Road to E3: Will Indivisible be Invisible at E3?

Pride of Indiegogo and altogether great looking game Indivisible will be at E3 2017, as confirmed by publisher 505 Games. What we don’t know is how big a presence it’ll have at the show. Developer Lab Zero has kept their game largely under wraps since its Indiegogo campaign in October 2015.

During the campaign, they released a playable alpha build demo that’s better than most fully finished games. It even found its way to the PlayStation Network. It really sounds crazy that an alpha build demo for a game that was, at the time, seeking crowdfunding support would release on a console’s digital storefront. That should give you an idea of just how good the demo was, and still is. That demo bought Lab Zero a lot of goodwill with gamers.

But with an early 2018 release date, E3 2017 could finally be the time Lab Zero pulls back the curtain on their Skullgirls follow-up.

What Can We Expect to See?

It’s hard to say how prominent Indivisible will be in 505’s E3 plans. The publisher is also showcasing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Payday 2 (which has already been out for years), and the long anticipated The Walking Dead from developer Overkill. Their two best games are unquestionably their two crowdfunded offerings.

They might decide to give more time to The Walking Dead. It’s from a massive multi-media franchise, and already has an uphill battle given TellTale’s games based on the same series. Bloodstained is another prime target, as it usually gathers more headlines than many other crowdfunded games. Payday 2 isn’t there for nothing either, as 505 will likely want to show off the game’s new free-to-play elements.

It also comes down to how much Lab Zero wants to show. They’re pretty good at sharing information, including a panel at Anime Expo 2016 with every department lead at Lab Zero. There, they demoed a new version of the 2015 early alpha demo, as well as talking about the development process. If it’s up to them, they’ll likely want to show off plenty, including the story mode which we currently don’t know much about.

Climbing the Mountain

This is pure speculation, but I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot from Indivisible. With a release date right around the corner, there’s still too much we just don’t know about the game. The question isn’t so much about how Lab Zero will exhibit Indivisible. Instead, it’s about will the game just get buried?

Indiegogo failed Lab Zero in the marketing department, now it has to play catch-up with other indie games at the show. It’s not going to be shown at Indie Megabooth, where it would easily standout away from the main E3 area. Instead, it’s going to be at a publisher’s booth on the main floor. It has to compete with Bloodstained in its own home, and who knows what else will be nearby.

That’s not to say Indivisible can’t stand out. It has plenty going for it – the gorgeous art, full voice acting, and unique gameplay that mixes 2D platforming, turn-based RPG-ing, and fighting games. It’s going to come down to how much Lab Zero choose to show, or how much space 505 gives them. If they’ve got nothing but an updated version of the 2015 demo, they’ll disappear into the background. But if they pull out all the stops – a cinematic trailer, an extended gameplay trailer, and news about the voice actors – Indivisible could prove to be a show-stealer. Even more so if one of the big three shows the game at their conference.