Back again with another game! Today I will be discussing “Avicii Invector.” So what is “Avicii Invector?” “Avicii Invector” is a rhythm game using music from the deceased artist Avicii. The game takes typical button pressing rhythm game mechanics and adds a few twists.
In case you are not familiar with the rhythm game genre and the typical mechanics involved I will describe it briefly. Rhythm games are all about the music. Typically you will select a song to play. The song will proceed to play and you will have to press various buttons that appear on the screen in rhythm with the music.
So how does “Avicii Invector” make these mechanics something new? They do so by adding a movement mechanic. In “Avicii Invector” you are flying a space ship over the notes that you must hit with the appropriate button presses. This space ship can move to the left or right, or in certain sections rotate causing the entire screen to rotate with it. You must move this ship around to make sure the ship is lined up with the note before pressing the corresponding button. This movement mechanic feels like a great new take on the formula that keeps the heart of rhythm games and makes it feel unique.
“Avicii Invector” does a marvelous job with its visuals. Being that you are piloting a spaceship, the background is able to change frequently. As you progress through the game you will fly through numerous worlds, each with unique traits. Every world is visually appealing and fits perfectly with the upbeat electronic music played by Avicii. That being said, the backgrounds aren’t what make the visuals so impressive in this game. Rather the developers understanding of optical illusions and how they can add intensity to the game is what I was truly impressed with. As with many other rhythm games, “Avicii Invector” has a score boosting mechanic that you get for a long note streak. However, unlike other rhythm games, this mechanic actually makes the game harder making you have to decide when the extra points are worth the increased difficulty. So what is this mechanic and what does it have to do with optical illusions? Well when you activate your bonus multiplier you are activating your ships boost, greatly accelerating your speed. But being a rhythm game this doesn’t make much sense at face value. Obviously if you are moving faster you would expect to reach the notes faster thus changing the rhythm. Thus I was baffled when the notes still seemed to be reached with the same rhythm. After noticing this phenomenon I paid close attention the next time I activated the multiplier and found it to be an optical illusion. The game actually extends the space to make up for the change in how fast you are moving so you actually reach the notes with the same timing. This causes an illusion that causes an increased feeling of intensity without disrupting the songs rhythm. Which in my opinion is a genius use of visuals to enhance gameplay.
The music selection in “Avicii Invector” is solid (presuming you are a fan of Avicii) and contains all of his biggest hits such as “Hey Brother.” Unfortunately, the list of tracks is somewhat small which means the game itself is rather short. In the past I have noted that I appreciate when games are short with a purpose such as Donut County but, in the case of “Avicii Invector” I was left wanting a little bit more content.
The Ranking
All in all I really liked “Avicii Invector.” Really the only gripe I have with the game is how few tracks it has. The use of visuals left a lasting impact that I did not expect from a rhythm game and for that I am very appreciative of “Avicii Invector.”
So where does it rank? On what list is it being ranked? Well it ranks number 1 of course… Out of one. Yeah, I know, lame but in my defense I have yet to play any game similar to this one for this blog. Thus I am starting yet another list; this one for rhythm games. Sooner or later we will have enough lists to encompass every type of game so we don’t have to keep starting new lists anymore. When that will be, I haven’t the slightest idea.
Platform: Xbox One. Time to Beat: 1 hour 40 minutes 31 seconds.
How to Play?
“Avicii Invector” is currently available for purchase from Intergalactic Games and Collectibles.
Gaming Conquest 