Invincible Vs Review: Fun Combat, Thin Content

Key Takeaways

• The 3v3 tag system lets players chain combos across characters with satisfying freeform creativity
• Accessible controls with one-button autocombos make it approachable for fighting game newcomers
• Content outside versus mode is thin, leaving solo players wanting more

Invincible Vs wastes no time establishing its identity. About twelve seconds into the intro cinematic, the titular teen hero gets launched by his own father through a bystander's head. The stranger dies instantly. Welcome to the Invincible universe, where the violence is gratuitous and the body count climbs fast.

Developed by Quarter Up, a studio founded by veterans of the 2013 Killer Instinct reboot, Invincible Vs is a 3v3 tag-team fighter in the vein of Marvel vs. Capcom and Dragon Ball FighterZ. It launched with 18 playable characters, including game-exclusive hero Ella Mental, and hit 5,341 peak concurrent players on Steam within its first 24 hours.

The Tag System Is the Star

Each character has a relatively simple moveset: light, medium, and heavy attacks, specials, boosted variants of specials, and supers. Nothing complicated. But the real depth emerges when you start combining multiple characters.

You can call in teammates for one-and-done assist attacks or perform an active tag that lets you switch to controlling them mid-combo. A combo limit meter prevents infinite strings with a single character, but it resets when you tag. This opens up ridiculous stretches of punishment that feel creative rather than scripted.

“We can go from arena shifts where you hit somebody so hard... you're shooting them to the moon, and now you're fighting on the moon.”

— Dave Hall, Game Director at Quarter Up

The system is immediately fun and freeform. You can experiment without spending hours in training mode identifying safe pressure options. It rewards creativity over rote memorization.

Defense Has Teeth

Getting combo'd in fighting games often means waiting. Not here. If you hold down medium and heavy attack right as your opponent swaps characters mid-combo, you escape. Full stop.

Of course, the attacker can feint an active tag for a fakeout, use a different combo route, or delay the tag to throw off your timing. This creates genuine mindgames even when one player is getting trampled. The strategic layer doesn't pause just because someone is winning hard.

If you played the Killer Instinct reboot, this will feel familiar. It's not exactly the combo breaker system, but it pays off the same way: split-second "I know that you know" flashpoints where both players stay engaged.

Accessible for Newcomers

Worried about pretzel motions or double 360 stick inputs? Don't be. Invincible Vs has a one-button autocombo for inefficient but reliable damage bursts. These lead into supers naturally and work fine for setting up active tags, though they fill your combo meter fast.

All specials are bound to the same button press. The game clearly expects fans of the animated show who have never touched a fighter, and it accommodates them without condescension.

“It has this bright and beautiful art style, and all of a sudden, it's just smeared with gore.”

— Maximilian Dood, Fighting Game Content Creator

What's Missing

Here's the problem: outside versus mode, there isn't much to do. The game's tight combat shines when you have a friend to fight or a solid online connection. Solo players looking for story modes, arcade runs, or single-player challenges will find the offering thin.

Community reactions on Reddit reflect this divide. Fans praise the stylized comic aesthetic and the back-and-forth combo system. Critics call the animations "stiff" compared to high-budget titles like Street Fighter 6 and note the lack of content breadth.

The Bottom Line

Invincible Vs delivers on its core promise: accessible, brutal 3v3 fighting that captures the comic's over-the-top violence. The tag system is genuinely smart, and the defensive mechanics keep matches tense even when one player dominates. But the thin content outside versus mode limits its appeal for anyone not planning to play primarily against other humans.

If you have friends who want to punch each other through buildings, Invincible Vs will satisfy. If you're looking for a complete single-player package, wait for updates or look elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many characters does Invincible Vs have at launch?

Invincible Vs launched with 18 playable characters, including the game-exclusive hero Ella Mental.

Is Invincible Vs beginner-friendly?

Yes. The game features one-button autocombos and simplified special inputs designed for players new to fighting games.

Does Invincible Vs have a story mode?

The game's single-player content is currently thin. It focuses primarily on versus mode for multiplayer matches.

Who developed Invincible Vs?

Quarter Up developed Invincible Vs. The studio was founded by veterans who worked on the 2013 Killer Instinct reboot.

Does Invincible Vs have rollback netcode?

Technical discussions in the community suggest the game includes rollback netcode implementation, though specific details were still being analyzed at launch.

Source: PCGamer latest