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Initial release date: 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Odd Meter
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
License: proprietary license
Genres: Adventure game, Puzzle, Adventure
Publisher: 11 Bit Studios
SPOILERS Throughout!
Jason’s Score | Low 7/10
Key Takeaways
- 3 to 4 hour game length
- Ran okay-ish on my Xbox Series X
- Way overpriced at $24.99 US dollars
- Walking Sim with Puzzles
- Wasn’t that “weird”
- Liked the steampunk world aesthetic
- 2D pixel art sequences didn’t add much
- Stiff animations
- Too much jank for dog chase sequences
- Puzzles weren’t memorable
- Indika and IIya didn’t resonate with me
- Religious doctrines discussed throughout
- Dialogue wasn’t deep or thought provoking
- Mediocre game with a huge price tag
- It is an Indie game
- Cool head tracking tech
- Visuals were decent
- Music provided weirdness at times
- Pray gameplay mechanic a plus
Introduction
INDIKA is a mixed bag for me. On one hand it has a interesting premise where you play as a nun named Indika who is being tasked with delivering a very important letter to a cathedral via her monastery. INDIKA Video Playlist
INDIKA was coined as a weird mash up of various gameplay styles with interwoven pixel art gameplay sequences. There is no other way to say this other than that INDIKA is a mediocre walking sim with puzzles. I was happy the four hour campaign was over with.
Presentation
Technically, INDICA ran okayish on my Xbox Series X for the most part. I don’t have a keen eye when dissecting frame rates, pixels and whatnot. Regardless, the frame rate wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great.
Animations at times seemed janky and stiff for instance when Indika and llya jumped off a crane onto a moving train. Just eww. Poorly designed chase sequences involving a dog weren’t designed with care either.
Game length was not only short in length at 4 hours with side content. Characters weren’t engaging. I never cared about Ithika’s struggles with the Devil or llya’s “chosen one” redemption arc.
Story
You play the role as a nun named Indika who as the story goes depicts a woman who constantly deals with the Devil and sin that’s engrained in her mind. At the start, Indika is tasked with delivering a letter via her monastery to Damascus Cathedral.
Along her adventure Indika meets escaped fugitive llya who believes he is sent by God to retrieve the Kudets which suppose to fix his rotted arm. Indika decides to help llya retrieve the Kudets which in turn never fixes his arm Indika.
Atfter escaping jail for killing a priest Indika prays to the Kudets (holy artifact) and cleanses herself of the Devil inside her. As I alluded to earlier none of the characters or it’s story grabbed me in the slightest.
Gameplay
Gameplay is standard third person walking simulator with puzzles. There are three or four 16-bit era pixel art 2d gameplay sequences for weirdness. You can collect experience by lighting holy candles and collecting artifacts. None of the latter matters really. It’s just game fluff.
The only mechanic I really enjoyed in Indika was the “Pray” mechanic which wasn’t used as often as I’d like. During confrontations with the Devil you can pray to change the environment which is required to proceed. Puzzles? Meh. Nothing worth writing about.
After one hour into Indika the gameplay was pretty much stagnant and pedantic. Throughout the campaign there were too many trivial segments with puzzles that weren’t interesting. Chase sequences with a dog that were terrible. Nothing was special or fun gameplay-wise in Indika.
Keep in mind I am a fan of walking simulators that are story rich with good writing and character development etc. With Indika I never cared about what was going on and why. I just wanted to finish the game
Visuals/Graphics
Indika has a nice steampunk aesthetic with trains and motorbikes I enjoyed. After the opening 2d pixel coin collecting sequence the game shows off a cool bobblehead go-pro sequence involving Indika at the monastery. Coloring was drab save the 16-bit sequences.
Sound/Music
Voice acting regarding the Devil was nice. Music for the most part was “dry” but when the weird sequences kicked in a melodic demonic tune surfaced waking me up. The latter happened usually when the Devil would taunt Indika. I guess that’s it. Thank you for visiting JVGS. Later – Jason
INDIKA: A short mediocre walking sim. – Jason
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