XBOX REVIEW | Invector Rhythm Galaxy

I still remember giving Avicii Invector a perfect score when the Encore Edition released. I have since always mentioned it as my favourite indie game, so you can imagine my shock when I saw a random tweet mentioning a new Invector game had released on Xbox (and that the game had actually been out on PC since summer 2023)

Invector Rhythm Galaxy doesn’t stick to just one artist like its predecessor and instead delivers a wide variety of 40 amazing songs to jam to and I can already share that the soundtrack impressed me beyond belief. This game had me grinning from ear to ear while playing it the entire time. I realize I’m setting high expectations with such an intro but you shouldn’t underestimate just how much this game means to me.

For those who don’t know, Invector is a rhythm game that has you manoeuvring a spaceship on a triangular track, pressing buttons to the rhythm, changing the track’s rotation and flying through gates. The game immediately draws the attention not only because of its killer soundtrack but also due to its popping visual flair.

Things I liked!

• Pure rhythm game goodness | While the basic rhythm gameplay concept isn’t ground-breaking or new, it is marvellously executed. You simply need to follow the on-screen instructions and press the buttons on the rhythm and sometimes it will switch to a free flight section where you fly through floating rings. A boost meter fills when hitting notes that are lit up and this can double your earned score for a limited time and even save you from taking damage (should you miss some notes). The base gameplay hasn’t changed from the previous release, and I’m thankful for that, but there have been some improvements which we’ll get to in a moment.

• Casual beginnings | Avicii Invector Encore Mode added a new casual mode that made the game easier for people who are rhythmically challenged (I count myself among them). I completed the campaign in this mode and it’s pretty doable to 100% hit every note if you’re paying attention. The only face button you’ll have to press is the A button, you’ll see indicators when you need to twist the road’s direction and there are far fewer notes to hit.

• Change it up | You can play as different ships once you’ve unlocked them in the campaign and you can even choose the planet you’re playing on before starting a new track which surprisingly adds more than just a visual change: the twists in the road are different, as are the objects in your way during freeflight. It seems like a small change but can have a pretty big impact and actually adds some more replay value.

• Tactical Boost | Activating a timely boost will double your multiplier to a maximum of x8. This looks visually stunning and is handled brilliantly: the perception of your speed increases because your ship is flying further ahead of you, but the notes actually keep coming at the same pace. If you’re aiming for a leaderboard highscore, the moment you activate this may be the difference between an A or an S+ ranking. It actually took me until now to realize I could save up the boost beyond 50% and then it was just a matter of learning each level by heart, so I knew when is the best moment to activate it.

• An amazing tracklist | There are 40 songs included in the base game and out of the entire selection there were maybe ~5 or so that weren’t really to my liking. They nailed my personal tastes almost perfectly. Some of my favourites include Monster (LUM!X), In My Head (Mike Shinoda), Hot In It (Tiësto), Biturbo (Bausa & Zuna) and even Space Man from Sam Ryder which you wouldn’t think could fit this well but it really, really does. CLICK HERE for the full tracklist!

• Up to 4 Player Split-screen | What is a huge boon for the game is the presence of split-screen multiplayer. You can face off against up to 3 other people locally and it’s a blast to see how you compare to your friends & rivals. You even get to pick a difficulty per player which is perfect for when an experienced player wants to introduce the game to his friends while still being challenged themselves. After the level, you’ll get to compare various metrics like total score, most hits, longest streak & most perfects. Avicii Invector was my go-to game for when I had friends over and I wanted some good old couch multiplayer entertainment, and Invector Rhythm Galaxy just earned a spot right next to it.

Neither good nor bad

• LB to Strum | I’m not a big fan of using the LB button to strum. I understand WHY they picked this button: theoretically, it makes it easier to alternate between the shoulder button and the face buttons or even to keep it pressed when the game requires you to hold it down. But it’s not exactly an easy button to press in quick succession (though this may be a very personal issue that other people will have zero qualms about). I don’t know, it just felt uneasy to me, I can’t quite put my finger on it (perhaps literally)
  EDIT: My LB button *just* broke on my controller, coincidence?

• The Story | I actually disliked Avicii Invector’s story and felt it added nothing substantial to the game. That’s not the case here and I kind of liked the characters by the end of the ride. This time we’re on a road trip with 4 friends who have significant history together, which we learn about along the way. The narrative is not going to be reason enough for anyone to pick up the game, but I did enjoy it this time around!

Things I disliked!

• Bugs | The only thing dampening the experience are some unfortunate bugs that are still present in the console version. I had moments where the game’s overworld went completely black and I had to restart the level. There was one track where I started with one missed note no matter what I did and another where a track had me jump to the right whereas the next pickup was on the far left (and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intentional).
  All things I’ve reported to the developer in their Discord though, so hopefully they can be patched out.*
  *EDIT: The last two bugs mentioned here have been fixed and will be in an upcoming patch.

• Performance drops | It didn’t happen frequently, but there were a number of tracks where boosting somehow caused framedrops and even the music to stutter for a bit. Especially annoying if you were just in the swing of things and going for a perfect run.
  *EDIT: it’s possible this only occurs when you’re also recording on the Xbox, as was the case for me.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 20 hours
How long to beat the story? 5-6 hours for beating the campaign
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 30/32 or 870G
How long to achieve 1000G | ~10 hours if you’re good enough
You’ll love this game if you like these | Rhythm Sprout, Avicii Invector, Aaero

Do you prefer to see the game in action? We’ve got you covered!

Which songs are in Invector Rhythm Galaxy?

• Adam Lambert – “Holding Out for a Hero”
• Alec Benjamin – “Let Me Down Slowly”
• Anne-Marie – “Ciao Adios”
• Bausa & Zuna – “Biturbo”
• Beka – “Tears”
• Blasterjaxx – “Legion”
• Burns – “Talamanca”
• Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”
• Charlie Puth – “Attention”
• Dan + Shay – “Glad You Exist”
• Disturbed – “Down with the Sickness”
• Dropgun – “Earthquake”
• Duran Duran – “Notorious”
• Fifty Fifty – “Cupid”
• Garmiani – “Ava”
• Greeicy Rendón & Mike Bahia – “Esta Noche”
• Griff – “Black Hole”
• Gucci Mane – “Classical”
• Kojey Radical feat. Knucks – “Payback”
• KSI feat. Tom Grennan – “Not Over Yet”
• Liam Gallagher – “Wall of Glass”
• Linkin Park – “Lost”
• Lumix & Gabry Ponte – “Monster”
• Maná – “Oye mi amor”
• Merk & Kremont – “41 Days”
• Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue – “In My Head”
• Nathan Dawe feat. KSI – “Lighter”
• Paolo Nutini – “Shine a Light”
• Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun”
• PARTYNEXTDOOR – “Her Way”
• PinkPantheress – “Boy’s a Liar”
• Priya Ragu – “Adalam Va!”
• Quarantino – “Broken Love”
• Royal Blood – “Come On Over”
• Sam Gellaitry – “New Wave”
• Sam Ryder – “Space Man”
• The Spinners – “I’ll Be Around”
• Tiësto feat. Charli XCX – “Hot In It”
• Tina Turner – “The Best”
• Wiz Khalifa feat. Berner – “Bluffin’”