7.2

Inversion

Inversion is an interesting game that has some strong parallels with Gears of War and the developers previous game, Time Shift. In Inversion, mankind has been invaded by a powerful group of humanoids called the Lutador with dark ulterior motives as they tear the planet apart with their gravity machines.

In the game, you play the role of David Russell, a police officer whose life is literally thrown upside down when his world is invaded. With his wife killed by the invaders and his daughter forcibly taken, it is up to him and his partner Leo Delgado, another police officer to rescue her. Unfortunately for Russell, the odds are against him.

Key Features

• Play through the compelling story on your own or play with others in either co-op or competitive modes.

• Battle with up to 16 friends in gravity defying multiplayer maps and modes.

• Learn to maneuver and shoot in an ever-changing state of global gravity, including weightless gameplay in zero gravity.

• Control gravitational forces using your Gravlink device to either increase or decrease the amount of gravity on a given target.

• Command gravity to crush objects in your way, float enemies into range or even pick up cars to use them as mobile cover.

• With bullets flying, seek cover objects in the environment or manipulate objects to create cover for yourself.

• INVERSION have been specifically designed to allow for maximum destructibility using the “Havok Destruction” module.

• Blast through the environments, target your enemies cover blasting it to bits or even knock down overhead objects to crush the enemy below.

Developed by Saber Interactive, Inversion is a third person shooter that as mentioned, sees the Earth devastated by invaders who can control gravity thanks to the Gravlink device. This device has two settings called vectors that can either lower the gravity around objects to levitate them (blue) or crush objects towards the ground (red).

With the world in chaos, the player goes on a rollercoaster journey as the game gently lowers the player into almost shark infested waters. The first few levels of the game teaches you the basic game mechanics, including how you can control gravity to not just move and throw items but also crush them thanks to the technology of these invaders.

Where Inversion succeeds is through its destructible environments as you destroy buildings and use gravity to crush objects around you. Unfortunately the game is quite limited in the freedom you have to explore which causes this claustrophobic and linear experience.

The shooting style of Inversion is almost identical to Gears of War as you run from cover to cover and engage in the enemies with futuristic and modern weaponry. Combat works quite well and if you play the game on its highest difficulty, it truly gives you a run for your money.

Gravity on the other hand is used to solve the various puzzles that are placed in front of the player which ranges from easy to challenging but it's a good mix. My only gripe with the combat is that it feels a little too tight and it would have been more enjoyable if gravity played a larger role in combat or more streamlined. Nonetheless it's fun to use gravity to force your enemies out of cover and then use your guns to blow them into Kingdom Come.

The AI in the game and depending on your difficulty level can prove quite challenging as the enemies use the environment well to cover themselves. It's fun almost mimicking Darth Vader as you throw objects against your enemies, however sometimes it is difficult to aim as the objects gets in the way of your target. The game does make the object somewhat transparent but it does hamper your accuracy, especially when you're being shot at.

Controls work well, although it is a little clunky moving between gravity powers and weaponry. They could have been mapped out considerably better. There are also some "flying" sections in the game that does cause this great vertigo atmosphere. One issue with the story however are the endless cutscenes... there are just too many of them. Needless to say, some of the scripted events of the game do increase the fun factor. Once you have finished single-player campaign, there's lots to do in multiplayer with a handful of modes from Death Matches, co-op play and some really fun gravity levels.

Graphically the game looks good on the 360 thanks to the same engine used by Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary edition. The gravity effects are quite spectacular but some of the character models, especially in cutscenes are a little lacklustre. The musical score works well in the background as do the sound effects and the voice acting is ok. A little over the top but ok.

Final Thoughts?

In the end, Inversion has some great concepts but suffers from its rather linear design, especially in relation to the gravity powers your character has access too. Fortunately I found the story quite interesting and the cutscenes (even though there are too many of them) help push the game along quite nicely with limited controller rage from the gameplay. Health fortunately regenerates when you're out of the firing line and the boss battles are worth the entry price into this game.

It may not be the best game available but it's worth checking out!