BRB Playing Indivisible

I’m not going to spend a bunch of time or write a lot of words about Indivisible right now, partially because I’ve barely had it for 24 hours as of writing and haven’t even played it for a fraction of that time.  Maybe like, six hours at most?  I had a toilet to take care of, after all.  Anyway, as a sub-reason, it’s partially because I feel like I’m not equipped to talk about the game in-depth until I learn exactly why it’s called Indivisible. 

I mean, I could hazard a guess, but I’m pretty sure I’d be well off the mark.  Wouldn’t be the first time, really.

So instead of scrambling to write a “review” or give (abbreviated) early impressions, let’s talk a bit about impulse buys. Because this is mine.

I don’t normally do impulse buys.  Not for games, at least.  If I’m at the store and fretting over whether or not we have enough noodles left for a fresh batch of spaghetti, then of course I’m going to grab that package sitting there for 98 cents. But as a gaming connoisseur -- a word that for the life of me I can’t spell without a Microsoft word assist -- I know better.  It’s too easy to get burned, too much out there that’ll sap your wallet dry, and too common for the spiffiest new title to stay in its case and gather dust.

There is, or should be, a procedure to making game purchases.  With the wealth of information available, there’s no reason why anyone should have their Day 1 with a new title end in remorse and regret.  What do the trailers tell you?  What do gameplay videos tell you?  What about demos?  Who’s the developer?  Who’s the publisher?  What have previews said?  What about reviews?  How about YouTube “influencers” blessed with hands-on time and a much thinner filter?  Unless there’s some trickery at play here (remember the Assassin’s Creed Unity scuffle with the very obviously suspicious and worrisome review embargo?), there’s no reason why anyone should go into a purchase without being well-informed.  Do your research, kids.  Don’t opt for impulse buys.

…Unless it’s for a game like Indivisible.  Then go ham.

Here’s the thing: I hold game developers to a pretty high standard, because A) they’re the ones in control of the art we consume, and thus are responsible for putting out the best art, and B) their access to resources mean that they’ve got a better chance of making the unreal real compared to us lowly serfs tilling the fields.  That said, I also hold gamers to certain standards.  I won’t strangle them until they buy the games I like and stomp the games I hate, but I’ve always hoped deep down that they’ll make the right purchases when they can.  It’s part of a gamer’s responsibility.

Or if not that, then it’s my personal responsibility.  Just as there’s classic literature out there that has to be read (so sayeth countless English/liberal arts teachers…though to be fair, Shakespeare is pretty S-tier), there are games that just have to be owned, played, or simply experienced.  As a tribute to the effort; as a tribute to the craft; as a tribute to the creators; there are plenty of valid reasons for sure.  And for me, part of the reason behind my purchase of Indivisible was to correct a mistake I still kind of regret to this day.

I didn’t really give Skullgirls the chance it deserved back when it first came out.  Or when it got updated.  Or ever, really.  I already had enough fighting games on my plate, and needed to stay competitive with my brother in the games he had an interest in; since Skullgirls wasn’t one of them, I had to preemptively bid farewell to Parasoul (the best one, don’t fight me on this).  Unfortunately, that meant bidding farewell to more than just another waifu in the wings.  It meant turning my back on high-quality animations; on game mechanics deserving of adoration; on one of the wildest casts of characters ever seen in the genre; on under-the-hood systems that some modern-day fighters have yet to implement; on so much, beamed directly to me and you from the madlads at Lab Zero Games.

Is it too late for Skullgirls?  Probably.  It’ll never reach a level of popularity that lets it take the main event status at EVO.  Honestly, it’s doubtful that we’ll ever see it again as one of the core games in the event’s rotation.  Sure, it has its fans, but its time is over.  It’s a shame, because the devs deserve all the praise they can get for their no doubt painstaking efforts in bringing their characters to life (among other things, but I’m assuming that their design/animation work required nothing short of a blood sacrifice from all parties involved).  So what’s the solution?  How can I support a company with such a tiny catalog of games, one of which would only receive posthumous love?

The answer: support their other game. Immediately.

And I did.

You could argue that I bought Indivisible out of guilt, and I wouldn’t blame you for it.  But this was, and still is, a game I’m willing to take a leap of faith on.  I tried the demo and really enjoyed it, so it’s not like I expected it to be a complete wash; honestly, the only reason why this was an impulse buy was because it had been so long since the demo I kind of stopped following its development, and the release date snuck up on me.  Meanwhile, as an avid fan of Super Best Friends Play/Castle Super Beast, I’ve been more or less programmed to leave an open slot for Indivisible in my brain -- and it dropped right into that slot like a game of Perfection.

It all comes down to trust.  A leap of faith, but a belief that I’d land in the warm, cushy embrace of a loving mother in digital form.  Do I have a ton of knowledge or experience with Lab Zero or 505 Games?  No, of course not.  But I wanted to believe -- to have a game that I didn’t have to give the cynical stink-eye.  So far, my faith has been rewarded.  It’s too early to say if Indivisible was worth the wait, or if it’ll hold up at the 20-hour mark, or even if it’s any good to begin with.  But the fact that I’m willing to give it another look, and another, and another, and another until I beat it has to say something.  And something good.

Also, it has a Kamen Rider in it, soooooooooooo, you know.  Gotta have it.

And that’ll do it for now.  See you next time.