Indivisible is a new action-RPG platformer that has finally released after about four years of waiting since its announcement in July of 2015. Developed by Lab Zero and published by 505 Games, this title is a departure from the normal fare of the fighting-game developer that made Skullgirls. While the game is currently available on PC and consoles, it seems like it will be most at home on the Switch. Luckily, a Switch version will be released in the foreseeable future.

For better or worse, Indivisible feels like a platformer RPG made by a fighting-game developer. The platforming and exploration is executed well, but doesn’t ever venture beyond the basics. Likewise, RPG elements are bare-bones, with a rudimentary level-up system and no real way for the player to alter their characters’ builds.

The unique fighting-game-style combat system rewards clean, skilled gameplay, but players who aren’t accustomed to fighting games will find that they can scrape by with some liberally-mashed buttons. There is a high-skill cap, but it is never really required to beat the game. Luckily, there is more to Indivisible than just its combat.

Story

The story of Indivisible is a real treat. The story follows Ajna, a hotheaded, lovable, sometimes bumbling girl as she seeks revenge for the destruction of her village and an explanation for her mysterious new power to absorb people into her mind. Many of the absorbed characters reflect real historical or mythological figures, while the setting takes a lot of inspiration from Southeast-Asian myth and history, which many mythology buffs may enjoy.

True to Indivisible’s fighting game lineage, there is a massive roster of characters, based on Mongol hunters, Chinese warriors and dancers, New-World Aztecs and cowboys, Pacific Island wayfarers, Middle-Eastern soldiers, Ninjas, and many more. All of them are brought to life by Indivisible’s incredible animation. These characters are the highlights of the story, with Razmi in particular providing a hilarious dash of sarcasm in the early game.

These diverse characters also contribute to the Southeast-Asian flavor of the game: the Southeast-Asian age of commerce saw the entire world linked through the bustling trade hubs of the maritime silk road. During this period, roughly from the mid-1400s CE to almost 1700 CE, trade between Europe, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and East Asia were all linked through Southeast Asia. This created a melting-pot of contact and influence, and in later years the New World was also part of this truly global connectivity due to Spanish galleon trade between the Americas and the Philippines.

Some of the most easily recognizable characters are Baozhai the Pirate Queen, based on the real 19th Century pirate queen Ching Shih, and Thorani, a Deva. Devas are a powerful type of spirit found in Hinduism and Buddhism, while Ching Shih was one of the most successful pirates in human history. She was so respected that her crimes were eventually forgiven and she became a military leader for China against the British in the First Opium War.

Other characters represent specific spiritual practices. Razmi practices shamanism, and Naga Rider is a protector of Dharma— the Buddhist law of universal truth. The representation of so many religious and mythological influences, from Hinduism and Buddhism to Shamanism and the magical power of Mandala patterns is a great representation of the intermingling of cultures and beliefs that makes Southeast-Asia what it is.

Setting

While it may not be the most accurate depiction of the ancient world in gaming, the setting offers the most frequent tastes of real-world inspiration. From the flying Vimana fortress that the player must navigate to the mythical Mount Sumeru, tidbits of real-world mythology trickle in. Vimanas are flying fortresses ridden by gods in Hindu Vedic texts, and Mount Sumeru references Mount Maru, the mythical axis of the universe in Hinduism. Even some of the basic enemies reflect common superstitions, like a taboo on placing chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice because they look like sticks of incense offered to the dead.

The environment and enemies are also rendered beautifully by Lab Zero’s skilled artists, which really breathes life into the game’s world. The setting is so vibrant and complex, in fact, that the number of proper nouns and references can even become overwhelming at times. For those who have played enough classic fantasy RPGs though, this is par for the course.

Accuracy

This game is no where near the hyper-accurate learning experience offered by the likes of the Assassin’s Creed Discovery Tours, but it does provide a lovingly crafted feeling of Southeast-Asian cultural influence. This is perhaps the game’s strong suit. It provides a great overall sensation of a well-crafted, deeply thought-out world without being too on-the-nose. Because of its real-world inspiration, it provides a setting with enough depth to really draw the player in. If players want to learn accurate history or faithful renditions of mythology, they will need to do some searching on their own. However, as an introduction to the flavor and scope of Southeast-Asian myth, Indivisible does an admirable job.

Indivisible is available now on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, with a Switch version on the way.