Developer: Orbit Studio
Publisher: Play on Words
Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Tested on: PS5
Ebenezer and the Invisible World – Review
It’s not often that a game uses a festive theme like Christmas, and even less often that it takes inspiration from a classical piece of literature. But that is exactly what Ebenezer and the Invisible World delivers to set it apart from the crowd. Return to the ghost-filled world of A Christmas Carol in this Metroidvania title that pits Scrooge against the ghostly horrors of London.
Story
Everybody knows the classical tale of A Christmas Carol thanks to its many iterations, from musicals to the Muppets. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge who gets visited by Christmas ghosts to turn him into a nicer person is such a well-known part of pop culture that it influenced tons of pieces of media, from themed cartoon episodes to rom-com parodies. Videogames, however, aren’t a form of media this tale has touched upon before, until now. Not only does Ebenezer and the Invisible World return to the jolly days of Christmas, but it also delivers a full-blown sequel featuring action and adventure.
The story begins a few years after the original tale when Scrooge is once again visited by a spirit, but this time it is to ask him for help. Caspar Malthus, a big name in the industrial scene, has also been visited by the ghosts of Christmas to lead him off the path of destruction that he is currently on. This however had a reverse effect and Caspar got a glimpse of a device he would develop that would automize every job in the city. This is a disaster for the workforce since everyone will lose their job. Now it is up to Ebenezer and the ghosts he meets along the way to stop the evil corporation and save the people of London.
This setup is a pretty unique one and gives a fun twist to the original tale, and the only problem we have is with its execution. When you get through the information dump that is the game’s opening cutscene, most of the story plays out like you would expect it to, sending you across the city to help a ton of ghosts. These, however, are a much more enjoyable part of the narrative. Each character you encounter has a unique personality and delivers some fun dialogue.
Graphics
The art style of Ebenezer and the Invisible World is one of its biggest selling points. The hand-drawn world looks phenomenal and feels right at home for a game based on a classic novel. All of the enemies are well-designed and the different environments offer a good variety of sceneries. There are, however, some graphical problems with the backgrounds. It happens regularly that the background doesn’t seem to fit the level and leaves you with parts of a black cover around the edges. This seems like a big oversight by the developers and looks really bad as a result.
Sound
Having a game themed around Christmas will make you think about one sound, in particular: Christmas bells. And of course, these are featured in Ebenezer and the Invisible World’s soundtrack. This gives a unique touch to an otherwise pretty bland sound design. The songs that accompany the jolly mayhem are forgettable and the sound effects are pretty much the same.
Gameplay
Ebenezer and the Invisible World is a 2D Metroidvania in the purest sense since it doesn’t do anything too special to stand out from the crowd aside from its theme. You’ll travel throughout a mazelike London, fighting foes and unlocking new abilities along the way to reach inaccessible places.
Like in most Metroidvanias, you’ll start pretty weak with just basic traversal moves and attacks, but once you progress through the story, new abilities will be unlocked. In Ebenezer and the Invisible World, these abilities are in the form of ghosts that can be summoned to fight alongside you and enhance your attacks. Some might give you new ranged attacks while others improve your traversal skills with balloons or double jumps. There is also an option to unlock new weapons and items by buying them, but most of your money will go to healing items since enemies pack a heavy punch.
All of this follows the classical Metroidvania formula, so if you played any game in this genre before, you know what you’re in for. The biggest difference is the fact that Ebenezer and the Invisible World doesn’t feel as optimized, having tons of small issues. Controls aren’t as precise as they should be, which can be very frustrating during platforming segments. Enemy attacks can come out of nowhere and take you down in unfair ways. This makes the game feel unrewarding and puts a damper on the experience.
Conclusion
Ebenezer and the Invisible World is a unique concept that fails to deliver a fun experience. The continuation of Charles Dickens’ tale of redemption is a fun idea with a beautiful art style that matches the vibe. Sadly, unoriginal gameplay and unprecise controls can’t save the game from falling into the bland Metroidvania masses.
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