I recently played through Indika, by Odd Meter Games. From their site:
“INDIKA tells the story of a young nun who sets off on a journey of self-discovery with the most unusual companion by her side, the devil himself.”
It was definitely one of the more thought-provoking games I have experienced, and if there is such a thing as “video games as art”, Indika could be used as a good example. Just like modern art is not for everyone, I can see Indika not being for everyone either. Dark, gritty, and heavy with themes of religion and morality, it does not offer a passive play-through. As RockPaperShotgun notes, Indika is the creators’ (who left the country to finish the game) response to Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The story is done well, though the ending was slightly anti-climactic, but in this regard rather reminiscent of the small bit of Russian literature I have read. The puzzles were engaging, and I for one enjoyed the “retro” minigames which framed the backstory. That being said, several mechanics felt criminally underused, and at only about 5 hours long, I feel some aspects in both the story and game-play could have been explored further. A final point of praise is in order for the visual design and setting, some scenes were quite unsettling.
Recommend if: You enjoy exploring heavy themes, commentary on religion, and stark, uncomfortable settings.
Wouldn’t recommend if: You are put off by any of the above, or are dead-set on historical accuracy/realism.
