Invincible VS Review - Living Up to the Name

More than any other property in recent memory, Robert Kirkman's Invincible is begging for a full-blown video game adaptation. While most fans envisioned an open-world game where you fly as Mark and fight crime, I've always thought that a more traditional fighter would be appropriate for a series that has made its name with shockingly brutal battles.

Like Omni-Man blitzing through planet Flaxen, Invincible VS not only gives us the triple-A game the series has been missing, but proves I was right all along. VS is a great tag fighter with satisfying mechanics, a surprisingly diverse roster (all Viltrumites notwithstanding), and an endless appreciation for the bloody but beautiful world of Invincible.

Invincible VS might be the most 'by the fans, for the fans' game I've ever played. There are a few hiccups, such as a story mode that ends too quickly and with too much confidence, that prevent it from being a true pinnacle for the series, but like Invincible itself, those flaws don't stop it from being a triumph.

Invincible VS' story mode is good but bittersweet

Choking Mark in Invincible VS' Story Mode.

Like many modern fighting games, the main attraction of Invincible VS is its story mode, which features an original story loosely based somewhere in the show's timeline. I can't say much about the campaign – it's so short that most things would be considered spoilers – but it's an entertaining side yarn that gives most of the character roster a chance to interact and, par for the course, snot out of each other.

One of the biggest strengths of the story mode, which also ties Invincible VS as a whole, is that it feels like an episode of the show. The characters are written and interact as you'd expect, and there are plenty of in-jokes, references to Invincible's meme culture, and easter eggs that make it incredibly clear how much developer Quarter Up loves the source material. It even goes beyond the show at times, with a gorgeously detailed art style and a rough-sounding replacement for Allen the Alien, with standout sound design across the board.

Rex-Splode and Invincible VS in story mode.

The fact that Invincible VS' campaign is only slightly longer than an episode of the show is going to bug some people, but it's so well executed (including a great original character that I hope to see on the show at some point) that I didn't care at first. Unfortunately, that changed in its final moments when it ended on a completely massive yet unexpected cliffhanger out of nowhere.

I'm not sure if this is a la Mortal Kombat 1, a future update, or Quarter Up is already banking on a sequel, but it's a bold move that doesn't pay off. What it really does is remind you how short the story mode is, which is a shame because it does so much else right.

Cecil Steadman in his introduction to Invincible VS.

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VS has great mechanics and characters that are easy to learn, hard to master

Using the black and blue suit mark in his ultimate invincible VS.

Even though the campaign left a sour taste in my mouth, Invincible VS is such a blast to play that I couldn't sit down for long. It strikes the perfect balance between being easy for anyone to hop in, mashing buttons, and seeing gory finishers as their favorite character, and having a lot of depth in both its mechanics and characters for those who really want to master its 3v3 battles. Whichever side you're on, hard-fitting combos and smooth motion ensure VS feels great to play.

I initially thought VS's tag-fighter vibes would be closer to Marvel vs. Capcom, with gameplay flow and a focus on active tags to get the most out of combo strings felt like Dragon Ball FighterZ, with a bit of killer instinct thrown in for good measure. Despite having so many different mechanics like boosts, snapbacks, tag counters, and stage transitions, VS never feels overwhelming because they all work together so well.

The Killer Instinct vibes make sense since many of the Quarter Up devs previously worked on the 2013 reboot. Executive producer Mike Willett is also the announcer on both games.

Despite how many spaces are taken up by Viltrumites and strong flying characters, what surprises me the most is the diversity of Invincible VS' character roster. Every fighter on the roster (including Lucan, of all people) has earned their spot because of how well-developed their moves are. My favorites of the bunch are Mark, the jack-of-all-trades type, Rex-Splod, for how in-character his pesky projectiles are, and Dupli-Kate, who is the game's weirdest character thanks to how his cloning powers are worked into his combos and special moves.

There isn't a single weak link in the entire launch roster, and Quarter Up has done a great job of representing each character and how their personalities fight and interact with each other. The only downside is that 18 characters feels a little thin overall, which feels even more so if you're only interested in offline play, as there isn't that much to do outside of the arcade ladders. VS is obviously more focused on its online modes but, considering the many hours I spent playing its beta, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Although the story mode lets itself down a bit and the offline offerings are slim, I still had a good time with Invincible VS and expect it to lose even more hours as the servers go up. Excellent and welcoming mechanics, a well-developed roster, and plenty of fan service make Invincible VS not only the stand-out tag fighter, but also the game the series has long deserved.