Invaxion
- December 19, 2018
- Nanjing AQUATRAX
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Invaxion" is a single-player musical game with outstanding gameplay and perfect visuals. Set in a dystopian future where AI has taken over Earth, the player, as part of the mercenary army INVAXION, must collect fragmented music and art to lead a revolution against the AI and reshape civilization. With classic scrolling gameplay and a fantastic soundtrack, players feel the beat under their fingertips in this immersive experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a diverse selection of songs, primarily electronic music, which many players find enjoyable.
- The gameplay is engaging and offers multiple modes and difficulties, making it accessible for both new and experienced rhythm game players.
- The developers are responsive to feedback and have made significant improvements to the game since its launch.
- The game is currently unplayable due to server shutdowns, rendering it essentially dead and inaccessible for new players.
- Many players have reported issues with the game's calibration and timing, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The user interface feels like a mobile port and is not optimized for PC, making navigation cumbersome.
- music429 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a solid selection of around 110-118 tracks primarily focused on electronic genres, with some Asian influences. While many players appreciate the energetic and varied song choices, some express frustration over the difficulty curve and the need to unlock songs through gameplay, which can feel tedious. Additionally, the lack of a downloadable soundtrack option and issues with note accuracy have been noted as drawbacks, but overall, the music is considered a highlight of the game.
“On one hand, great music, selectable skins, and avatar perks keep things interesting.”
“I enjoy the music, which is an electronic mix of Japanese and Chinese tracks that are energetic and you might want to record to listen to later.”
“The music selection is great, however unlocking seems to be a bit of a pain, requiring a story mode to play through.”
“The song selection is pretty big, yet it still bores me.”
“Unfortunately, I can't seem to improve enough to get past the level 7 difficulty songs and the level 8 story mode songs, so I won't be able to play maybe half the songs on a manageable difficulty.”
“The note patterns can be somewhat repetitive and not too challenging when you have already played songs with those similar patterns.”
- gameplay86 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, characterized by smooth and responsive mechanics that blend elements from popular rhythm games like DJMax and Sound Voltex. However, some players report issues such as uncomfortable controls, camera problems, and a mobile-like UI that detracts from the experience. Despite these criticisms, many find the game enjoyable with engaging modes and fair hit windows, indicating a solid foundation that could improve with ongoing updates.
“Pretty nice rhythm game with smooth gameplay and nice music.”
“The gameplay is smooth and responsive and pure, despite the visual flashiness.”
“Overall I found it to be a pretty solid rhythm game with traditional gameplay, engaging additional modes and (as of yet) no microtransactions.”
“The gameplay can sometimes get really uncomfortable, or just plain bad.”
“Quick summary: game good, camera bad, gameplay can sometimes suck and servers are currently dead (for me at least).”
“Core game mechanics are okay with the exception of long notes causing misses if you release even a fraction too early.”
- story44 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story mode primarily serves as a tutorial and unlock mechanism, requiring players to complete missions to access new songs and worlds, though it lacks a cohesive narrative. While the missions help players learn the game mechanics, some find them tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the difficulty spikes and specific accuracy requirements. Overall, the story aspect is seen as a means to an end, with many players enjoying the gameplay despite the challenges in unlocking content.
“Some of the coolest songs are only unlockable by going through the tutorial-type 'story mode'.”
“The base purchase price includes a generous amount of songs with more being unlockable from the 'story' mode and in-game shop (currently for only in-game currency, but paid content is on the way).”
“The mission mode does a good job at getting you the hang of the game; they're at first tutorials that aim to get you to learn the key layout right, then they become regular songs with goals like accuracy and combo count.”
“The campaign has some of the stupidest missions (get between 70%-80% accuracy on a chart).”
“You can get stars (the currency of the game) in the story mode of the game which has no story, but you just play songs to a certain condition of the song.”
“The music selection is great, however unlocking seems to be a bit of a pain, requiring a story mode to play through.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received largely positive feedback, with many users praising the beautiful visuals, character designs, and overall aesthetic. However, some players noted issues with clarity and visibility of notes during gameplay, suggesting that while the graphics are impressive, there is still room for improvement. Overall, the game is considered visually appealing and a strong addition to the rhythm game genre.
“It's got solid music, the character designs are good and the general aesthetic is nice, and I'll be damned if it's not the most fun I've had with a new music game in a bit.”
“The visuals are great, both the character art and in-game elements.”
“Awesome music, gorgeous graphics and nice ranking modes, also waifus and several themes/noteskins.”
“The visuals are boring; sometimes you can barely see the notes.”
“Many visual components still feel blurry even when I chose 2K and ultra in graphics options.”
“I'm not so fond of the [a] and [;] buttons floating on the sides of the screen.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its smooth performance and visual appeal, many criticize it for being poorly optimized, leading to significant lag and a user interface that feels more suited for mobile devices than PCs. Additionally, the game's design choices, particularly regarding lane performance effects, can hinder accurate gameplay, especially for skilled players. Overall, the optimization issues detract from the experience, despite the game's potential.
“The game runs smoothly, and looks amazing.”
“The game runs smoothly and the customizability of everything is definitely refreshing.”
“I think what this game tries to do may be mixing sensational lane performance (like SDVX) with a strict and hardcore playing experience (like IIDX).”
“Very poorly optimized; songs and difficulties are okay, nothing really hard. If only I could play the game without it being ridiculously laggy.”
“Everything is so slow, and the UI is designed for phones and not optimized for PC.”
“I think this is due to the code not being optimized.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite pronounced, often feeling penalized for not utilizing specific characters that yield more experience points. The progression system is described as grindy, reflecting a design influenced by mobile gaming trends, requiring significant effort to advance, though it deviates from traditional grinding methods seen in other titles.
“The progression system is grindy, again a clear product of mobile ambitions.”
“Similarly, there are two other characters that give you more experience for using them, which makes you feel punished for not using them given how grindy gaining levels is.”
“On one hand, it's not the standard unlock methods of either grinding a bunch of levels (DJ Max) or playing through every song on standard, then hard, then expert (Project Diva F/2nd, EBA/Ouendan); on the other hand, you've got to put some work in.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game currently features no microtransactions, which has been positively noted by users, contributing to its appeal as a solid rhythm game with engaging gameplay and additional modes.
“Overall, I found it to be a pretty solid rhythm game with traditional gameplay, engaging additional modes, and (as of yet) no microtransactions.”
“With that said, there are no microtransactions.”
“As of writing, there are no microtransactions.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that while the character designs and overall aesthetic of the game are appealing, the character development aspect is overshadowed by issues with the main menu UI. Despite these drawbacks, players find the game enjoyable, particularly in terms of its music and rhythm gameplay.
“The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
“I was really disappointed with how the characters evolved; their arcs were predictable and lacked depth.”
“The lack of meaningful character progression left me feeling detached from the story and its characters.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that certain camera movements in the game can induce feelings of motion sickness, which detracts from the overall emotional experience, despite having no issues with similar first-person or VR games.
