Demons and the devil are part of the standard inventory in games. However, faith and religion are topics that rarely take center stage, especially from a serious perspective. “Indika” from Russian studio Odd Meter goes in exactly this direction, which makes it particularly good. Already available on PC for a moment, we now took a look at the fresh console version on Xbox and found a unique experience.
A nun leaves a monastery
The titular Indika is an Orthodox nun in an alternative Russia in the 19th century. Since she was 15 years old, she has lived in a monastery where she is not particularly popular. She doesn't necessarily feel part of the community there, even if she would like to. She struggles almost daily with her faith and the authority of her older nuns. After another incident, she is sent away to the next town to send a letter. She meets a whole gallery of eccentric characters, like the escaped prisoner Ilya. In addition, the devil himself is always there, as a voice in Indika's head. Is Beelzebub real, just an imagination or the manifestation of a deeper problem?
Without spoiling the entire story, it's not that easy to summarize what exactly “Indika” is about. It's about faith, God and your place in a world that doesn't care about you. Ilya, a man who is not actually a believer, is on the path of the Lord because he spoke to him in an old water cup. Indika, a nun with the devil at her side, is very critical of her previous life in search of a meaning of existence. The game deals with all of these topics maturely and seriously. It's not about badmouthing religion and faith or making fun of it. As someone who has never had much to do with it in my life, “Indika” offered interesting perspectives that kept me thinking even after the credits rolled. At this point I could go on and on about what this game is or isn't, but ultimately the story and its themes are clearly the best part of the game and should be experienced, not read about. Anyone who can't do anything with sin, God and everything mentioned so far will certainly not be able to do much with the game as such. But if you can get involved, you will have an exciting and unique experience.
A prisoner, a priest and the devil walk into a bar
Despite the heavy and serious subject matter, there is also a lot of humor. “Indika” is an extremely funny and humorous game, even if this aspect is also very dark. On the one hand, there is a lot of funny dialogue, especially in the two opposites that Indika and Ilya portray. Their contrasting philosophies, lifestyles and experiences never fail to bring laughter. But the humor often lies in the complete absurdity. It's surreal and coupled with the fictional Russia gone in a different direction than our world, there's a lot to see that you can't do anything but laugh at.
This is also mixed with slight tones of psychological horror. There are no jump scares, no gratuitous violence or over-the-top depiction of gore. But it can definitely make you a little nervous at certain moments. This is also due to the excellent camera work, which often has cinematic qualities and immerses you deeply in this world.
The gameplay, on the other hand, has the main purpose of getting you through the story. It is occasionally integrated into the story, the best example is actually in the first chapter in the monastery, but it is often just an accessory to move you forward. Typically you just move through the world until you come across a little puzzle blocking your way. These puzzles aren't really complicated or challenging, which is why they often only take a short amount of time. Every now and then Indika is drawn into a demonic reality bathed in red, which must be used to get to the exit. With the push of a button you can make them pray, which returns the world to normality. You have to skillfully switch between the two realities in order to overcome obstacles. Actions that reflect the story in a cool way.
Anyone who goes looking for collectibles or places to pray will be rewarded with faith points. The more you collect, the higher your faith level rises and you unlock new abilities. These have no impact on the game at all and even the tips on the loading screen tell you that these points are pointless. But why are they even there? Can faith even be measured in points and levels? This aspect brings the theme of “Indika” excellently into a video game and maybe the points do have a specific purpose after all, but I'll leave that to everyone to find out for themselves.
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