# Invincible VS review deep dive: why critics like the punch and question the staying power

**June 8, 2026 · Perthro**

Invincible VS had every reason to be a throwaway: a tie-in fighting game based on an Amazon animated series, leaning on gore, famous voices and a well-known comic universe. The first wave of reviews says it isn't. Critics agree the fighting works. Their questions are about how long it will last, who it's really for, and whether its defensive systems hold up once strong players start picking it apart.

## Invincible VS review scores

- **IGN, 7/10:** "a very respectable 3v3 tag fighter" with a combo system that leaves room for mind games.
- **GamingBolt, 8/10:** "immediately satisfying for the casual crowd," with concerns about balance and teaching.
- **Eurogamer, unscored:** the most enthusiastic of the three, calling it "one of the best fighting games released in recent years."

The scored range is narrow, 7 to 8. The written verdicts range further, from good to possibly great if a competitive scene forms.

## What critics agree on: the combat

Eurogamer says the game has value "for more than just fans of the series," and credits the Killer Instinct pedigree at developer Quarter Up, where many of the 2013 Killer Instinct team now work. That shows in the weight of hits and in combos that keep both players thinking.

IGN's Mitchell Saltzman makes the same Killer Instinct comparison with more caution, describing a fast, hard-hitting, mechanics-driven fighter. The phrase to note is "two-way interactable combo system." The defender isn't just waiting out a memorized string: Counter Tags, Assist Breakers, feints and active tags create small back-and-forths inside a combo. When both players understand the Counter Tag guessing game, IGN says, "it's awesome." Fighting games depend on losing because you got read, not because the system fell apart.

GamingBolt called it a "weighty slugfest" with responsive inputs and readable animations. A new player can mash light attack and see something cool happen, while tagging, boost, combo meters and defensive options reveal the depth later. The gore, speed, comic-style hit effects and Viltrumite spectacle get people in, and critics are taking it seriously because there are real mechanics underneath.

![Invincible VS screenshot: 3v3 tag fighting with comic-book hit effects](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/03de98f4f66d45df.jpg)

## How Quarter Up handles the licence

Plenty of licensed games spend so long proving they know the source that they forget to be a game. Eurogamer praises the 18-character roster, not for recognisability but because Quarter Up gave each one a real fighting-game identity. Invincible is the all-rounder at the centre of the roster. Monster Girl and Lucan are two different takes on a heavy character. Cecil brings teleports, weapons and chaos. The studio asked what these characters could become in a 3v3 fighter instead of copying what they do on screen.

The story mode was co-written by Quarter Up narrative director Mike Rogers and Helen Leigh, a writer and producer on the show, with Robert Kirkman involved. IGN says it plays like a missing episode, with good cutscenes and voice work, and fights that have a reason to happen. Eurogamer calls it a quick snack rather than a meal, but good fan service: a place to see characters bounce off each other in pairings the show hasn't spent much time on.

## The criticism: story length, tutorials and defence

All three reviews land on the same three problems.

**The story is short.** IGN says it runs about an hour and ends without a satisfying conclusion. Eurogamer puts it at "an hour and change." GamingBolt says it ends just as it gets going. If you're here for ranked and the training room, that's fine. If you mainly wanted a playable episode, the cliffhanger will sting.

**It doesn't teach itself well.** GamingBolt: "For a game aspiring to tournament-level play, its onboarding does little to bridge the gap between accessibility and mastery." IGN notes there are no combo trials or character guides, and the replay tools stop short. A modern fighter trying to build a scene needs ways to learn beyond getting beaten online.

**Offence may outpace defence.** GamingBolt worries attacking tools are broader and easier to use than defensive answers. IGN spends a lot of space on Assist Breakers and says outright that Saltzman hates them in their current form, because repeated use drags matches out when players don't understand the cost.

None of this says the combat is shallow. The worry is that the systems are deep enough for bad incentives or poor teaching to cause trouble later, which is more hopeful than "there isn't much here."

![Invincible VS screenshot: two of the 18 fighters, each with its own play style](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/6dd7be7f47371503.jpg)

## Launch week versus the long run

For now, critics are happy. The game is responsive and looks right. IGN calls the rollback netcode stellar, and Eurogamer says it held up even on poor Wi-Fi. The characters feel distinct, and there's enough blood, voice work and comic-book impact to show the licence was in careful hands.

The long run is less clear. Will the defensive systems hold once competitive players optimize everything? Will Assist Breakers, Counter Tags, feints and boost management settle into something readable, or will matches feel dragged out and lopsided? Will Quarter Up add the training tools and post-launch support a competitive tag fighter needs?

## Should you play Invincible VS?

A 7/10 can mean safe and forgettable, or ambitious with some pieces missing. Invincible VS is the second kind. If you like tag fighters or have a soft spot for Killer Instinct, it's worth watching. Go in expecting a strong combat foundation, a short campaign, weak tutorials, and a competitive future that isn't guaranteed yet. If the scene sticks, it could be the licensed 3v3 fighter that carried the Killer Instinct spirit into 2026. If not, it'll be remembered as the surprisingly decent Invincible game.