As revealed at this year’s PC Gaming Show, Starward Industries has found a publisher in 11 Bit Studios and is celebrating its newfound partnership with five minutes of The Invincible gameplay. This is practically the first time we’ve seen the developer’s atmospheric atompunk project truly in action, with previous glimpses only showing snippets of gameplay, cutscenes, and concept art. Here, the desolate planet of Regis III starts to look not so empty, with protagonist Yasna scavenging through abandoned structures and encountering a laser-shooting Antimat.
What really shines in the gameplay video, however, is Starward’s clear focus on immersion. The Invincible is going for a minimalistic approach, and it’s an approach that looks like it will pay off, especially for fans of first-person story-driven games. You can get a feel for Yasna’s journey on Regis III in the five minutes of The Invincible gameplay below.
Starward and 11 Bit are working together to start their partnership with a publishing agreement, but the relationship doesn’t end there. Both companies have come to a separate agreement that sees 11 Bit becoming minority shareholders in Starward. We spoke to the fine folks at Starward earlier this year, and they gave us a chance to learn more about The Invincible. In addition to updates on gameplay mechanics, our chat brought more information about tone, choice-based storytelling, video game adaptations, and so much more.
The Invincible is based on Polish author Stanisław Lem’s sci-fi novel of the same name. 11 Bit external development director Marek Ziemak spoke on Lem’s influence and how Starward is creating the perfect adaptation:
When many of us were teenagers, Lem gave us a vision of the future that felt surreal. And as a reader, I couldn’t imagine the world of The Invincible being more tangible than the one portrayed in the game. As a Polish publisher on a mission to showcase meaningful entertainment, we couldn’t pass by the opportunity to take on a game based on such an important piece of Polish cultural heritage as Lem’s book.
The Invincible launches for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S in 2023, a slight delay from the previous 2022 target.
