I am a fan of story mode games, and while I have enjoyed titles from other genres like Tekken or Mortal Kombat, here and there, I have personally grown up living and breathing story mode games. But I am sure everyone is different, and gaming for each can mean different things. As I said, for me, I love to explore the virtual worlds, while some may simply find peace in button-mashing. So, when the recently launched Invincible VS dropped, I knew this fell in the second category, but for some reason, I still wanted to give it a try. And yes, just so you know, this is based on the superhit animated show that streams on Prime Video, just in case you haven’t figured it out yet from the title and the cover image of this review.
For months, I have been following news around Invincible VS. I have watched the trailers and teasers, and the game appears to be a treat for all kinds of players. Also, it had all the ingredients any gamer would appreciate: awesome graphics, cool gameplay, a dad and son at the center of the story, amusing dialogues, etc.
But after spending several hours with the game, one thing became very clear: Invincible VS is a game that knows exactly who it is made for. And while that confidence works in its favour most of the time, it also becomes the reason why the experience may not click with everyone. So, should you go ahead and spend around Rs 3,999 to play this latest title? Read on.
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I tested Invincible VS on a PS5 Pro connected to a 55-inch LG CX OLED TV. And talking about graphics first, the game looked sharp and vibrant throughout my time with it. The colours pop, character designs remain accurate to the show, and performance during fights mostly stays smooth even when things become visually overwhelming.
Coming to the setting or atmosphere, Invincible VS begins with a little warning that made me chuckle. Even before the first cutscene begins, there is a disclaimer, warning players about graphic violence and gore. And a few moments later, you get why. If you know, you know.
To give context to those who don’t follow the TV series, suddenly, you’ll see people flying through buildings, there is blood everywhere, and chaos completely takes over the screen. Within minutes, you understand exactly what kind of game this is. And for this reason alone, I personally loved it.
So, naturally, Invincible VS stays super faithful to the animated series. Thankfully, the game doesn’t give you those hyper-realistic graphics that every other game is aiming for these days. Instead, the developers have recreated the comic-book-inspired art style of the show perfectly. Character models, environments, lighting, and even the animations look like they were pulled directly out of an episode. And that authenticity is one of the game’s biggest strengths.
Now, as mentioned already, I hadn’t watched the show before trying out the game for the first time. Yet, I could tell how much care was put into recreating this universe. Every arena feels intentionally designed for fans of the series. While playing local matches with my husband, who is a huge Invincible fan, he constantly pointed out references and locations taken directly from specific episodes. That level of attention to detail definitely deserves a mention.
Invincible VS is best described as a 3v3 tag fighting game. In the Arcade mode, you get to choose a squad of three characters and switch between them during battle. In story mode, you play through a story which is still based on the 3v3 fighting format. Basically, if you have played games like Tekken or Mortal Kombat before, you will feel at home.
Speaking of gameplay, I quickly adapted. Movement feels smooth right from the start, blocking is mapped to holding back, while dashing and movement mechanics are assigned to shoulder buttons. And within just a few matches, I was already landing attacks, blocking my opponent’s moves, switching characters mid-combat, and understanding the general flow of battles. Considering how rarely I play hardcore fighting games, that felt like an achievement.
It is safe to say that even casual players can jump in and start having fun almost immediately.
But once the initial excitement fades, the limitations of the combat system start becoming more noticeable. And the biggest issue, at least for me, was depth.
While the combat is entertaining for sure, it rarely reaches the level of satisfaction offered by other games in the genre. The game maps attacks across the controller using light, medium, heavy, and special attacks, but learning advanced combos was a bit of a challenge. This was mainly because, instead of clearly showing button inputs for special moves, the game explains attacks using its own combat terminology.
For experienced fighting game players, this may not sound like a major issue. But for newcomers trying to properly learn characters, it quickly becomes frustrating.
Also, even though the combat is fun, its impact may not fully land the way it is supposed to at times.
Considering the series revolves around superheroes destroying cities and punching people through skyscrapers, some attacks feel less satisfying than they should. In addition to this, some special moves also lack the dramatic flair needed to make them feel truly memorable. And this inconsistency prevents combat from reaching its peak.
Where Invincible VS struggles the most, in my opinion, is its story mode. The story lasts slightly over an hour and straightaway throws players into large-scale conflict. One thing that stands out here is that for those who haven’t watched the series, there is absolutely no context. It goes more like: characters appear, arguments begin, buildings explode, and well, that’s it. It is almost as if the game expects players to emotionally connect with moments that have barely been developed.
At first, I assumed the issue was simply because I had not even watched one episode of the series. So midway through my time with the game, I actually went back and watched Season 1 of Invincible hoping it would improve the experience.
But to my surprise, it barely changed things.
This is because the game had characters appearing, even from the later seasons. Also, the storytelling feels kind of rushed and the pacing rarely gives newcomers enough time to understand what is happening. The moment you start wrapping your head around a conversation, you are thrown into another battle.
On the other hand, if you are already heavily invested in the Invincible universe, you will probably like the story of the game as you would already know the characters. But for everyone else, the campaign feels more like a collection of connected fights rather than a complete story.
Coming to the writing, it still has its own charm.
The game captures the sarcastic humour and slightly dark tone of the animated series quite well. Several pre-fight interactions genuinely made me laugh during matches. The dialogue has personality, and even though I didn’t have enough context, I did enjoy some scenes.
In Arcade mode, the game offers 18 playable characters to choose from. Invincible feels like a balanced and approachable character, making him a great starting point for beginners. But in my case, Dupli-Kate, with her clone-based abilities, just wins at creating chaos and pure entertainment.
On the other hand, ranged-focused characters like Atom Eve and Thula visually look fantastic but feel comparatively less satisfying to use. Their attacks often lack the same impact and excitement of close-range fighters, making their combat style feel slower during matches.
One feature I really liked was how the game categorises fighters during character selection. Players are told whether a character specialises in striking, grappling, or ranged combat. It sounds like a small addition, but it actually helps newcomers understand how different fighters are meant to be played.
And honestly, that extra clarity is needed because the game itself does not always explain its deeper mechanics very well.
So, should you go ahead and invest time and money in Invincible VS? The answer is, it depends on the kind of player you are and if you have watched the show or not.
On one hand, Invincible VS just excels at recreating the world of Invincible. The visuals, humour, violence, and everything else feels straight out of the animated series. Fans will definitely love stepping into this universe and controlling their favourite characters during chaotic superhero battles.
Meanwhile, if you’re not an ardent Invincible fan, you may not connect with it that much. That said, if you are an absolute fan of smash the button games and don’t care about the story at all, you are in for a treat.
In a nutshell, Invincible VS is a game designed primarily for fans and for those who just love fighting games without caring much about the story. And if that sounds like you, there is a lot to enjoy here.
Rating: 7/10