When Indika was first announced, there was plenty of hype and intrigue surrounding the game itself. We were really expecting an experience with crazy characters and catchy music. But let’s see if the trailer didn’t oversell the title.
A story about religion.
We find ourselves in a story that places the player in the third-person perspective, but there’s nothing really new here. We’re sticking to familiar mechanics, which at times will lead us a little too far. However… You’ll never be obliged to follow the paths indicated. And it’s in this biblical tale that we’re going to evolve with the evil one on our shoulder.
The strength of the title lies in the situations that make no sense whatsoever. From the laugh-out-loud situations during a chase to the creepiness of an apparition. This is a title that wants to hurt you psychologically with situations that make no sense whatsoever.
The problem is that the first part of the title raises the tone to the point of being gripping to the point of laughter and disgust. The second part, on the other hand, brings the atmosphere down to the point where you can’t go any further in the madness. But then, between faith and insanity…
Faith challenged…
Your adventure is certainly not just a journey through insanity. You’ll find XP points, collectibles and various puzzle games throughout the adventure. In terms of puzzles, the game offers quite a few, some of them quite complex. But you’re here to get your head around them, not to burn your brain on a puzzle. With one overall downside…
Indika doesn’t push each of its ideas to the limit. PIER, for example, is a mechanic that we loved, but which is totally unexploited in the title. The ability to modify the scenery in real time could and should have been much more central to the game. And not just in a few anecdotal passages.
As you can see, the game is above all a narrative. And perhaps that’s why there are no advanced gameplay mechanics. Especially as it only takes 4 hours to finish the title. But fortunately, the story, graphics and technology are there to reinforce the whole. Indika is certainly a linear game, but one that we enjoyed getting through despite its many shortcomings.
Invisible walls and a rushed ending are the title’s biggest problems. An extra hour or two of narration wouldn’t have been a bad thing, to avoid frustrating players who want an ending that lives up to the beginning.
In the end, Indika is a gripping little narrative UFO that lets you immerse yourself in the madness of a brooding house. But its overall gameplay and overly narrative aspect make it a game stuck between two chairs. We’d like more, but we’d also like the gameplay mechanics to go further and be fully utilized.
