Second impressions

[stefanstr]

Hi everyone.

 

I bought the game way back when it was still called Incognita and enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, my PC died and my other computer is a Mac so I wasn’t able to play until now when I discovered there finally is a Mac version.

 

A lot has changed since the early days. I think the game has gotten much harder. In old incognita, I would typically reach level 5-10. Now I keep dying on missions 1-3. I think the main reason for that is the overhauled alarm system and more limited resources like ammo. Also, if I remember correctly, there used to be a chance of guards missing you when shooting. Not anymore.

 

A few impressions I have:

 

- the view is a little bit cluttered, even more so than in the early days (I sometimes need to rotate the map a few times to make sure I am getting the situation). I am not a graphics expert so I don’t know how this could be improved but this is my main gripe with the game at the moment. Maybe the ability to rotate the view by any angle would help?

 

- the game is very hard and unforgiving right from the start. I would prefer some easier missions at the beginning to „get rolling“. Maybe I should try Easy Mode next.

 

- I like the fact that there is less luck involved now than in the early days. E.g., I know that guards will shoot me down every time they get the chance, but I also know I will hit them every time. It makes the game more tactical than the early days.

 

- I am torn about the fact that we cannot reload anymore. I have had situations where I have clicked on the wrong tile and it was instant game over (e.g., due to guards noticing me). This happens mostly due to visual clutter (my first point). I think visual clutter + this permanency is not a good combination. Maybe there should be an „undo“ option for only the last move or something...

 

To sum up, I still like this game, I love turn-based tactics (I am a big fan of X-Com, as well). But to be quite honest, I had a little bit more fun with the very early builds I used to play way back. 

[Bahger]

All very valid points. The uncompromising nature of the game (no saves, steep learning curve) is now deeply embedded in the design concept, as is the notion that you are always under increasing pressure to accomplish your goals before the difficulty ratchets too high, which further limits a trial-and-error approach to the levels. I have come to admire this very "pure" approach to the game's challenges and dynamics but I have had to accept that I am not good enough at at it be able to finish story mode on Normal and even Easy is no walk in the park. I do not play chess and my mind does not lend itself to maze puzzles or logistics management, which comprise the basic skill-set that is really helpful in mastering this game. For this reason, as much as I enjoy it, I am not sure I will ever beat it.

[stefanstr]

I actually do play chess and the current state of the game indeed made me think of chess. Which I like. 

 

However, this game is not completely like chess. In chess, you always have the same starting conditions, you can write down the moves of your game and analyze it afterwards. Which is a lot like reloading a level and trying a different approach. So the „roguelike“ aspects of Invisible Inc. are actually not like chess.

 

I have switched to the easy mode and it is better. Still challenging but doable, most of the time.

 

I am thinking about other games with procedural content I know and like (Don’t Starve, Rim World, Dwarf Fortress, etc.)... I.e., games made with the motto „losing is fun“. What all these games share, though, is their ability to inspire the player to see the game as a story in the making. You get attached to your characters, you have very unique encounters and situations, etc. Because of that, losing can indeed be fun, as it is the end of a rich and engaging story. This is something which Invisible Inc. doesn’t quite have. The characters are not really unique - at least not in a way which would help you get attached to them and miss them when they die. The corporate corridors are also repetitive. I don’t remember much about missions which I have already completed.

 

Invisible Inc. is still an engaging and fun game, don’t get me wrong. After a few more games, though, I would like to see Klei add some more „meat“ to the story-telling side of the game. They already know how to do it - Don’t Starve is a proof of that.