Doctor Who Infinity review: The Dalek Invasion of Time

The Twelfth Doctor and Missy need to stop The Dalek Invasion of Time, in the opening episode of the brand new video game, Doctor Who Infinity!

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Tiny Rebel Games/Seed Studios/BBC Studios.

Image obtained from Tiny Rebel Games.)

The first three episodes of Doctor Who Infinity are now available for purchase! As we take a look at the game’s first episode, we have to ask: is it worth the price?

I’ve been playing Doctor Who Infinity for the past week now. I don’t often play video games these days. Not because I don’t enjoy them, but because it’s always difficult finding the time for them. However, Doctor Who Infinity was definitely a game that I was eager to play.

Made by the same people who gave us Doctor Who Legacy, in some ways, Doctor Who Infinity shares similar gameplay mechanics. Specifically, the kind where you aim to match three or more in a row to progress through each level.

This could be offputting. Not just to players who prefer something a little less casual. But even for those who enjoy a more casual gaming experience, they might be initially put off by something new: the price.

Unlike Doctor Who Legacy, which is free to play, players need to purchase each episode of Doctor Who Infinity. While players begin with two episodes instead of just one, and the price is fairly small, for something involving gameplay that’s usually free, that still sounds like a lot to ask.

However, Doctor Who Infinity has two major things going in its favor: its fresh take on the gameplay, and the story. We’ll take a look at that first.

The Daleks invade the whole of history in Doctor Who Infinity: The Dalek Invasion of Time.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Tiny Rebel Games/Seed Studios/BBC Studios.

Image obtained from Tiny Rebel Games.)

Story

For the past week, I’ve only been playing the first episode, The Dalek Invasion of Time. I had planned on checking out at least one of the others. Especially The Orphans of the Polyoptra, as I’m a massive fan of the Third Doctor. It does help that you can select any episode you’ve purchased to play at any time.

However, I need to confess something. After playing The Dalek Invasion of Time for a short while, I suddenly found myself really gripped by the story. The more I played, the more I wanted to find out what happened next.

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It’s not surprising. The story has been written by George Mann, who’s written several Doctor Who novels and comics, including the brilliant War Doctor novel Engines of War. (Anyone who wanted more of the War Doctor after watching The Day of the Doctor needs to read that book.) So he’s a veteran at writing stories in the expanded universe.

The story flows quite nicely. It has some really cool ideas, particularly with the Daleks invading the whole of Earth history. But it’s also got plenty of twists, too. Moments that seem out of character are gradually explained and make a lot more sense as the story goes on.

Presentation

However, just as good as the story itself is the presentation. There’s a nice feel of a motion comic as it flows along, so you get some comic style artwork presented in a slightly animated way. I love both comics and motion comics, so I enjoyed this presentation.

But it’s not just the visuals that make this so appealing. We’ve also got Michelle Gomez herself narrating the story, essentially in character as Missy. There are other voices in the cast, including Ingrid Oliver as Osgood and Bella Ramsey. But Gomez provides most of the voices for the characters.

So we’ve got strong writing, decent presentation and great vocals all helping to form an intriguing story. But does the gameplay hold up?

Michelle Gomez and Ingrid Oliver voice Missy and Osgood respectively in The Dalek Invasion of Time.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Tiny Rebel Games/Seed Studios/BBC Studios.

Image obtained from Tiny Rebel Games.)

Gameplay

At first glance, the gamplay for Doctor Who Infinity is really simple. As I mentioned, the basic template for it is three-way matching.

But as I played on, I quickly discovered that the game had more variety than you might think. Yes, the core focus is three-way matching. But each level uses that differently.

For example, one level might be focused on powering up your sonic screwdriver. Another might be more focused on hacking into the Daleks’ mainframe. Another might require you to avoid falling rubble.

Each of these unique situations requires key changes in gameplay. It actually works incredibly well, too, particularly how seamlessly it’s all worked into the story. Don’t get me wrong though, if you absolutely cannot stand three-way matching, then the gameplay is very unlikely to appeal. But if you’re simply more weary or skeptical of it, you might find yourself surprised.

Overall, The Dalek Invasion of Time is a fantastic start to Doctor Who Infinity. Since it was first announced, story was heavily marketed as a key feature of the games, and I can see why. While the gameplay is more refreshing than what we’ve seen in Doctor Who Legacy, it’s the story and the presentation that’s the main draw for this series.

If you’re looking for decent Doctor Who stories told in a different and interesting way, then based on The Dalek Invasion of Time, Doctor Who Infinity is definitely worth checking out. Expect another review on subsequent episodes The Orphans of the Polyoptra and The Lady of the Lake very soon.

In the meantime, you can check out the game now by purchasing it from Steam right here.

Are you interested in Doctor Who Infinity? Which appeals to you more: the gameplay, or the strong focus on the story? If you have played it, what did you make of the first episode, The Dalek Invasion of Time? Let us know in the comments below.