Invisible, Inc. Review

Invisible, Inc. cobbles together a myriad of genres that — on paper — sound like a recipe for disaster. How can a roguelike game capture the precision or intensity of a stealth game? The turn-based gameplay appears destined to undermine the immediacy of sneaking around enemies while trying to avoid detection.

Invisible, Inc. should not work in any shape or form. Yet, it is kind of good — at times, even great.

That said, Invisible, Inc. is a niche product, destined to be appreciated by a select audience but ignored by the masses. Depending on someone’s preferences, Klei Entertainment has either crafted a modern classic or a game barely worth a second glance.

Story

Invisible, Inc. features a serviceable story for the eight hours or so required to complete the campaign. The plot itself remains consistent from playthrough to playthrough. The year is 2074 and capitalism has literally taken over the world. Tired of lobbying for success, powerful corporations have opted to eliminate the middle man. Earth’s governments have fallen, leaving these companies to seize control.

Surprisingly, the campaign unfolds from the perspective of an organization (Invisible, Inc.) in the service of these corporations. An attacker, presumably one of four suspected companies, succeeds in jeopardizing the agency’s powerful AI (Incognita). As a result, only two active agents remain at Invisible, Inc.

Consequently, the player must infiltrate various institutions, gather resources, free captured agents, and prepare for a final assault on the enemy’s base of operations.