Invincible VS Preview: The brutal superhero tag fighter you've been waiting for

When you consider how the narrative of Invincible is arranged, it actually rather naturally suits the format of a fighting game. In the comics, and even the animated series that is based on the written source material, we routinely see famous heroes and characters battling one another in extravagant set pieces, chaotic and colossal events that smash the world to smithereens and essentially lead to a gods among men situation. There is a frequent testing of strength, a constant array of battles where we see the different factions at odds with one another, and it's because of this that Invincible, a bit like DC and Marvel, is perfect for the fighting, and more specifically the tag fighting, format.

But just because in theory it perfectly suits the formula, how does it actually stack up in practice? As part of Gamescom, I had the chance to go-hands on with the game, with executive producer Mike Willette (known previously for working on the Killer Instinct series) on hand to walk me through some of the unique and more intricate systems and mechanics.

Before I get to those however, let me just state that the theme and styling of the Invincible world has been perfectly captured here. The characters are authentic, in part thanks to using the same voice actors from the animated series, and the level design and the way that you can smash the level's backdrop to pieces by landing big attacks all means that the godly theme of these individuals are preserved. Oh, and so is the violence and brutality. Invincible may have a rather light and vibrant animation style and colour palette, but it's very gory and ruthless, and that is what we see in-game as characters are bloodied and broken, and ultimately executed when hit by fatality-like moves. It's nothing on the same level as say Mortal Kombat, but limbs can be blown off, heads popped like grapes, and bones shattered like its perfectly normal behaviour.

Anyway, moving onto the actual gameplay, Quarter Up has reflected other fighting games by offering a system that is easy to pick up for newcomers and those less familiar with the genre, but that is combined with very intricate and deep systems that the best-of-the-best will be able to put to great effect. Essentially, the typical light and heavy strikes are present, there's two-dimensional movement in the horizontal and vertical planes, you can dodge, block, jump, and crouch, combining these with other simple moves for slightly more complex abilities, and can of course easily tag between the three characters on your team at one time.

To build on these are a slate of abilities and moves that must be timed to perfection to see the greatest effect. You can essentially parry attacks, tag in at the last moment to land a quick surprise strike or to break an opponent's combo on you, and then you can build on these mechanics even further by countering any counters that you or someone tries on you, leading to feints and tricks that will constantly keep you on your toes. It's fast-paced and challenging, but immensely rewarding, offering a great balance between simplistic mechanics and intricate and tough systems that when conquered will make you a worthy opponent of even Thragg.

My taste of Invincible VS proved that this game will require a fair bit of learning to master, especially when you add the team construction dynamic to the equation. No, we're not talking building a trio in the same way that you pick characters for a MOBA, for example, but you should have a bit of a balance in the heroes/villains you pick, as Rex Splode and Atom Eve are better ranged characters whereas Invincible and Battle Beast prefer to get up close and personal and to crack skulls with their fists or their mace, for the latter's case. There is a degree of crossover in the character categories, with Omni-Man having a ranged attack in his kit, but the point is that if you're playing as Bulletproof you shouldn't expect to outduel Rex Splode from a distance.

Otherwise, from a gameplay perspective there are some additional intricate mechanics used in Invincible VS, including bars that are essentially stamina-like systems for your tag mechanics. Tag in and out too frequently, or use the combo breaker moves and similar too often and you will be unable to use them again until you've built the bar back up by holding your own in battle. This is a crucial system to manage as you want to constantly switch out your characters to give the tagged-out individuals time to rest and recuperate a bit of health (to a limited degree). Again, it's all about balance and using the many systems that the game presents to maximum effect, something that doesn't translate to the epic stage swap feature, where once per match (again, not once per player, once per every match) you can land an epic attack and actually change the stage where the fight is being held. In Invincible fashion, this is usually a very violent move that's akin to some of the immense fights from the source material, like the famous Invincible versus Omni-Man battle where one moment its in an American city and the next in the Himalayas.

In an era where tag fighters are less common, but will eventually become more popular thanks to Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls in 2026 too, Invincible VS looks to be quite a fresh addition to the genre. It's ruthless and fast-paced, challenging yet responsive and fun, it's everything you could want from an Invincible fighting game. The big test will be how the best players around the world adapt to the game and put it through the ringer, as we all know that a firm opinion on a fighting game can only be developed after hours and hours of rigorous testing and practice. Still, I'm intrigued right now and can't wait to see more, especially if Allen the Alien is ultimately added...