Invincible Presents: Atom Eve - First Impressions

Ever since the show's release on Amazon Prime, I have loved the story Invincible has told. The way it turns the superhero genre on its head with Omni-Man and his real identity, as well as Mark's torn feelings regarding his powers, legacy, and what kind of hero he could be. With how awesome the world is, I was hoping we would see a transition into video games to expand the lore and characters. Well, it seems I am getting exactly what I was hoping for with Invincible Presents: Atom Eve.

When I first saw Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, I was intrigued. It looked like a unique blending of a visual novel in a comic-like art style mixed with turn-based RPG elements with its combat, skill system, and leveling up. And with it expanding Invincible lore, I was all for it! To my luck, I was offered the chance to preview the game, giving me a look at what to expect from the release later this year. I am glad I did because after playing through it, I am even more excited for the full game!

Taking Charge of Your Fate

In my preview, I could play episodes 2 and 3 of the game, and from those, I feel I got a good sense of what to expect and how this game stands apart from other visual novels. The biggest thing is the gameplay mechanics and how they intertwine with the combat and skill system.

Every in-game day of Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, you will start at a map where you can select which spot to go to, emphasizing the core idea that we are trying to balance our personal life (school) and professional life (being a hero). These spots will either have combat or a discussion to expand the story. Starting with the combat, it is a pretty basic turn-based system. You have energy each turn, and every action you can take expands energy. You do regenerate some of it on your next turn, but there is an element of strategy to choose which skills to use and fight back. Some of my fights could be hard, too, so it matters which skills you choose.

Then, we have the discussions. Here, you will have visual novel-esque gameplay where you will press buttons and read Atom Eve's intriguing conversations with her friends and some inner dialogue. You will also have choices as you play, allowing you to change the flow of the conversation and your relationships with these individuals. These choices will affect your responses, which can get quite personal and deep and change the story's outcome.

This is wrapped around a skill system, which can affect both the combat and discussion events. Regardless of the event, you will get experience as you play. The EXP you receive will level you up, giving you points for your skill tree. Some of the abilities will help in combat, giving you more health or damage, while others will unlock new options for your conversations. This can include getting people to open up to you or instigating others in ways you couldn't before. The skill tree has three branches: Empath, Creator, and Firebrand, all of which have abilities that fit those categories.

I really enjoy the way these systems all blend to create one flowing experience. The story is interesting, and I like how the skill system can affect both aspects of the game instead of just the combat. I also enjoy the overall comic book aesthetic, giving the overall vibe that Invincible generally goes for. I couldn't be happier with how the game is, and I am extremely excited to continue the tale and see which ending I get based on my choices! On top of that, I can't wait to do it all on the Steam Deck.

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve - Steam Deck Performance So Far

Without changing a thing, Invincible Presents: Atom Eve runs nearly flawlessly on the Steam Deck! At the highest settings, which you can change, it will run at 60 FPS without going over an 11W drain. While there can be some changes to bring it down, running this well before a full release gives me a lot of excitement and hope for its performance. If it performs like this in the final build, I will be extremely happy.

I am excited to play through the full game when it releases on November 14th. If you are a fan of the series, visual novels with branching conversations and endings, or interesting stories with a bit more interactivity, you will want to keep an eye out for this!

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve is available to wishlist on Steam now.

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