AVICII Invector: Encore Edition Review

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There was one thing that I couldn’t get out of my head when playing AVICII Invector: Encore Edition – the man himself would have loved to see this. Bittersweet thoughts aside, AVICII Invector is equal parts fantastic rhythm game and loving tribute to the Swedish DJ.

The concept of AVICII Invector: Encore Edition is simple enough – you control a little spaceship and have to move and tap buttons to the beat of over 30 of AVICII’s songs. This may sound pretty standard, but the game mixes it up by having three different types of sections during gameplay, with one allowing you to rotate the landscape, another letting you jump between gaps and a final much less frequent section that has you flying through rings. I found the last gameplay type to be a little pointless and far too mindless but the other two are fantastic fun and easy to get the hang of after a few tracks. 

AVICII Invector: Encore Edition Review Screenshot 1

Easy is not a word I’d associate with AVICII Invector: Encore Edition though. Now that I’m pretty used to how the game plays I don’t find it too difficult but for the first two worlds, it provided a genuine challenge and almost felt a little too difficult. I beat all the tracks on Easy and some on Normal and that was more than enough challenge for me but there are higher difficulties and even a Beginner difficulty to keep it playable for all. 

Accompanying all of this button pressing and ship tilting is some pretty awesome looking visuals. Each world has a different environment with different backgrounds and they all look great but I’d argue that they can be a little too distracting at times. It’s not a massive issue but I think I’d trade some of the effects for a smoother frame-rate as there were a few hiccups here and there in my playthrough. When I previewed the Encore Edition a few months ago, I expressed some worry about frame-rate issues and although it’s still not a deal-breaker they are definitely still present in the game and can be a bit distracting. 

AVICII Invector: Encore Edition Review Screenshot 2

Arguably the most important part of any music game is the tracklist and I have almost no complaints here. Not only are there all the hits that you’d expect like “Levels” and “Hey Brother” but there are some that I hadn’t heard before that instantly became a part of my own playlist. The selection here truly feels like a celebration of every aspect of AVICII’s music and that’s exactly what you want from this type of game. Of course, if you’re not a massive fan of this genre of music already, AVICII Invector: Encore Edition might not do too much to change your mind but I would argue that the selection of tracks here do appeal to a range of genres and people. 

One thing that surprised me about AVICII Invector: Encore Edition was the story that it tells in between the levels. It can be a little ham-fisted and awkward at first but when you figure out the messaging about family and love it can be rather sweet. It’s not the most complicated plot but it admittedly hooked me a little in the end just to see how it actually resolves and it does add to the game as a whole. 

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The Encore part of the title refers to the new selection of songs that have been added with this port (as well as appearing as DLC for other consoles) and there are some fantastic additions here. The base roster were all great picks already, but the ten tracks added here really do make this feel like a much more complete package overall.

AVICII Invector: Encore Edition manages to balance its challenging rhythm gameplay and fantastic soundtrack with an air of respect and love for the artist that makes it easy to recommend. Even some small frame-rate issues and distracting visuals can’t get in the way of this one. 

Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review copy provided by Wired Productions

8/10
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