The Invincible

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Finish this joy of a science fiction story
Buy it from: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop

The Invincible from Starward Industries might just be the pulpy science fiction video game you’ve been waiting for. With sci-fi vistas that put Starfield to shame and a mysterious, compelling narrative about a stranded astrobiologist on an unknown planet, this adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s novel of the same name has held my attention all week.

The Invincible is a low-action adventure game. It’s about vibes more than anything else. (The very imperfect “walking simulator” genre might also be a decent descriptor here.) Though it’s a hard science-fiction setting where your character often chimes in with her scientific observations of the many weird things happening on the world of Regis III, The Invincible has a delightful abundance of personality, particularly from its neo-retro, old-school sci-fi stylized equipment, interiors, and robots.

The story is a bit heady, and involves a plot of rivaling factions of humanity that went a little over my head at first. But that hasn’t detracted from the experience. The game is visually lush (it looks particularly spectacular on the fancy new Steam Deck OLED model), and the mysterious nature of the story has me absolutely captivated with where it’s going to go.

Read More: Steam Deck OLED Is A Premium Dose Of Personality

If you’re in the mood for a slow-burn adventure game, I can think of few games that hit the hard sci-fi vibes of this one.

Oh, and if you’re in the S. Lem kinda mood, maybe check out the simply fantastic 2011 music adaptation of the film version of his novel Sólaris from artists Ben Frost and Daníel Bjarnason. It is literally one of my top 10 records of all time. — Claire Jackson

And that wraps our picks for this weekend. What games are you looking forward to spending some time with?