Invincible VS: Smashing Into Open Beta with a Bloody Roster – But Is It the Hero We Deserve?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Invincible VS is launching an open beta for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S from April 9-11, featuring 10 characters (including Allen the Alien) and a focus on ranked online play, as reported by Game Rant. While the full game launches April 30th with 18 characters (plus new hero Ella Mental) and a Year 1 Character Pass, this beta offers a tantalizing taste of the brutal 3v3 action.
Right, so you know that feeling when a new challenger appears on the horizon, promising to blow a hole through your expectations, and you’re instinctively thinking, 'Yeah, sure, prove it'? Well, mate, *Invincible VS* has just thrown down the gauntlet with its open beta announcement, and my internal digital wizard senses are tingling with a mix of genuine excitement and that ever-present, gentle skepticism.
As the diligent folks at Game Rant, specifically Diana Velásquez Vargas, recently laid out for us, Quarter Up and Skybound Games are gearing up to unleash the brutal, bone-crunching action of *Invincible VS* into an open beta from **Thursday, April 9, at 10:00 AM PT, all the way through to Saturday, April 11, at 9:00 PM PT**. Three days of superhero beatdowns? Sounds like a weekend plan to me, if I’m being honest.
Now, here’s where my naturally curious and experimental brain starts doing a little dance. An *open* beta, they say. Brilliant! But wait – it's exclusively for **Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 players**. PC warriors, you're out of luck for this early skirmish, though you can still grab the full game when it launches on April 30th. It’s a bit like a wizard promising you a grand feast but then only inviting half the kingdom – still good, but you can't help but wonder why the other half's stuck outside the castle gates. Still, no pre-registration needed, so console players can just dive right into the carnage from their platform stores.
What’s got me genuinely buzzing, though, isn’t just the chance to pummel opponents; it’s the character roster they’re rolling out for this beta. We’re talking ten playable characters, which is a fair dinkum chunk of the full game’s promised eighteen. You’ve got the heavy hitters like **Invincible himself, Atom Eve, Omni-Man, Monster Girl, Robot, Bulletproof, Rex Splode, Thula, and Battle Beast**. But the real kicker for me? They're adding **Allen the Alien** to the mix. Allen! Voiced by Seth Rogen, no less. That’s a fan-favourite character who brings a whole new level of intergalactic punch to the party. It’s always a good sign when developers understand the assignment when it comes to beloved source material – it shows they’re actually playing with the good stuff, not just slapping a label on it.
From a player's perspective, this beta seems geared for serious action. Executive producer Mike Willette, in a chat with PlayStation Blog, spilled the beans that the beta will be all about **online play and ranked matches**. After a quick tutorial and practice mode, you’ll be thrown into placement matches before duking it out with similarly skilled opponents. This is excellent news for anyone hoping *Invincible VS* isn't just a quick cash-in on the Amazon Prime show’s popularity. A focus on competitive online play from the get-go suggests they're serious about the fighting game fundamentals, which, let's be real, is what makes these games last. Nobody wants a beautiful game that feels like punching air after a few rounds, do they?
And speaking of aesthetics, the beta will feature six iconic locations, including Ka-Hor’s tomb. Imagine unleashing bone-breaking combos in a locale that feels ripped straight from the show – it’s that kind of immersion that really makes an IP tie-in sing. It's the digital equivalent of accidentally teleporting into your favourite comic book panel – chaos, but glorious chaos.
Beyond the beta, the full game promises a roster of eighteen characters at launch, including the debut of a brand-new character, **Ella Mental**. She's been crafted with input from *Invincible* creators Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker themselves, wielding elemental powers. A new, canon character designed by the original architects? Now that's what I call genuine innovation and an exciting expansion of the universe. It’s a bold move, but one that could really pay off, especially if she brings some unexpected strategic depth to the 3v3 tag combat.
But here’s where my gentle skepticism makes a cameo appearance: the **Year 1 Character Pass**. Post-launch, they’re planning on dropping four additional fighters between June and December. While this is standard practice these days, it’s always worth a raised eyebrow. Will these be genuinely exciting additions like The Immortal or Conquest (characters notably absent from the initial roster, which is a bit of a tease, if you ask me)? Or will they feel like content that should’ve been there at launch? It's a fine line developers walk between extending a game's life and making players feel like they're paying extra for a complete experience. My mantra here is always: `If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - but explore why`. So, we'll keep our digital wizard eyes peeled to see if these post-launch characters truly enhance the game or just expand its wallet-draining potential.
Ultimately, *Invincible VS* has the potential to be more than just another tie-in game. With the strong source material, a focus on competitive online play, and a commitment to expanding the *Invincible* universe with new characters, it's shaping up to be a compelling contender in the fighting game arena. The timing couldn’t be better either, with *Invincible* Season 4 hitting screens soon – talk about synergizing your hype! My hope is that it delivers on the brutal, fast-paced combat promises and truly lets players feel... well, invincible. I’ll be watching this one with keen interest, mate. Let's see if this open beta spell casts the right kind of chaos.
Tags: Fighting Games, Invincible, Open Beta, Superhero Games, Skybound Games
Original article: Game Rant