This year has been full of good surprises, and Indika is one of those. I don't know exactly when this game was announced, but I heard about it for the first time weeks ago, and at the time, the game seemed bizarre, to the point of piquing my interest, but I didn't know if I was going to like it, after all, I didn't know what to expect.
É então que diversos veículos da imprensa começam a dar suas impressões sobre o jogo, em grande maioria delas, positivas. E foi neste momento que o arrependimento bateu, de estar na dúvida e não ter solicitado o jogo. Mas então, os deuses dos videogames foram bondosos comigo, pois o lançamento nos consoles veio alguns dias depois, e desta vez tive a oportunidade de jogar. E então finalmente coloquei as mãos neste jogo…
Bizarre
But at the same time as the bizarreness of the game, I noticed an absurd creativity in many of the game's moments and scenes. But as Jack the Ripper would say, let's go in parts. In the game, you take control of Indika (which is where the name of the game comes from, obviously), a nun who is constantly bullied by the other nuns.
At the beginning, we learn in practice what she feels and we also begin to understand how her complex psychological side works. She feels these attacks a lot, but she herself has issues with her own person, and this is basically one of the main themes we'll explore over the course of the game.
At one point, Indika receives a mission to take a letter to a distant cathedral, the contents of which even she doesn't know. So we set off on this journey through a war-torn Russia (I believe it is Russia), where we meet new characters and new challenges, on a journey of self-knowledge.
How does the game work?
The gameplay of the game is also very curious, because in part it is very realistic, but at times it goes to a more supernatural side, in part it is a platform game, in part it is in first person, in part in third. And all this without any explanation, incredible!
But for a large part of the game, we have a third-person game in which we can walk and run, interact with certain objects and pray. That's right, pray. And in a few moments of the game, this prayer is essential, because through it we can "alter" the scenery, a very interesting form of puzzle that unfortunately doesn't appear much.
It's a short game, but it can get a bit long depending on how long it takes to complete the many puzzles in the game. This is mainly due to the fact that the game doesn't give you many tips on how to solve them. Even so, the game will require a maximum of 4 hours to complete.
But the game goes well beyond the basics, featuring some platforming moments, pixelated and all. At other times, you take control of some vehicles, are chased by some enemies, among other things, which doesn't make the game repetitive. However, there's not much to talk about as the game is very short indeed, but it's still very good.
And the look?
Well, the impression I got was of a game with a limited budget, but as I mentioned when talking about the gameplay, it's very creative, and this also applies to its visuals. A great example of this is the strange framing that we see throughout the game, which is very strange, but at the same time, very cool for this very reason.
But don't expect state-of-the-art graphics, incredible animations or impeccable modeling, you won't find anything more than casual in this game. In fact, some of the models we find in the game are quite ugly visually, to the point where they don't even look like what they really are, but maybe that's on purpose given all the bizarre things in the game, who knows.
There are some very interesting scenarios in the game, which is totally linear but manages to convey a sense of grandeur that makes you feel small. And in this case, the game does well, but again, don't expect anything too impressive here.
But I can't forget to mention the game's platforming moments, which have a pixelated 2D look. And I can say that the artwork in these parts in particular is very good, the game looks beautiful, and even varied in terms of gameplay. And even with the game's "standard" mode, both the text and the "points" you acquire have this aesthetic, which gives the game a very cool look.
Are you a good musician?
Well, the game's soundtrack is one of those points where Indika doesn't shine very well, both in terms of the music and the sound design itself. Some of the sounds in the game seem to be of very low quality, which often took away from the immersion.
The effects in the game's interface have a very 80s feel, which goes well with the pixelated look of the game. Even so, it can't save the quality of the game's sound. But at least the game remains creative.
Is it worth it?
Well, after finishing the game, I was left with a feeling of wanting more, because it's a game that lacks in certain details, but which, in the end, has a positive balance. I think I understood the story, but I confess that in my head I find myself wondering if I really did. It's a very dense and interpretative story, even with its short duration.
Indika is very bold, creative, courageous, and an example in many respects for future games that dare to be different. In my opinion, the experience was well worth it, so I highly recommend playing it. But if you want to, we've posted the game from start to finish on our YouTube channel, which you can access at by clicking here.
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