Title: Inversion
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Saber Interactive
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M
It seems like while everyone was paying close attention to what was happening over at E3 2012, Inversion flew in right under the radar. The gimmick of manipulating gravity to your advantage was enough to interest me, but ended up falling way short of its' goals.
Presentation and Story:
The narrative in Inversion has got to be one of the most shallow stories I have ever been force fed. A thuggish alien race, known as the Lutadore, invades your home and takes everybody you know and love captive. You control Davis Russel, the most generic protagonist around, his daughter gets abducted, and he goes on this long journey to get her back. You are accompanied by your typical tough guy, Leo Delgado, who is filled with terrible one liners and uncalled for f-bombs. This has to be one of the cheesiest stories i have ever played. Visually, the game can impress you at times, then make you take back your praise. The pure destructibility you can cause is great, the destructible environments come close to those in Red Faction. The locales are bland and uninspired, the game just flat out looks rough. I think the game could have benefited from an extra 3 months of polish and ironing out. The voice acting is particularly weak, it seems like the actors never really never believed in what they were doing. The musical score is actually not bad, providing some good action tracks.
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
When it comes to the gameplay of Inversion, I can't help but think of Gears of War. It looks and feels very similar to the Gears games, right down to the 4 space weapon wheel. The third person shooter components are executed well in the game, offering up solid cover and shoot gunplay. The biggest draw of the game is the use of gravity, when you finally acquire the Gravalink in the game, it offers a lot more variety. You'll have different powers that come with the Gravalink, including shooting a ball of low gravity at your enemies that will make them float in the air exposed. Another cool element in the game is Vector Shifts, you'll be walking on a roof and you'll notice a glowing aura, once you enter it, you are transported to another plane. It sounds a little weird but it actually is pretty cool. Zero gravity plays a big role in Inversion, you'll come across many environments that are only in zero gravity. Traversing these areas is a blast, and when it incorporates shooting into the formula, the action can get pretty hectic. These moments in the game was where I had the most fun. There is multiplayer in the game, but its obviously tacked on to add value, which includes a horde style mode. You can complete the 8 hour campaign alone, or with a friend. My suggestion would be to play with a friend, the A.I. is pretty bad. Another thing is how repetitive the game becomes in the end, you end up fighting the same boss more than three times. The last boss is mind-numbing as well, I found myself contemplating when it was going to end.
Final Thoughts:Inversion is like a roller coaster ride, it starts off at a low point, then its a slow ride to the top. Once you get to the top, you're only there for a short period. After the summit, its all downhill from there.
S&S Rating: 6.5/10
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