs but none game breaking, great atmosphere.”
“It can be a little hard to gloss over the sudden transitions in atmosphere sometimes, particularly in the beginning of the game.”
“The backgrounds are extremely well done and fit well with the atmospheres of the regions of the game.”
“The backgrounds are so vibrant and each present different atmospheres.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant frame rate drops in certain scenes and overall poor performance. While some users have managed to avoid crashes by not alt-tabbing immediately after loading, the general consensus is that the game requires substantial improvements and bug fixes to enhance the experience.
“In the ways of performance or glitches, I've had none that I considered completely infuriating.”
“This game is by no means perfect with optimization and bug squashing.”
“Another major annoyance I've run into is that the game is horribly optimized; in some scenes, the frame rate absolutely tanks.”
“Awful optimization, but if you do not alt+tab just after loading in the game, it should be fine and will not crash.”
“Hope the devs will fix this and maybe even patch the game up with bug fixes or better optimization.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for feeling like a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over its misleading RPG advertising and overall execution. While some recognizable characters may provide a brief moment of enjoyment, the overall sentiment suggests that the game's financial model detracts from the experience.
“Sure, sometimes there's someone you recognize (seeing Nyanners was cool at least), but otherwise it makes the game feel like a cash grab.”
“[b] This game is not an RPG [/b] despite advertising as one; it is a failure if it considers itself one.”
Critic Reviews
Indivisible Review
It looks good (mostly), and has all the qualities that seem like it would make a great game. Not only does it fail to come together coherently, yet it also it lacks a sense of magic or "heart" that the art style would suggest it possesses. While nothing is largely technically wrong with Indivisible, it fails to be engaging as a RPG, its platforming fails to recommend it on this front, and the story never goes anywhere significant to offer this up either. This isn't bad, but it just isn't that good either.
50%Indivisible Review
Indivisible is an ambitious game, and there are moments where it seems to buckle somewhat under that ambition. The oddly-paced story, watered-down RPG elements, and inconsistent platforming indicate that this one maybe could’ve used more time in the oven. On the other hand, the beautiful visuals, excellent voice acting, great writing, and top-notch combat prove to be strong elements of an argument in its favor. Indivisible may have some rough edges, but these don’t prove to overly hinder the generally enjoyable and charming nature of this adventure. It may not be perfect, but we’d still recommend you give Indivisible a look; this one’s certainly worth your time.
70%Indivisible Review
By all intents and purposes, Indivisible should have been an exceptional video game.
50%