Invincible VS reminded me again how hard it is to forget the feeling of shock that came over me when I first touched this franchise. A good part of my company at the time was crazy about the Amazon series and they constantly urged me to watch it, with a big emphasis on making it through to the end of the first episode, no matter how hard it was. Forty minutes passed in agony, and I had another worn one in front of me coming of age an adaptation of a very average performance and theme. Just when I thought it was another waste hype platitudes and decided to give up, that famous scene that catapulted the entire series into the sphere of mainstream popularity took place. From the framing and the explosion of violence to the closing credits, less than three minutes passed, enough for me to become a fan.
| Initial price | Reviewed version | Reviewer copy |
| 50€ | PlayStation 5 | Provided by publisher |
More than five years have passed since that moment, and in each of them, an increasing number of fans have been clamoring for a big-budget game set in the world of Invincible, with dreams of an action-adventure of epic proportions leading the way. Given that Invincible is teeming with Superman-like characters, I knew it was virtually impossible to get a big-budget open-world game, and that the most realistic outcome was a fighting title with multiple active fighters.
Invincible VS is a mixed bag and as such will certainly not suit all players. On the one hand, it is a very accessible and dynamic team fight that evokes everything we are used to seeing in comics/series in a really fun and high-quality way. The excellent voice acting, the convincingly portrayed character of each fighter and the unsurpassed amount of blood and general violence are really to be commended, especially considering that it is not a giant of the genre like Mortal Kombat.
UNCLE MICHA, CONQUEST CHIKA BEAT YOU!
Unfortunately, Invincible VS has almost no standalone content in its current release, which is a very strange decision considering that such a popular IP will attract a good number of players who are not used to the hardcore competitive scene of fighting titles. The content that exists is disappointing to say the least, because how else can you describe a story of only about 70 minutes that doesn’t actually have an ending but promises a continuation in future, probably paid expansions. In addition to the story, you also have the inevitable arcade modebut what a poor mother if we started counting it as serious content!
This short story is otherwise very dynamic and attractively done, with constant fights and spectacular moves by favorite characters from the small screen, which in the end causes even greater regret due to its short duration and complete lack of emotional charges. Everyone is thrashing and bleeding, but I don’t care! If they are already planning to sell the story through some DLC, it would be nice if it was at least of sufficient quality to justify any price.
Everyone is thrashing and bleeding, but I don’t care!
Speaking of which, I have to say that I was extremely annoyed by the fact that from day one you can buy various costumes whose total value almost exceeds the price of the base game?! I might be able to see through that, but it’s very distasteful to charge players for the Deluxe Edition and then just throw in extra paid costumes right after release.
If they were some first-class costumes, one would say something, but if for 10 euros I can get the “costume” of a character whose shirt we took off, that already becomes absurd, I would even say rude. As bad as that sounds, those are actually the only major flaws, far from a disastrous verdict for a martial arts title. The lifeblood of the game, the most important thing, is very well executed and simply makes you want to play “one more round”, regardless of the fact that a few hours ago you decided enough flailing.
THINK MARK, THINK!
The main thing meso of the game, except for the one that flies everywhere on the screen, often from multiple bodies at the same time, actually hides in the active changes when arranging attacks. Each of your combos is automatically interrupted when a special meter on the edge of the screen fills up, after which the opponent gets a chance to return to a neutral position. To prevent this, you can replace your fighter with one of the two sidekicks in the background, which lowers the combo meter considerably and allows for many more hits.
Given that you can make active changes when stacking your attack every few seconds, it’s theoretically possible with a little practice to kill an entire character in one long, continuous attack. Now, your opponent is not completely helpless in those moments, because during each of your active changes, with a timely key press, he can interrupt your attack and push you away from him.
Timing is key here, as you can choose how fast your secondary character will fly into the screen, and you can also bluff.
Timing is key here, because you can also choose how fast your secondary character will fly into the screen, and it is also possible to bluff, that is, introduce a character without an initial blow, which turns the whole thing into a stressful, but very satisfying rock-scissors-paper system where you are constantly on edge. I When you miss an opportunity to parry a secondary enemy while defending, you can still save yourself with a combo breaker, a powerful attack that will always end any combo regardless of its meter and get you back in the game.
This luxury is by no means free, as it takes up a good chunk of your special attack meter and half of your side character’s renewable health, which can easily turn you into a half-health active fighter with one wrong move. Take my word for it, every bit of health is incredibly important here, because even initial combo attacks can easily take a third of your health, and you really don’t want old Brko to catch you weak and unprepared because, let’s be real, we all know what Viltrumites think of the weak and vulnerable…
In addition to high-quality mechanics, you can definitely feel the incredible variety of fighters.
In addition to high-quality mechanics, you can definitely feel the incredible variety of fighters, which is really surprising when you consider that Invincible is not a series known for characters who use various techniques and signature attacks, but rely on a fairly tried and tested tactic of hitting the opponent harder than he hits you – you don’t need a Kamehameha if you’re holding someone’s lung in your hands!
I AM SO LONELY
Each of the 18 playable characters has their own style, with just the right balance of classic moves they share with other characters and special ones that are their trademark in the series or comics. Of course, they all embody the classic archetypes of the genre, depending on whether they like melee or ranged combat, on the floor or in the air, and the like. For example, characters like Battle Beast can’t hover and prefer slows, but they have devastating armor punches that often break through the lighter attacks of fast characters like Mark or Anissa.
At first the character balance seems pretty affected to me, with the fact that there is always a significant difference between characters depending on how your competitive side lies. For example, in the beginning I easily destroyed enemies with armored attacks from characters like Conquest or Monster Girl, purely because beginners often refuse to block and keep hitting their foreheads on the controller and hope for the best. Hand on heart, some of them were probably hitting the keyboard, because it’s worth noting that Invincible VS supports crossplay.
But very quickly I came across players who react without problems and punish those slow attacks, then suddenly frame knowledge becomes crucial, as well as okizeme and neutral, i.e. the classic elements of any serious martial arts title.
Invincible VS has a very rigid training system that seriously lags behind other titles in the genre.
Speaking of which, it should be noted that Invincible VS has a very rigid training system that seriously trots behind big titles like FighterZ, Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter – if nothing, at least there’s more blood. You have two control templates and basic tools for controlling the behavior of the training dummy, but there is no combo guide or challenges for individual characters, which is an essential tool for beginners who need any help.
Moreover, many of them will find the tutorial very confusing, in which the display of commands on the screen does not change depending on your selection, and it is even worse that they are called by their name (eg special), which can be quite a confusing combination. Keeping in mind that this is very much the type of title that will appeal to casuals, and they could have spent a little time getting it right, if nothing else to add a little richness to the poor amount of content.
Invincible VS is best viewed purely as a competitive tableau with almost no content on the side. If you like fighting games and are fed up with Tekken or Mortal Kombat and are eager to try a new title that immediately throws you on fire, Invincible will fit you like a slap in the face (in translation – excellent).
If you belong to the category of players who are not too keen on fighting titles, but want to give it a try or just love the original template, be careful and count on the fact that Invincible VS works according to the rules of the Viltrumites, who strike first and then explain how to dodge.