Lab Zero Games, the creators of the renowned Skullgirls fighting game franchise, are working on a new IP, Indivisible. Indivisible is a side-scrolling RPG "in the vein of Valkyrie Profile," and it is coming to Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, and PS4 in 2018. The game was crowdfunded on IndieGogo and has gathered more than $2 million.
Indivisible combines a variety of exploration mechanics with a unique battle system, along with the animation style that the Skullgirls franchise is known for. Elements of old school RPGs and platformers are combined into something new with a modern twist.
The player will control Ajna, a tomboy from a farm who discovers the power to "absorb certain individuals into her being," called Incarnations. If you are interested in each of the Incarnations, Lab Zero Games has a database highlighting all of them. In a quest to find out the nature of her strange powers, she will search the globe for warlords that can guide her on her journey. The "thematic core" is influenced by Southeast Asian mythology, but the entirety of the game will feature influences from several cultures.
Exploration and battle take familiar mechanics and ideas and turn them into something new. Indivisible starts off with basic platforming: run, jump, and crouch. When Ajna absorbs more Incarnations throughout the game, she will gain new abilities to get to new places (for example, she will gain an Axe to hang onto a wall like in Tomb Raider). Colliding with an enemy while exploring will start a battle. Ajna travels in a four-person party, and each party member is controlled by one of the face buttons. Characters will attack when their buttons are pressed, and instead of a turn-based system, the only waiting will be for when an action recharges. When characters build enough momentum, they will get a chance to unleash their Super attack.
Sidescrolling RPGs have a tendency to feel slow paced, but Indivisible is changing the formula to give players a more exciting adventure. With a ton of variety in exploration, battle, and character customization, the 20-30 hour adventure is set to provide something new at every turn. Before Indivisible releases next year, there is a prototype demo to download for all available platforms.