Beautifully hand-drawn game from the mind of Mariel Cartwright. The only reason I picked this up was because I was familiar with her work, being one of Mega64’s frequent collaborators for merch. Indivisible's story does something different with its setting as it mixes south Asian / south-east Asian
/ southern American mythology and aesthetic (with a vague 1600s/1700s-ish Colonialist backdrop) in a direction I haven’t seen before. It’s just a joy to look right up until the end.
The gameplay also is unique, blending turn-based RPG combat, 2D fighting game, platformer and Metroidvania (phew) systems together. It's unlike anything i've played before. The mix of gameplay works in its favour, generally. It’s rewarding to plan sets of attacks with a huge roster of combat styles, and it’s rewarding to unleash them and get a hundred+ hit combo.
Ultimately though, Indivisible never really commits to any one genre. All these elements can feel a little empty in places. It’s a façade of RPGness as you don’t really get much choice in how much you can customise any one character. There’s no items, no crafting and few side quests. Then, navigating its puzzle-map and returning to areas with upgraded abilities feels more frustrating than exhilarating.
But its art style, whimsical soundtrack, general gameplay mechanics and the wonderful dialogue and voice-acting from a decent cast did keep me playing. After playing a slew of recent games with 10ish hour playthroughs, I was craving something a little longer and Indivisible was a really good fit. I ended up playing this, and only this, for the better part of a month and put in a good 26+ hrs and even effortlessly got the Platinum. A solid game overall if a little empty in places.
/ southern American mythology and aesthetic (with a vague 1600s/1700s-ish Colonialist backdrop) in a direction I haven’t seen before. It’s just a joy to look right up until the end.
The gameplay also is unique, blending turn-based RPG combat, 2D fighting game, platformer and Metroidvania (phew) systems together. It's unlike anything i've played before. The mix of gameplay works in its favour, generally. It’s rewarding to plan sets of attacks with a huge roster of combat styles, and it’s rewarding to unleash them and get a hundred+ hit combo.
Ultimately though, Indivisible never really commits to any one genre. All these elements can feel a little empty in places. It’s a façade of RPGness as you don’t really get much choice in how much you can customise any one character. There’s no items, no crafting and few side quests. Then, navigating its puzzle-map and returning to areas with upgraded abilities feels more frustrating than exhilarating.
But its art style, whimsical soundtrack, general gameplay mechanics and the wonderful dialogue and voice-acting from a decent cast did keep me playing. After playing a slew of recent games with 10ish hour playthroughs, I was craving something a little longer and Indivisible was a really good fit. I ended up playing this, and only this, for the better part of a month and put in a good 26+ hrs and even effortlessly got the Platinum. A solid game overall if a little empty in places.