Invincible Presents: Atom Eve interview: “I’m excited for everyone to get to know Eve better”

Invincible is one of the best shows on TV right now, and with Season 2 starting this past Friday, there’re plenty of reasons to get back on the hype train. One of the shows and comic’s most popular characters is Atom Eve. She a great friend to Mark and an incredibly powerful hero, yet her journey has been one laced with sadness and loneliness, loss and heartache. Skybound Games is set to release Invincible Presents: Atom Eve on November 14, which will delve into the character’s story and give us a visual novel style game that is going to be super exciting. That’s why we jumped at the chance for an Atom Eve interview.

We’ve already played a preview, and from the short time we had with it, it was great getting to see Eve from a new perspective – her own. While the visual novel style is striking, there’s also an interesting RPG element to it, and the writing doesn’t feel out of place with what has been done with the animated show. We were lucky enough to interview Jill Murray, the Creative Director on Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, and chat about when the idea came about, why she thinks Atom Eve appeals to so many people, what her favourite feature of the game is, and more.

When did the idea come about to make a game based on Atom Eve?

That goes back before my time, to 2020 or ’21, when it was basically a passion project for Shawn Kittlesen and then Mike Rogers. Everyone at Skybound has a lot of love for Atom Eve and a love for narrative games, and the two always felt like they belonged together.

Were there any other genres considered, or was it always intended to be a visual novel with turn-based combat?

The mission was really clear from the start. We wanted players to be able to come into Eve’s world, meet characters and solve problems as her, and to feel what it’s like to play with the incredible power she has. Turn-based combat is such a fun way to let you feel powerful and in control – like Eve is in battle.

Would you like to make more games within the Invincible universe, as the title suggests other characters might get a similar treatment?

Me? Personally? I’m going to choose to interpret this question as you asking me to make a Monster Girl game, and I’m going to accept enthusiastically. Where do I sign up? 

What is it, in your opinion, about Eve that makes her so appealing to fans?

She has these oversized creative powers that let her transform matter with her mind. But then she’s a really empathetic character who cares deeply about people, even though her powers make it hard to make and keep friends. And then maybe to help her deal with all that, she has this great snarky, sarcastic side that leads her to be very spontaneous sometimes. In our RPG system you can play around with these qualities and use them to guide your version of Eve.

What inspirations from other games, if any, helped to shape Invincible Presents: Atom Eve?

We’re not emulating anything directly, but of course we all play and admire a lot of games. Obviously, things like visual novels, and classic Telltale games. Our combat team has a lot of respect for Slay the Spire. And I like to look for ways to use game mechanics illustratively, like What Remains of Edith Finch did. Lofty inspirations all around, but that’s how inspiration works!

How excited for Season 2 of the animated series are you, and what would you like to see?

Extremely excited. I can think of a few different directions they could go, based on the comics, and they’re all huge. If you thought season one had a lot of story in it… wait. The world of Invincible is enormous. I’m bracing for impact.

What is your favourite feature of the game?

I’ve been playing it a lot, leading up to the release, and I love the variety of gameplay. I love working through the story and making different choices and then I’ve got points to invest in the RPG skill tree and then I’m off to battle. The art and animation are stunning in both comic panels and visual novel sections. Milk & Bone wrote gorgeous music for it. There’s narrative running through everything, and it all feels connected. The whole dev team at Terrible Posture Games did a beautiful job of bringing it all together into one cohesive experience.

Besides Atom Eve, who else in the comics/show is your favourite character?

I never would have said this before working on Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, but… honestly, Rex Splode is ridiculously fun to write. And I do mean ridiculous. And Rossi Gifford made him look so hot, it’s almost confusing. But I think all these characters feel like our beloved friends now. I love what our writer, Mary Arroz did with Dupli-Kate. She and Eve have an interesting dynamic in this game. Mark Grayson’s great, of course, but I think we all know that already.

Finally, and I appreciate you don’t want to spoil anything, but what can fans expect from the full game that you’re most excited for them to see/experience?

I think we’ve made a game where it’s simply enjoyable to explore Eve’s world, and try different things out, experience them through her eyes, and see how your choices– in life and combat– impact her relationships and feelings. It’s an intimate experience, in the sense of getting close to the character, and I’m excited for everyone to get to know Eve better. 

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve releases on November 14 on PC. After reading our Atom Eve interview, why not read our preview here.