Although it is an adaptation of the Stanisław Lem novel of the same name (when translated), the upcoming video game The Invincible features 11 different endings. Of course, novels tend to have one ending and overarching conclusion to the story, and while it's not impossible for there to be a written structure with multiple endings, it's not common unlike in video games. Game ZXC recently spoke with The Invincible's narrative designer and writer Magdalena Kucenty, as well as art director Wojciech Ostrycharz, about these various endings and changes made between the novel and video game.
There are NO spoilers for The Invincible within this article.
Before even reaching the endings of The Invincible, it was very important to studio Starward Industries (composed of former CD Projekt Red and Techland devs) that it honors and does Lem's work justice given his importance to Poland, with the country's parliament even denoting 2021 as Stanisław Lem Year. This means any small change came with tons of scrutiny, and the studio did its best to work in all of Lem's philosophical beliefs regarding evolution, necroevolution, the role of humanity in the universe, and more. At times, it means that the studio also shied away from certain elements of Lem's work.
For example, The Invincible novel tells the story of Rohan and crew's crash landing on Regis III and his subsequent rescue mission into the enemy area. Meanwhile, The Invincible game replaces Rohan with a new protagonist named Yasna, who alongside her crew also crash lands on Regis III. There are parallels between the two stories, which is pretty obvious from the get-go, but this choice was intentional in order to offer a new perspective and to avoid directly translating Rohan. As Ostrycharz described it, "Presenting the story from a different perspective was aimed at making the narrative appealing to both readers of the book and those unfamiliar with it, encouraging people who don't know Lem to explore the original work. We also didn't want to translate Lem's character Rohan directly into the language of the game, precisely because we know how significant the character is to readers, and the gaming medium comes with its own opportunities and limitations."
The Invincible Hands-On Preview: Retro Sci-Fi, Next-Gen Visuals
In a first look at The Invincible, developer Starward Industries showcases a gorgeous sci-fi thriller inspired by the works of Stanislaw Lem.
Those opportunities and limitations can be found within the 11 different endings of The Invincible as well. How exactly fans unlock these endings and what the big changes are remains to be seen, but those who have read Lem and who have never read Lem should still get the opportunity of a satisfying conclusion. As such, Kucenty explained that,
"Some of these [endings] are adapted from the book, while others are our narrative solutions, closely aligned with the story's progression, gameplay, and contingent on the player's choices."
Player choice is another opportunity within the gaming medium not available in the novel space. It would make sense to avoid adapting Rohan's character because the character could not be malleable enough for player choice to be utilized. As such, it's probably the wisest choice for the adventure game adaptation of The Invincible, and that goes for its ending too. The Invincible is set to be a short and sweet experience, and the different possible endings may add some replay value to the title. In fact, another developer we spoke with would love it if someone unfamiliar with Lem's work played the game, read the novel, and then played it again. Rewards for Lem fans like Easter eggs were promised, but again, the game is designed even for those who have not read Lem's work.
The Invincible
The Invincible is a story-driven adventure game, adapted from the hard sci-fi works of Stanislaw Lem. Players will explore Regis III as Yasna, use tools to search for her missing crew, and face unforeseen threats.
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- November 6, 2023
- Developer
- Starward Industries
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
