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Sights & Sounds
- If you're anything like me, you were drawn to Indika by the trailer's weird juxtaposition of the arcadey HUD, devilish narration, and acid jazz overlaying a frigid Eastern European winter setting. Not the most coherent flavor pairings, but it was exactly that odd combination of sights and sounds that really piqued my interest
- And thankfully, none of that is false advertising. Although the snowy rural setting dominates the visuals, there's still plenty of anachronistic music and retro gaming tropes to be found
- Perhaps it's the predominance of snow, the troubled female protagonist, or maybe even just the graphics themselves, but Indika's slushy forest paths reminded me of A Plague Tale: Innocence and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- The 8-bit visuals aren't merely limited to the HUD. You'll also be tossed into full-on NES-evoking flashbacks occasionally. In contrast to all the neutral tones of the main game, these usually feature a bright, cheery palette that frankly offers a welcome change of pace for the eyes
- The settings really do deserve some praise. Indika's hallucinations (more on that in a bit) often manifest within the world's design, usually in the form of unnaturally large objects. This interaction creates some very trippy scenery and some of the most visually engaging locations in the game
- The electronic soundtrack leans heavily into the video game motif courtesy of the heavy use of chiptunes and sound effects. The tracks cover a full gamut of emotions, but nearly all of them feature chaotic, driving, irregular breakcore tempos
- The voice acting is excellent. While the main characters (Indika, Ilya, and the Devil) are all well voiced, I think the real star of the show was Silas Carson, the voice of The Dark Lord himself. He's insidious, sinister, and—above all—convincing
Story & Vibes
- Indika's plot kicks off by putting you in the shoes of Indika, a troubled nun confined to a Russian cloister. Unfortunately for this bride of Christ, she's been experiencing a crisis of faith. In addition to seeing strange hallucinations (little dancing men, giant goats, some sort of hell dimension, etc.), she also hears the voice of the Devil constantly undermining her every thought and action
- After a tutorial and a particularly embarrassing communion experience that angers her mother superior and horrifies her fellow sisters, she's sent to deliver a letter to a priest. The action of the game begins as you set out to do this
- I'll avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say, things don't go as she planned. Not long after her journey begins, Indika encounters a maimed soldier named Ilya. After offering some palliative care, the two of them set off to find a mysterious religious artifact called the Kudets. People from far and wide have been traveling to experience the object's mystical healing properties, and both Ilya and Indika become convinced that it's the only way that the two of them will heal their minds and bodies
- As I mentioned above, you'll occasionally be thrown into an 8-bit flashback. These serve as the primary backstory drivers throughout the game. Like all the other subplots in Indika's somber tale, her story is not a happy one
- Now for the elephant in the room. Are Indika's hallucinations symptoms of underlying schizophrenia? Counter to what a lot of the armchair psychologist reviews are saying, I think the answer to that question is immaterial. The narrative focuses on Indika's relationship with what's written in a singular book, and it isn't the DSM-5
- To focus solely on diagnosing Indika is tantamount to overlooking the philosophical journey that underpins the physical one. It simply doesn't matter with respect to the story's themes or message. Indika is trying to salvage her faith despite the fact that the cruelty of the church reflects the cruelty of the world around her. Even if God does exist, he's turned away from Indika's Russia
- I've been a little surprised to see some reviews and posts calling the ending ambiguous or unclear. I think it's pretty evident in its message: Indika has overcome her delusions, including her religious trepidation. I won't spoil how, of course, but the symbolism is fairly straightforward
Playability & Replayability
- Indika presents as a walking simulator (contrary to the launch trailer's assertions) with heavy puzzle elements. This isn't much like What Remains of Edith Finch, however. It's a continuous story instead of being chopped up into little vignettes
- While not all of the puzzles in Indika are great, some really do stand out, particularly those that are couched in Indika's physics engine. Whether it's a platform getting stuck just long enough to jump over an icy river or using your weight to shift a crumbling building around to reposition objects inside, some of the puzzles were fairly unique
- Other platforming puzzles are notably less inspiring. At some point, you really do get sick of mantling up edges, pulling levers, inserting objects into other objects, and riding elevators
- As you guide Indika along her journey, you'll sometimes stumble upon prompts to pick up religious relics (altarpieces, paintings, rosaries, etc.), light votive candles, or offer a quick prayer. Doing so will earn you points, which are part of a meaningless level up system. Like the TV show "Who's Line Is It Anyway?", everything's made up and the points don't matter. As you probably already guessed, this mechanic emphasizes the game's message regarding the futility of faith
- In addition to the visual variety the flashbacks offer, they also switch up the gameplay a bit. I appreciated being able to take a quick 5-minute break to race around on a motorbike from an isometric perspective a la Micro Machines or to rhythmically time jumps in a little 2D platforming sequence
- Although I was a single achievement shy of 100%ing the game, I don't think I'll be back for a replay. That missing achievement in particular involves a platforming challenge in a fish factory that's saddled with some pretty awful camera work. Trying to dodge giant fish that you can't really see is a recipe for frustration
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Narratively, I was somewhat annoyed by the overly dramatic depiction of someone losing their faith. In practice, it's so much more mundane than that. The hallucinations and level-up system add some spice to Indika, but I couldn't help but feel that the hallucinations and mock level-up system were a lot of song and dance for something that can happen without really noticing
- Still, the story does have some merit. The character dynamic between Ilya and Indika was especially interesting, particularly Indika's effect on Ilya's faith as the plot wears on
- Similarly, the puzzles featured some noteworthy high points. The physics-based ones were really clever, but one can only navigate mazes of ledges and elevators so many times before it becomes disengaging
- Aside from a single crash, the game played mostly fine on the Steam Deck. I noticed that the handheld had some trouble loading textures on the various religious relic collectibles I found, and some took several seconds to load properly. Probably wouldn't have been an issue on my laptop
Final Verdict
6.5/10. Overall, Indika is a flawed but unique experience. There's more than a few flashes of brilliance contained within. Unfortunately, those moments of innovative puzzle design and intensely thoughtful ruminations on faith are fleeting and few. Knowing that, is it worth your time? If the content seems up your alley, I'd say so, but if your interest in the story is more casual, you're not missing anything revolutionary