The Divine Invasion

About

The Divine Invasion is a single player simulation game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Whale Rock Games and was released on December 3, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Divine Invasion" is a sci-fi, turn-based strategy game where players build and manage a space fleet to defend humanity from an alien invasion. By exploring planets and space encounters, players gather resources to upgrade their ships and expand their fleet. With challenging gameplay and various victory conditions, players must balance strategic planning and quick decision-making to save the universe from annihilation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 291 reviews

story42 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and intricate storyline that explores deep philosophical themes, keeping players engaged throughout.
Visually stunning graphics and a unique cyberpunk atmosphere create an immersive experience that enhances gameplay.
The combat mechanics are enjoyable, allowing for a mix of action and strategy, which adds depth to the gameplay.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, clunky controls, and unresponsive combat mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
The narrative can be convoluted and difficult to follow, with lengthy dialogues that may frustrate players looking for a more streamlined story.
Many players report that the game feels unfinished, lacking polish and coherence, which can lead to a disappointing experience.

story
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The story of "The Divine Invasion" is a complex blend of cyberpunk, philosophy, and action-adventure elements, featuring intriguing themes and unexpected twists that engage players. However, many reviewers noted that the narrative can be confusing and lacks clarity, often detracting from immersion due to issues like the absence of voice acting and poorly presented dialogue. While some players appreciate the depth and ambition of the plot, others find it difficult to follow, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution.
- “The divine invasion is an immersive and visually stunning game that combines engaging gameplay with a compelling storyline.”
- “The story about moral values in a high-tech age is engaging, and the world is a joy to explore.”
- “The captivating storyline with unexpected twists and stylish pixel art create a unique atmosphere.”
- “This leads to a disconnect: the themes feel compelling, yet the storytelling lacks clarity.”
- “Players expecting a smooth, cinematic narrative may find themselves lost, not in an intriguing or intentional way, but in a manner that suggests the story’s structure is not fully realized.”
- “The story is completely unexplained and next to impossible to follow, not helped by the fact that there is absolutely no voice acting and the only indication that there is any 'story' is the terrible looking subtitles that show up for five seconds.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
50%
16%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of global strategy, role-playing, and action-adventure elements that can be engaging and thought-provoking, particularly for fans of narrative-driven experiences. However, many players note significant issues with clunky mechanics, technical flaws, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience. While the combat and unique setting are praised, the gameplay often feels rough and unrefined, making it difficult to fully recommend for those seeking a smooth and cohesive experience.
- “The game perfectly combines the elements of global strategy and role-playing mechanics, making the gameplay very engaging and deep.”
- “Unique gameplay: the gameplay reflects the game world, emphasizing close combat and intriguing stealth options, allowing players to choose their path and style.”
- “With its captivating narrative, immersive world, and engaging gameplay, this game is sure to appeal to fans of classic RPGs and those interested in exploring complex themes and ideas.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly clunky, with your character swinging around his sword in really slow, easy to avoid attacks.”
- “The gameplay is awful and mundane; you can barely even play the game. There is a lengthy text with no voice which the dev calls story, the AI acts the same across the entire time you spent playing this garbage and is dumb to say the least.”
- “Incoherent plot, choppy gameplay, lazy map design.”
graphics
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
33%
9%
The graphics of the game receive a mixed reception, with many praising their stunning quality, artistic design, and immersive atmosphere, particularly in the context of a cyberpunk aesthetic. However, some users criticize certain aspects as outdated or poorly executed, noting issues with animations and level design. Overall, while the visuals are often highlighted as a strong point, there are also calls for improvements in specific areas to enhance the overall experience.
- “The graphics are stunning, the atmosphere is incredible, and the storyline is intriguing, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end.”
- “The atmosphere is dense and the visuals are pure art.”
- “The graphics are impressive, rivaling cyberpunk aesthetics, and the animations are smooth and visually stunning.”
- “The graphics look outdated, and the animations are rammed and blurred.”
- “Secondly, the graphics and design of the levels look outdated and sloppily executed, which negatively affects the overall perception.”
- “The graphics look like something ripped straight out of the Unity Asset Store.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, evocative lighting, and immersive cyberpunk elements, creating a captivating and thought-provoking experience. Players appreciate the dense, artistic ambiance that enhances the intriguing storyline, often describing it as a philosophical journey through a neon-lit world filled with mystery and depth. Despite some technical imperfections, the unique atmosphere and engaging narrative keep players hooked and make it a standout in the genre.
- “The atmosphere is dense and the visuals are pure art.”
- “There are moments when the atmosphere becomes genuinely evocative, with lighting, architecture, and music working together to conjure a sense of unease and fractured identity.”
- “When the atmosphere clicks, it can feel like wandering through a philosophical fever dream wrapped in neon and circuitry.”
- “Cyberpunk atmosphere: the game immerses you in a cyberpunk world filled with paradoxes, neon-lit streets, and a sense of haunting reality within the digital realm.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
24%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and evoke emotions, particularly in cyberpunk settings. While some players enjoy the nostalgic synthwave soundtrack and find it complements the gameplay well, others criticize it as repetitive or generic. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a strong point, contributing to the game's immersive experience, despite some complaints about volume issues and lack of variety.
- “There are moments when the atmosphere becomes genuinely evocative, with lighting, architecture, and music working together to conjure a sense of unease and fractured identity.”
- “A loving homage to 16-bit classics, where pixel-perfect platforming meets a synthwave soundtrack, delivering a nostalgic rush of challenge and charm that feels both familiar and fresh.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay.”
- “So-so game, poor graphics and not very good music in general, I do not recommend.”
- “Boring game, no voice acting, have to read a lot in a game, repetitive music play style, tragic. Even Super Mario has more mobility and movement. Have I mentioned that the game is boring?”
- “Annoying repetitive music, cringy dialog, dialog box covers entire screen.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its appealing vibe and music, many feel it remains unrefined and incomplete, making it difficult to recommend without reservations.
- “Sadly, what it delivers is a buggy, convoluted mess that fails to live up to its lofty ambitions.”
- “Despite leaving Steam Early Access (where this arguably still belongs), the game is buggy as all hell, extremely unpolished, and is apparently incomplete.”
- “It feels like a buggy asset flip and even the beginning of the game is very slow and tedious, and it seems most of the sound effects are missing.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with players noting good performance and minimal bugs, especially for an early access title. However, some issues such as camera problems, performance hiccups, and limited animation polish can detract from the experience, alongside concerns about the game's increasing size with updates.
- “I was pleased with the presence of good optimization, although the size of the game is quite large and it increases with the release of every update.”
- “Pretty good for early access, didn't notice any bugs or performance issues.”
- “Cool game genre, I would play something similar. In general, the gameplay is quite pleasant, and the graphics are normal. The optimization is also good, only in some moments it is too dark.”
- “Camera issues, performance hiccups, limited animation polish, and the absence of voice acting in major story moments all detract from immersion.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players are pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth of the game, particularly noting that it evokes strong feelings despite its bounty hunter theme.
- “I didn't expect to get emotional over a bounty hunter game.”
- “The story had me in tears; I felt so connected to the characters.”
- “Every choice I made impacted the emotional journey, leaving me reflecting long after I finished.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key element, with players enjoying the funny setting and the blend of divine powers and epic battles that contribute to an entertaining experience. However, some users also mention that technical issues, such as control and graphic bugs, detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Divine powers, epic battles, and a sprinkle of humor make this game a celestial blast.”
- “Collecting the books is funny.”
- “Funny setting, so it was interesting to spend time in it.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development in "The Divine Invasion" attempts to explore profound themes related to human nature and synthetic life, but it often falls short due to its reliance on lengthy text segments and a fragmented narrative. While the game features strong world-building, the character development lacks cohesion and integration with gameplay.
- “The Divine Invasion is what you get when you mix good world-building and character development.”
- “The divine invasion wants to ask big questions about human nature and synthetic life, but it often delivers these ideas through lengthy text segments and fragmented presentation rather than through gameplay or cohesive character development.”
- “Character development feels shallow and underwhelming, leaving players disconnected from the characters' journeys and motivations.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character progression makes it difficult to feel invested in the characters or their growth throughout the game.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers suggest that the game's replayability is lacking, with some even stating that a previous title, "A New Reckoning," offered a more engaging experience in terms of replay value.
- “A new reckoning was more replayable than this.”
- “The game lacks the depth to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
- “Once you finish the story, there's little incentive to return.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with a slow start and a lack of engaging content. The experience is marred by technical issues, such as missing sound effects, which contribute to a feeling of aimlessness and repetitiveness in gameplay.
- “It feels like a buggy asset flip, and even the beginning of the game is very slow and tedious. It seems most of the sound effects are missing.”
- “The insanely dangerous cyber ghost of an evil ninja master who is able to inhabit railings and other scenery after you have successfully collected all the data from all the darkened ninja lair rooms in which you search endlessly for a bloody light switch (teeth grinding). He will strike you down in callous ragdoll doom.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with numerous reviews appearing in broken English or Russian, suggesting they are generated by fake accounts. These accounts seem to be used primarily for promoting direct purchases and writing misleading reviews for low-quality games, indicating a lack of genuine engagement with the product.
- “Avoid this cash grab.”
- “They're all written in either Russian or broken English, appear at almost exactly the same times (in groups of around 10), all have a direct Steam purchase of the game, and the accounts are used consistently to write fake reviews for asset flips and other cash grabs/scams.”