Invincible VS, How to Hit Harder Than Expected - Review

Fans of American superheroes will know perfectly well who Invincible is, the protagonist of the comic written by the brilliant Robert Kirkman (even before The Walking Dead) who managed to win over enthusiasts with its unconventional plot and the purest, most intimate meaning that comes with the responsibility of having "superpowers."

If you've never heard of it, which we strongly doubt, you might also want to check out the eponymous animated series available on Amazon Prime Video and discover the life of Mark Grayson, in his growing transformation from a normal teenager to discovering he has unimaginable power. After all, his father is Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero on the planet and an elite member of the Viltrumite race (somewhat like a Superman in terms of strength).

And discovering the TV series will be fundamental to getting into the right "mood" for Invincible VS, the first fighting game inspired by Kirkman's creation and set during the final stages of the third animated season. While it's true that you could train your fingertips in this fighting game without knowing the intricate plots behind each character, our advice is not to start without having seen the animated series, otherwise you might miss some background details in both the story and the various dialogues between warriors.

Invincible VS is a fighting game, one of those where you hit harder than expected and which frequently features a "rain of blood" and bone fragments splattering across the screen. Some might say: not for the faint of heart, but we're sure that if you've already loved the Mortal Kombat saga, a few misplaced guts won't bother you when you sit down for dinner.

After literally destroying our wrists (even on a Fighting Stick), we can tell you that Invincible VS isn't so bad, considering there might be some long-term limitations if the video game isn't supported correctly. We are also convinced that Quarter Up and Skybound Entertainment have the best intentions to ensure competitive integrity in the future, and this can only please us immensely.

Accessible and Satisfying Combat System in Some Ways

Invincible VS is a rather technical 3V3 fighting game that, despite some minor imbalances (which even surprised some genre Pros), we believe can bring some satisfaction to true connoisseurs and allow long-time fans to master some of the most beloved heroes (and villains) of this universe. As you've surely noticed, the idea of having three characters constantly fighting is one of the most popular choices when launching a video game towards competition, towards that tournament phase that will crown as winner only the one who makes "more blood flow" (after all, it's normal in the world of Invincible).

The main control scheme remains largely the same as other competitors: we can chain basic attacks and gradually increase their strength from light to medium up to heavy. Light attacks are always faster but extremely weak, while heavy ones will indeed hurt opponents' gums more but will be extremely slower. We must therefore be particularly cunning in delivering the right kicks and punches to deplete the remaining energy of the unfortunate opponent.

In addition to normal attacks, each fighter can also perform special attacks (the classic specials) that define their particular playstyle. These can be unleashed at any time via a button combination on the controller (or a predefined one on the Fighting Stick) or as a preset final technique of automatic combos by spending a technique bar. This aspect makes Invincible VS more immediate, also giving less experienced players the opportunity to create a more choreographed combination of attacks, but somewhat limiting the choice faculty of more "skilled" players. In fact, to see the super bar rise, it will necessarily be necessary to string together a series of attacks that will also allow for variations in combat possibilities and strategies.

And, speaking of supers, the 3-bar ones certainly can't be missing, which will make a visual spectacle appear before our eyes almost on par with a Mortal Kombat fatality, but not always, mind you. And it's no coincidence that the similarities with NetherRealm and Arc System Works fighting games are numerous, starting from the general formula up to the animations where the two fighters clash arm vs. arm (and here you can feel Dragon Ball FighterZ).

Without going too deep into technicalities, Invincible VS allows for incredible combos, especially by changing characters during the match, who can provide assistance with an assist, or tag us in while the opponent is under pressure from our monstrous fighting fury. Thanks to Active Tag, our partner will enter the battle with an attack and continue the work we had already started with the previous fighter. This action reduces the combo bar, allowing for even longer attacks before it runs out: and finishing all this with supers is even more satisfying.

It seems that nothing is left to chance: in fact, team members can also provide an Assist Breaker. Imagine a scenario where, despite our best efforts, the opponent manages to hit us and start a combo: in this sense, we would have no escape. Instead, by spending two power-up bars, we can bring in our teammate, repel the opponent, and save the active fighter. Obviously, this feature must be used at the right moment, and employing the right strategy could truly make the difference between victory and defeat.

As you may have gathered, Invincible VS is a fighting game where a certain amount of attention and care has been paid to some details, in order to form fairly balanced teams. The 18 characters at our disposal possess two predominant distinguishing traits on the battlefield, ranging from those more inclined to brute force to those who make speed their strong suit. For example, Battle Beast is a born brawler and knows how to put pressure on the opponent, but he could also be stopped faster than expected by a fast character like Bulletproof. Therefore, creating a well-thought-out team is one of the aspects to pay attention to before stepping onto the competitive scene of Invincible VS.

And it is precisely the latter that is the most popular, the one on which the developers have strongly emphasized, that is, to create a place where genre lovers can climb the rankings in various tournaments. In fact, like any good online fighting game, you can jump into casual matches to test your skills and then delve into ranked play, where you can climb the league rankings.

In our test, we played about fifteen matches in a lobby with other players and did not have the opportunity to test the matchmaking, however, the matches went smoothly and were free of situations where there were latency problems or improperly implemented rollback. Of course, this feature will need to be evaluated in the long term, when a large and substantial slice of players will be ready to challenge each other in the approximately 14 arenas, including the Himalayas, Ka-Hor's tomb, and Titan's penthouse.

Few Single Player Modes and a Somewhat Underdeveloped Story

Let's be frank: Invincible VS does quite well on the accessibility, fluidity, and overall combat front, even if there are some roster imbalances, and it also manages to encapsulate all the fidelity of the original work. We cannot say the same for the single-player component, with very few modes that will certainly not make the player happy. We are aware that the enjoyment of fighting games has changed over time: the focus is increasingly on online frenzy, competition, and tournaments. And this undoubtedly pleases us, but, and here comes the but, it inevitably cuts out the Invincible enthusiast, the one who wants a challenge with themselves and who would just like to spend more time alone with their favorites (be they heroes or villains).

Invincible VS offers us a fairly classic arcade mode in which we will have to face a series of brutal battles, selecting a path (ladder) at various difficulties and in which we will discover the ending (similar to Tekken) of the first character we have selected for the team. In addition to arcade, we can try our hand at the story mode, to be seen as a special episode of the third animated season. Written by Helen Leigh and Mike Rogers, respectively co-executive producer of Invincible and Narrative director of Invincible VS, the story throws us into a new threat where we will meet villains who, with a narrative ploy, will make us fight with the varied roster.

To be honest, we were not completely satisfied with this "extra episode" which offered nothing so inviting and which certainly could have offered more in terms of both content and the narrative itself. The graphic style is pleasant, but we are truly honest when we tell you that it seemed only a (small) pleasant filler. Besides a VS mode against the CPU or a local friend, Invincible VS has nothing else to add. Indeed, some extras can be unlocked that will delight us with some illustrations, music, and videos that we collected during our games. Obviously, we will also have access to some decorative elements for our online profile and new costumes (alternative colors) by increasing the mastery level of each character.

Invincible VS is not a fighting game that shines in all aspects, but it is truly a delightful tribute (fun to play) to a work that has managed to carve out its own corner of paradise in the superhero genre.