(Sorry for the delay on this review. I had previously thought I posted this back in late June but it got lost between travel. Either way, enjoy)
I’m very critical of the current “reviewing” systems that the gaming industry has in place. So often a quality…actually, a rather great game is subjected to scores that we perceive to be failing. It’s as if the game doesn’t get at LEAST an 8, it’s crap. However, sometimes there are games that honestly deserve the score they get. In this case, that happens to be Inversion. I literally just sighed preparing to explain what exactly I don’t like about this game. It’s as if my body is releasing all the terrible moments I experienced while playing Inversion. I don’t blame it, it deserves a break or at least a 4 month vacation. Inversion takes place in some ridiculous future that honestly feels way too much like Gears of War. Earth or whatever you live on, is being attacked by these humanoid creatures from the depths of its crust and you, some random gun-for-hire/cop has to stop them. That is as interesting as it gets. This is the 80s B-Action movie of this decade. If there were Razzies for video games, it would probably take home a few awards. Either way, let’s get to Dig it / Dog it.
Dig it:
- The multiplayer was actually decent. It had some cool moments that involved the gravity manipulation that Inversion touts. I mean, you wouldn’t play it for more than a weekend with some friends…while partially inebriated but at least it isn’t as unbalanced as Gotham City Impostors…kind of. Much like Singularity, which I thought had a fun multiplayer, Inversion will be over looked for its single player flaws and engine mishaps. It’s a shame because the multiplayer had some promise to it. Something new and different in the arena of shooters, especially with it being a third-person affair.
- The gravity manipulation is pretty cool. It reminds me of something or some game I’ve seen in the past but I can’t seem to place it.No, not the gravity gun from Half-Life 2. Either way, it’s a gimmick, yes but it is actually entertaining to use. Depth isn’t the word I would use to describe it but it’s an area that hasn’t been explored much…recent or not. You would think the camera would be a total mess due to the changes in gravity, thus the constant change in your characters relation to the environment, but I never had a problem with it which was a nice change.
Dog it:
- Unfortunately that is where the good ends. I don’t truly understand how things can be lost-in-translation when a game is released on multiple platforms but dear god, the PS3 version is a total mess.
- The graphics. I mean I’m not one to complain about the current run of issues that seemingly plague games here and there but Inversion found a way to cram them all into the PS3 “port”. I was playing in 720p (due to Hauppauge) but it felt like 480 and a bad 480 at that. Every texture was rough and looked as if no one took the time to smooth….anything out. There was a point in the first portion of the game where the entire street level did not load for at least 10 minutes. I wondered why the enemy would crouch down randomly in this “open” street but I realized they were hiding behind invisible cars. Not to mention half of the buildings didn’t even load, so I was looking at blue sky and a concrete road.
- For a game that touts itself with a dynamic level changing “device”, you would assume the controls would be well crafted. As much fun as it is to roll towards cover, only to find yourself standing in a hail of bullets, I’d rather die by my own mistakes than deal with shoddy physics. I also understand that they wanted to “borrow” much of the Gears of War universe but making the characters move even slower than Marcus and Dom is highly aggravating when your enemy seems to bounce all over the place.
- Like terrible 80s B Action movies, with a over-saturated buddy-cop feel and personal sacrifice laced between some ridiculous sci-fi story piloted by a total douche-bag? Then you’ll love the story Inversion has to offer. Just ignore the consistent relations to Gears of War and much of the current sci-fi shooters to boot. I don’t think much more needs to be said.
- Speaking of Gears….is this game supposed to be set in an alternate universe of that same franchise? Someone from Epic should call and complain that it does a disservice to that awesome series. At least ask them to pick another game to clone next time.
- I’m an audiophile, not self-proclaimed might I add but holy crap could the audio get any worse? It was synced worse than a mid 70s Chinese Kung-Fu film . The voice acting was atrocious and again, faux-Gears of War soundtrack anyone? I’m really not trying to relate the two but I mean come on….
Look, I’m sure this game is much better on the PC, let alone the 360 but I honestly felt like someone was playing a bad joke on me while playing this for PS3, specifically the single player. I don’t want to be harsh but it honestly was a crock that a game could be so poorly produced for a console that has games like Uncharted 2 and God of War. As an owner of all systems but with a loyalty to Sony, I feel like I was cheated. I really want to know what other people felt about this game on the other consoles/systems. I hope it was worth your time and effort because the PS3 version is a total mess. I wouldn’t pay 10 bucks for that and I would suggest to any individual to think long and hard on this topic : One Steak Dinner or owning Inversion for PS3. So if you want to try this game out and have multiple systems, go with 360 or PC. If you are stuck with a PS3…well, ask a friend who has one of the others if you can rent it and play it at their house.
