Inversion Xbox 360
User Score
6.5 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 57
  3. Negative: 10 out of 57

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  1. Xborn74
    Jun 7, 2012
    7
    Inversion is a new 3rd person Shooter by Namco-Bandai that involves the classic shooter gameplay with a gravity manipulation of the scenarios ans structures,
    that although said to be innovative, we have already seen it, in games like Fracture and Deep Black.

    The game's story tells of a town (Vanguard) that is invaded by a savage alien race called the Lutadore that use technology to manipu    late gravity sites that attack and spread chaos. Are you a police officer, and together with your partner Leo, are facing is the threat and at the same time trying rescue your daughter Leila, who was kidnapped. Despite the short story core, I liked the way the story progresses, and gets to hold my attention.

    The game's graphics are good, overall: the highlight is the scenery and effects of destruction and fragmentation, with the cumulative damage (you can destroy
    cover structures) and anti-gravity effects scenes, that have very good detailing, along with good general details, like bullets in the walls and characteristics of the characters (Especially in cut-scenes). Overall the Havok Destruction engine, used in the game seemed very good, and does a great
    work.

    The lighting effects and gravitational effects were very well done, and despite the game doesn't have a top-notch polishing to every detail, there is a great attention to details of the stages overall. The design of Lutadore recalls a mix of Gears of War with Borderlands.

    Regarding the audio, the game features a sound-track of generic action games, which suits it and gives the general mood of the game. The general performances
    are good and so are the sound effects.

    The gameplay is based on the traditional 3rd person shooters, with the touch of gravity manipulation, for which you use an alien device: to be able to manipulate objects, you need find charge units, and you can choose between positive or negative gravity fields, alternating this by pressing the RS.

    With this you can levitate objects or enemies, or make them fall into the ground and become slower, also you can manipulate the environment, create structures to cover and use objects (or enemies) lifted with the LB to be thrown at targets. The rest of the game is the usual: they use different structures for cover, going through checkpoints with your partner, and using various weapons and experiencing occasional bosses. The stages are interesting due to the chaos effects generated by the gravity.

    The gameplay has some downfalls: the protagonist movement it's not very fluid, and some controller commands issues, such as the A button used to multiple things as running, cover and out of the cover (and there are not options to configure buttons) - another command that I didn't like is the use of LT, that usually serves to aim, but unlike other games, once pressed, you just get out of the aim mode by pressing it again, not letting it go, a thing that annoys a little in the action parts.

    The multiplayer has two forms, both online or via System Link: the coop, conducted the campaign with a friend, and competitive, with several known "mainsteam" modes. The campaign in Coop is nice when playing along with a friend, and the competitive modes have the differential of the gravity, which makes it interesting at least.

    I can sum up the game as a mix of Gears of War with Fracture, but without a great shooter mechanics and controls, but despite the flaws in such points, it presents interesting and very detailed graphics and quite nice general effects. This shooter may be not a AAA, but it surprised me and exceeded the expectations I had about the game, and I think it's worth to be played by those who enjoy a good 3rd person shooter, particularly in Coop.    … Expand
  2. FatherDoom
    Jun 5, 2012
    9
    I knew this game was going to get crappy reviews because of its familiarity. GOW rip off they'll say, but cover shooters have been around long before GOW. I like this game not because of its differences but it does feel familiar, and its a compelling story. Just like other cover shooters it has solid mechanics cool weapons and lots of gore. The drawbacks are Max Frustration 3 type problems. Short action sequences followed with cutscenes. Also the main character has got the worst head of hair I've ever seen. Note to all developers allowing the player to walk while advancing the story is better than a cutscene.… Expand
  3. BADGUYSKI
    Jun 8, 2012
    1
    They promised local co-op play and even sent me an email that it was included the day before release...i preordered and no local co-op play.......these companies have to stop misleading us about this
    ghost recon fs did the same thing but they sent an apology.
    i want my money back as this was for me and my wife 2 play
    ign and co-optimus also had 2 pull the local co-op promise that they stat    ed as they were fooled as well… Expand
  4. leonardo_leads
    Jun 16, 2012
    7
    The press has been too rough on this game. If you enjoy the genre and give Inversion a chance, it will offer an entertaining experience. The setting is interesting, while the zero-g sections and vector shifts are fun and implemented well. Visually, Saber Interactive created a desolate world that suits the storyline and draws you in. I enjoyed using the Gravlink to manipulate objects and eliminate foes. However, the sound effects could have been better and most of the enemies are more comical than intimidating. Inversion has its flaws, but anyone who is fond of third person shooters should be relatively satisfied and I recommend trying it.… Expand
  5. JDConspirator
    Jul 28, 2012
    6
    The first few hours of Inversion will polarise you into thinking that the third person mechanics and story are threadbare portrayals of the Gears of War saga. There are weapon attatchments like the bayonet, your enemies are muscle bound freaks or slave drivers, and much of the blasting makes you think that Inversion has sprayed Gears cologne on itself. Give it time though and it becomes a bit more fun and a bit more interesting. This intrigue certainly doesn't come from the characters, as they are as unlikable and generic as the next famous pop star. The fun is clearly in the gameplay, evidently with the Gravlink device, as you find it a reliable source for dispatching foes and flinging barrels and rusted cars at your enemies. The game embraces shooting and doesn't excel at much else- for what it does it's a decent enough shooter that will make for some light relief from the more demanding and technically impressive games on the market.… Expand
  6. drag_ricken
    Jun 8, 2012
    8
    The game is worth to play, actually it's not so bad - the script is not so trite as, for example in GoW. Multiplayer and coop modes are really exciting and kinda 'innovational'
  7. CaptainScrubby
    Aug 1, 2012
    7
    Could this game have been better? Definitely. Did it deserve the 4.0 on Gamespot because Namco didn't pay for a review? Absolutely not. This game is a generic Cover Based Shooter, the Sci Fi Twist works within the context of the alternate reality this game is set in, the multiplayer is fun, King of Gravity is intentionally unbalanced that's the point, and the story is better than most shooters though the acting is at times a little hammy. Overall this game is average, it's not great but it's not bad either. It's an average game that deserves an average score. When the price goes down if you have nothing else to play this is worth buying and it's absolutely worth a rental.… Expand
  8. JayDeth
    Jun 9, 2012
    4
    Gonna be honest, I only played the single player for a few minutes, though to be fair, the opening cut scene did absolutely nothing to get me invested in the setting, the characters, or whatever the plot was. Just you and another dude driving then some things explode and suddenly your playing Gears of War with normal sized people. Yay? The multiplayer, lack of an advertised yet absent split-screen aside, was just as boring because I only saw exactly 3 other people trying to play this travesty and played exactly one game of deathmatch, meant for 8 people, with just one other person. I spent most of the match just looking for my adversary and not using the gravity gimmick at all save for floating to and from cover in certain sections. This game could have been just okay or even hilariously bad like Mind Jack, but instead it's just very very bland and no one will ever remember it come next month.… Expand
  9. EdwardsAtoms
    Jun 11, 2012
    8
    It really is a shame this is getting such low review scores. Looks like the users like this a bit more than the critics did. I feel this game deserves an 8.5, It has some great physics, graphics and gunplay. It does feel very Gears of War but they did a great job with it and added enough to give it it's own identity. Blood, guts and guns for very satisfying results. Story isn't so bad either, a man who lost his wife and is desperately in search of his daughter who may or may not still be alive. It's simple but it works and I really appreciate games that just get to the point and that point here is mayhem and fun. With all the complicated RPG's im focusing on so far this year, Inversion is a welcome change. Oh and online co-op doesn't hurt either. Great game. Give it a try.… Collapse
  10. Captiosus
    Jun 12, 2012
    5
    Namco Bandai decided to try their hand at an over-the-shoulder, third person shooter in the style of Lost Planet, Gears of War, Bulletstorm, et cetera. Then they decided to knock off the gravity twists of other games and call it a day. Bereft of any real soul, there's little that inspires me to want to play this game more than the few hours I already have invested in it. The characters are cookie cutter, gun play and effects are unremarkable, and the gravity manipulation system is lackluster at best and doesn't feel fully fleshed out. Save your money and rent this title, or if you feel it's worth owning, hold off until later this year when it will undoubtedly be in the bargain bin.… Expand
  11. grinderX19
    Jul 30, 2012
    8
    There are couple of critical flaws in the game (mostly the cutscenes and the plot) but in the last third it offers a pure Quake 3-like action. I haven't played such entertaining action game in 3 or 4 years - totally recommended!
  12. yuricloud3
    Jul 28, 2012
    0
    ridiculous ending ever , and no local co op totally waste of money, they should pay us to play this garbage, they don't even care to tell us who the lutadores are and wath the hell are they kidnappingthe humans

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 51 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 51
  3. Negative: 12 out of 51
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 13, 2012
    75
    A decent cover shooter which gets better towards the end. The gravity effects are nice, but they could be much nicer, if you could control the direction of gravity, not just the amount of it. [Aug 2012]
  2. GameOver.gr
    Sep 6, 2012
    60
    Inversion is condemned to eternal oblivion due to the defiant lack of marketing and advertising. However it is a solid game, with satisfactory gameplay mechanics, some consistently implemented fresh ideas and interesting storyline which ends with a cliffhanger that will remain unresolved. Worshipers of the Gears of War religion, give Inversion a chance.
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  3. Console Monster
    Aug 20, 2012
    75
    In summary, Inversion is a pretty good shooter that is worth being looked at by any fan of the genre. It is an enjoyable playthrough but not something that screams for a repeat performance.
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