I jumped onto the Invincible train later than most, but nowadays, I honestly regret that it took me so long. Without making this a review of the hit animated series, please, go and watch that show.
Invincible VS, developed by Quarter Up, a new studio under Skybound Games, dishes up a 3v3 fighter that’s not only worthy of the show’s name, but worthy of checking out as one of the more impressive fighting games, in an ever-increasing and expanding genre.
While I’m not a fan of the weaker dedicated story here or the certain lack of depth when it comes to the game’s remaining modes, it’s still certainly fun to play, bringing one of the most dynamic combat systems you’ll find out there today.
They’re Coming, Mark
Without spoiling too much of Invincible’s mainline Story Mode, Invincible VS does its best to bring as much as it can to its original narrative, co-written by Quarter Up’s narrative director, Mike Rogers and Helen Leigh. As writer and producer respectively on the hit Amazon Prime series, you’d think that would be plenty, but series creator Robert Kirkman has also been involved in crafting the story as well.
For what it’s worth, the story does a decent job at pitting as many heroes and villains against each other as possible, taking place what seems to be at least a couple of seasons into the show, although that’s never really stated. But if you’re really keen on starting the show, or even comics for that matter, this will undoubtedly spoil the first season, so be warned.
We begin with Invincible fighting Omni-Man in his Viltrumite white outfit, backed by his Viltrumite allies, Lucan and Thula. While the fight is intense enough, something seems a tad off, and we soon learn there’s more going on than meets the eye. While that sounds incredibly vague, keep in mind the story only runs for about the better part of an hour. As previously mentioned, it does pack plenty of stand-offs and scraps between all of the 18 playable heroes and villains, but most of it does just feel like a placeholder plot to get these guys fighting.
While the length might seem like an issue, I was generally more annoyed by the story’s strange cliffhanger ending, which is not only jarring but also confusing without context. I can appreciate the effort to craft an original story, but I probably would have preferred more of a recap of the show’s five current seasons, which would have given players plenty of iconic bouts while filling in newcomers regarding the show’s broader lore and characters.
Regarding the story’s ending, though, I simply have too many questions. For example, will this ever be resolved? Will it work its way into the main series? At this point, there’s no real answer, which is a shame.
Beyond the main story, there are a few other ways to play through Invincible VS. There’s a dedicated Arcade mode, which allows players to select three fighters and take on a ladder of opponents across several difficulty settings. There’s a Practice mode to help you better your skills against AI opponents, and a Tutorial to help get you up to speed. Finally, players can compete at home with local multiplayer and also jump into an Online mode, complete with Ranked and Casual play, and crossplay.
Duke It Out
I don’t really know what I was expecting from Invincible VS, but I must say I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s an incredibly competent fighting game in its own right, and while it might not reach the heights of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat or Tekken, there’s a perfectly respectable fighting game on offer here.
Players will have access to a range of light, medium, heavy and special attacks, complete with the ability to block and parry, while being able to access a range of special attacks and combos. Players can choose up to three fighters to take into a match, and will also be able to not only tag in and out between fighters, but also use allies in conjunction with their own combinations to special tag team attacks. Fights are smooth and chaotic all at the same time, and when you come to grips with its pacing and mechanics, things flow rather nicely.
The real draw here, aside from its entirely fun multiplayer one-on-one combat, is the emphasis on combos. Combos build your Heroic Boost metre, indicated by 3 yellow bars beneath your health bar, which gives you access to faster and more dangerous attacks. As a result, it soon becomes all about breaking the flow of your opponent’s attacks and turning the tables. Players also build a Special Move metre located on the bottom left or right-hand corner of the screen, depending on your position.
There are a few ways to do this, but you’ll mainly want to familiarise yourself with the game’s Tutorial and work on Counter Tags. These moves don’t use up any of your metre, meaning they’re a great way to gain an advantage with very minimal risk, by tagging in your team mates in the midst of an attack. That being said, opponents can also feint attacks to catch you off guard and ruin your timing. Otherwise, you can rely on Assist Breaks, instant, more forgiving counters, where your teammates briefly pop in and out of the action, at the cost of two of the three Heroic Boost bars, and some recoverable health.
The system works well, and when you have two players that understand this system on this level, you’ll come across some interesting matchups (as I found out, generally the hard way, online). Beyond the system and its broader mechanisms, each of the 18 fighters available here feels great. They essentially utilise moves and weapons seen in the show, along with some solid voice acting and plenty of quips thrown into the action. It helps every bout not only feel that much more engaging, but also authentic. There’s even a cool new hero named Ella Mental, created entirely for Invincible VS.
The only real issue is the game’s lack of any real depth through its modes. Given the story is so short, you’ll fall into a rhythm of either smashing through the Arcade mode at greater difficulties or playing against others online. All of these interactions will help unlock rewards in your Collection, but Invincible VS clearly relies more on its core gameplay as opposed to its overall variety.
Your Collection, however, is a nice treat for fans of the comics and the show alike. There are concept art and comic covers to unlock along with various exclusive customisation items, which are generally limited to Badges, Titles, Backgrounds, and Frames for your fighter profile, and alternative costume colourways for all 18 characters.
Look the Part
Invincible’s more traditional animated art style is slightly lost here, thanks to Invincible VS’ 3D animation, but I still feel it does enough to replicate the look and feel of the show and its characters. It’s still incredibly accurate in terms of character design, but given we have fighters like Dragon Ball FighterZ, which replicate the show’s art style perfectly, I’m not really sure why they went with this.
Across the board, performance is also strong at a reported 60 FPS on all platforms. On the PlayStation 5 Pro, I had no issues to report, and I don’t think I even noticed a single frame rate drop. If there were any, it’s obviously not enough to detract from the experience in any meaningful way.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Invincible VS is an incredibly solid 3v3 fighter that brings its own unique charm to the table.
While its story mode is somewhat shallow and disappointing, along with a lack of depth as far as its modes are concerned, there’s still enough to cling onto in terms of its mechanics that make this a contender worth checking out.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Strong, deep combat mechanics; Solid art style and decent performance; Characters look and feel lore accurate, which helps bring a sense of authenticity
Lowlights: Weak narrative, complete with a strange cliffhanger; Game modes lack variety
Developer: Quarter Up
Publisher: Skybound Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image also provided by the publisher.
