Inversion
- July 26, 2012
- Saber Interactive
Rip off as many awesome game mechanics as you'd like, but at least make it fun.
"Inversion" is a science fiction third-person shooter game with impressive graphics, offering both single-player and multi-player/co-op options. The game boasts a revolutionary gravity manipulation engine, allowing players to use the Grappler weapon to control gravity and gain a strategic advantage in battle. With a gripping storyline and intense action, "Inversion" delivers an engaging and immersive experience for players.
Reviews
- Inversion offers a fun and engaging gameplay experience reminiscent of Gears of War, with unique gravity manipulation mechanics that add variety to combat.
- The game features a decent storyline with unexpected twists that keep players interested, along with satisfying gunplay and destructible environments.
- Despite its flaws, Inversion can be enjoyable, especially in co-op mode, and is worth trying out for fans of third-person shooters.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, particularly on modern systems, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
- Inversion's AI is often unhelpful, and the game features repetitive boss fights and enemy encounters that can feel tedious.
- The overall design feels generic and lacks polish, with many cutscenes interrupting gameplay and a story that leaves many questions unanswered.
- story105 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and filled with interesting twists, while others criticize it for being generic, poorly explained, and lacking in character depth. Although there are moments of intrigue and unique gameplay elements, many reviews highlight significant plot holes and a disappointing conclusion that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the story has its merits, it often falls short of expectations, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
“The story is what I really loved about this game.”
“The progression of the story is very well done even if the dialogue is a bit cheesy, and the storyline itself is surprisingly original and feeds you a little at a time, to keep you interested.”
“This game...wow... as far as co-op FPS games go with a very solid storyline/gameplay goes this has it all.”
“The story gets very ambitious but falls flat by not explaining anything, and the characters don't have much charisma.”
“The only thing worse about the gameplay was the story; it had potential but ultimately failed!”
“The plot excited me in the beginning and reached a climax that made me want to go to the end to know what was happening, but in the end nothing was explained and left me with a big 'WTF' about the events.”
- gameplay73 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is largely described as a derivative cover-based shooter heavily inspired by Gears of War, featuring some gravity manipulation mechanics that fail to significantly enhance the experience. While some players appreciate the gunplay and destructible environments, many criticize the lack of variety, frequent cutscenes that interrupt gameplay, and technical issues such as crashes. Overall, the game is seen as average, with potential that remains largely unfulfilled due to its generic design and execution.
“Yet, it introduces things like gravity manipulation that spice up the gameplay, with a lot of destructible environments to fight in.”
“While Inversion can't live up to the heights of the games it copies, it still provides enjoyable gameplay with plenty of funny moments stemming from its gravity-defying gameplay.”
“The gameplay is a pretty competent cover-based third-person shooter, but with a bunch of nice extra features.”
“Honestly, I expected a decently stable game with horrible, disgusting gameplay and got nearly the complete opposite.”
“The gameplay is literally nothing to write home about; imagine every single early 2010s third-person shooter, and that's this game.”
“Just another generic cover-based shooter with a one-button-does-everything-wrong control interface and a single mechanic to set it apart from other (far better) third-person shooters.”
- graphics35 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the unique visuals and solid performance for a title released in 2012, while others note that they feel dated and inconsistent, particularly in vehicle animations. Players appreciate the stunning environments and destructible elements, but there are complaints about compatibility issues with certain graphics cards and a lack of customization options. Overall, the graphics are considered decent to good, but may not meet the expectations of fans seeking cutting-edge visuals in a crowded market.
“Serious props to the development staff for pulling off such unique visuals in an overcrowded market.”
“Graphics are exceptional (next gen as of 2012) and the twisty story is engaging.”
“This game has some stunning environments and decent graphics to match.”
“Fans of open world or latest gen graphical games might better look elsewhere.”
“Watch out if you have a laptop: the game does not recognize your graphic card, no matter what you try; it will only start when using your integrated Intel card.”
“The graphics are dated; co-op and online play doesn't work anymore.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its gravity-defying gameplay and unexpected moments, often enhanced by co-op play, which can lead to hilarious interactions and timing. Players find the frequent cutscenes amusing, though some feel the game leans too heavily on borrowed elements from other titles, detracting from its originality. Overall, the humor is best appreciated in a relaxed setting, where even minor events can provoke laughter.
“While Inversion can't live up to the heights of the games it copies, it still provides enjoyable gameplay with plenty of funny moments stemming from its gravity-defying gameplay.”
“Best to play late at night when you are teetering on the verge of laughing at any little thing, and with a friend via co-op (although if you can figure out how to do that easily in this game, then it's not late enough at night).”
“Some great moments: walking down the street as a tricycle slowly comes rolling down the street towards us and my character says, 'What the hell is that?' followed by the other character saying, 'Where the hell did they get that?' It was just good timing, because they obviously weren't talking about the tricycle, but it made for a hilarious situation.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing severe performance issues and frequent crashes, particularly during cutscenes and chapter transitions. Others report no significant problems when using specific settings, such as enabling vsync and adjusting compatibility modes, indicating that performance may vary widely depending on individual setups. Overall, while some users enjoy smooth gameplay, many others struggle with optimization-related crashes and performance inconsistencies.
“Also use VSync on, plus 'thread optimization' activated in the NVIDIA control panel.”
“If you're having the game crash on you when you die and/or when it loads a new chapter, set the executable's compatibility mode to Windows XP SP3 and check the box for 'disable full-screen optimizations'.”
“No performance problems (Windows 8.1, GTX 760, i5 4670K, and 8 GB of RAM) and no bugs for me.”
“Some cool ideas, but the game is basically a Gears of War rip-off with severe performance issues and crashes every time you blink.”
“If you're having the game crash on you when you die and/or when it loads a new chapter, set the executable's compatibility mode to Windows XP SP3 and check the box for 'Disable full-screen optimizations'.”
“Also use VSync on, plus 'Thread Optimization' activated in the NVIDIA control panel.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as unremarkable and not memorable, serving primarily to enhance the gameplay experience, which can feel repetitive. Additionally, players have noted issues with the audio balance, where the music often drowns out dialogue, making it difficult to hear important conversations. Adjusting the sound levels is recommended for a better experience.
“The gameplay is very samey, but the nice battle music keeps it engaging and prevents boredom.”
“It's a good idea to turn both the music and SFX volumes down about halfway before proceeding to play, based on my personal experience.”
“It's also worth mentioning that I found the dialogue incredibly difficult to hear, as the audio system seems to add some really awful sounding echo in some places, and the default sound levels tend to cause the music and other audio to muffle it.”
“The music is not memorable.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous glitches leading to softlocks and unpredictable interactions that disrupt gameplay. Players have reported that these technical problems can detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating to progress, especially on higher difficulty levels.
“I played through most of this game on hard, eventually switching to normal, and near the end I just quit entirely because of glitches softlocking my game.”
“There are so many glitches and interactable objects in the world that cause total random oddities.”
“Not a difficult game, but it did cheat me a few times with glitches, and instead of death, I could not control.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game attempts to evoke emotional engagement through its physics and teamplay elements, but is ultimately hindered by a lackluster storyline and gameplay mechanics that feel repetitive and frustrating. Players feel that the emotional potential is overshadowed by the conventional cover-based shooter format and poor design choices.
“The emotional depth of the characters is lacking, making it hard to connect with their struggles.”
“The storyline tries to evoke feelings but ends up feeling flat and uninspired.”
“Despite its attempts at emotional moments, the game fails to deliver any real impact.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development is criticized for its low-budget design, suggesting a lack of depth and quality in the characters' visual and narrative presentation.
“Character design is just downright low-budget tier.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be tedious, particularly due to repetitive one-shot boss fights, although the gravity-based mechanics offer a unique twist that could enhance the experience if not for existing bugs.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found myself doing the same tasks over and over just to level up, which quickly became tedious.”
“The grind is so excessive that it overshadows any enjoyment I might have had from the gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game effectively creates an invasion-like atmosphere, immersing players in a world that feels tense and foreboding.
“The game really has a world that gives off an invasion-like atmosphere.”