It’s as action-packed as you’d expect, and a perfect showcase of how devastating anyone who masters the character of their choice can be once they figure out a few combos. There are juggles, mix-ups, overheads, and specials galore, and it all looks like a lot of fun to play and very rewarding to learn. The team at Quarter Up clearly knows what it’s doing with each character, but it may take the rest of us a while (and a LOT of practice) to get those combos going.

Available on April 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC until April 11th, Invincible and Omni-Man are obviously present, but with Eve and seven other characters forming an expansive roster, you’re going to be hard-pressed to try them all out. There’s even an unlockable Omni-Man skin for the full game that fans of the show and comics will want sooner rather than later.

We’re making a beeline straight for Omni-Man after watching him in action, but maybe you’ll go in a different direction. Either way, it’s a fantastic way to go hands-on with the 3v3 tag fighter before its launch on April 30th.

Although not as brutally damaging, which would severely imbalance gameplay, Conquest seems every bit as tenacious and callously vicious as he was in the show’s latest season and the comics. As a Viltrumite who stands in full support of the Empire’s goals, he doesn’t hold back in the slightest, even against foes as formidable as Nolan, Invincible, and Eve. His moveset makes him a versatile fighter, capable of punishing his opponents with ruthless efficiency both up close and at range, while he pairs very well with other Viltrumites.

He joins Titan, Allen the Alien, Dupli-Kate, and original character Ella Mental in a 3v3 fighter that’s shaping up to be a must-play fans of the show and genre alike. Of course, even more characters are on the way this Summer, namely Universa and The Immortal.

Invincible VS drops for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on April 30th, but you can go hands-on with the open beta from April 9th to 11th.

In the franchise’s lore, Titan is a husband and a father who served Machine Head as one of his enforcers. After plotting and successfully pulling off a coup, he took over his boss’s operations for the betterment of his family, people, and Chicago in general. He’s known to be brutal in his methods, yet he serves nobler goals than your typical run-of-the-mill gangster.

Armed with the ability to turn his body to stone, the new trailer highlights his various moves, showcasing a fighter who’s deadly at range and up close. He pairs ranged attacks with grapples, slams, and hard-hitting blows that can be quite hard to counter unless you have the reflexes to react in time to his barrage of attacks.

Titan joins Powerplex, Duplikate, and Allen the Alien among several other characters from Invincible’s universe, and will be playable in the game’s open beta from April 9th to 11th. Invincible VS promises 18 characters when it launches on April 30th for the PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S, though you can expect even more additions via DLC.

Of course, you can go hands-on with Allen and nine other playable characters in the upcoming open beta. Coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5 from April 9th, 10 AM PT to 11th, 9 PM PT, it also features the likes of Invincible, Bulletproof, Omni Man, Robot, Battle Beast, Atom Eve, Thula, Rex Splode, and Monster Girl. You can also battle across six different stages, including the Kinetic Chamber, Hometown Invasion (night), the Himalayas and more.

Launching on April 30th, Invincible VS will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It includes 18 characters at launch, from the recently-revealed Dupli-Kate and Powerplex to Anissa and Lucan of the Viltrumites. Based on what we’ve seen thus far, two more characters remain to be revealed.

However, four more characters will also be added through the Year 1 Character Pass after release. Stay tuned for their reveals in the coming months.

Kate Cha, as her alter ego is called, is quite the enigma, as she often keeps to herself despite being able to work quite effectively alongside other heroes. Her clones maintain a telepathic link with each other – a blessing and a curse, as they are privy to all of the information any one of them gathers while also sharing in the pain. That’s quite a limitation in a world as brutal as the one her character inhabits, as many of her clones often meet grisly ends at the hands of ruthless opponents.

However, Dupli-Kate seems more than capable of holding her own, using her clones quite effectively to mix up her attacks and lead into juggle combos that could have your opponents praying for a breather. Omni-Man seems quite powerless against her in the new trailer, and any character with a slower moveset is probably going to be on the defensive if they’re taking her on.

Dupli-Kate’s debut comes hot on the heels of Powerplex making his way into the game’s roster. We’re expecting a few more characters to be announced ahead of the game’s April 30th release. But for now, you can check out Kate in action below.

Scott Duval was once a scientist who lost family to the Chicago incident. Since he blames it all on Invincible, it’s only natural that he turned into a supervillain capable of harnessing kinetic energy to channel electricity. He’s brainy enough to use that power in a variety of ways, and his presence in the game is sure to keep you guessing his next move if your opponent uses his moveset well.

At range, he’s quite deadly with far-reaching bolts that are perfect to catch an opponent off balance while he covers a lot of ground with his dashes, getting in melee attacks that come with a lot of juggling potential to keep combos going. You get to finish things off with a few options that dish out some serious damage. Powerplex may be a character with a learning curve, but he is going to be devastating once you get into his rhythm.

He joins an interesting cast of characters, complete with an original one from the developers, ahead of Invincible VS launching on April 30th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

First and foremost, WrestleQuest feels like a game developed by and for fans of professional wrestling. Not only does the title have an immense level of respect for real-life legends of the industry, like “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, but it also backs up this fans service with some unique gameplay, as well as a fun, interesting story telling us about the journeys of new and upcoming wrestlers through their careers.

The most interesting thing about WrestleQuest, however, is its gameplay. Sure, it might just seem like a traditional turn-based JRPG, but there’s a surprising amount of depth available for anyone to dig through, since wrestling can often be an incredibly complex business if you start looking behind the scenes. For example, not only do you have the classic options of attacks and using items, but you also have the ability to unleash devastating signature moves through the use of gimmicks, or setting up awesome tag-team tandem offensive moves. All of these combat options tie into the game’s Hype system.

"It also backs up this fan service with some unique gameplay, as well as a fun, interesting story"

When it comes to combat abilities, you get quite a few options to choose from, assuming you have the AP for it. If you want, you can kick off just about every fight by using Randy Santos’ South of the Border Stunner to try and fatigue them early on. Or you could slowly build up to it like you would see in an actual wrestling match, and finish things off with a glorious moonsault off the top rope.

Every time you get into a fight or a match, you have to also pay attention to the level of Hype your match is creating. Doing things like nailing your entrance moves and cutting promos adds to your Hype before the match. You can also equip your wrestlers with a Hype Type, allowing you to generate Hype in different ways, be it by doing power moves, putting your enemies in technical submission holds, or even just showboating by using the taunt ability. Having enough Hype at the end of a match gives you extra rewards, which can range from banal bonuses like extra cash or exp, to more interesting things like consumables and gear.

Of course, you aren’t just limited to regular singles and tag matches either. WrestleQuest can also throw gimmick matches at you if the situation calls for it, which match types like No Disqualification matches—where you can use weapons without problems—or ladder matches—where the objective is to climb a ladder and retrieve a reward—also come up from time to time. Thankfully, however, these gimmick matches seem to be more of a way to punctuate story beats or offer up some variety rather than constantly popping up as yet another fight.

"WrestleQuest can also throw gimmick matches at you if the situation calls for it"

Interestingly, matches important to the game’s story also tend to present you with a few extra objectives, some of which are just bonuses for extra rewards while others are mandatory to successfully complete the match. An early example is a tag team match where you have to do a series of moves before the scripted conclusion of the match kicks off. Through this, WrestleQuest is able to offer a clever take on the predetermined nature of professional-wrestling, which also tends to tie into the main driving story arc behind one of the protagonists.

The core RPG mechanics of WrestleQuest are rather simple—take part in enough fights or complete enough quests to get experience so that you can level up, which in turn also boosts your stat points. These stats can also be changed by making use of specific equipment, which in turn also tend to have different effects against elemental attacks. You can also change the nature of your regular attack by equipping different kinds of “hands” or “feet” to your character, allowing you to switch to not only between elemental attacks, but also between sharp and blunt attacks.

"At the very center of WrestleQuest is the question of whether professional wrestling is “real” or “fake”."

Just about every single aspect of WrestleQuest indicates that the studio knows exactly what it’s doing when the game throws around words like “work”, “shoot”, or “gimmick”, since those words tend to have very specific meanings in the world of professional wrestling. Like I mentioned earlier in the review, the game also features a surprising number of wrestling legends, not only from the past, but also figures in the industry who are still have an active career, like Jeff Jarrett, who currently works at All Elite Wrestling, and Conrad Thompson—a figure well-known for being the host of several pro-wrestling podcast alongside other wrestlers.

At the very center of WrestleQuest is the question of whether professional wrestling is “real” or “fake”. This is perfectly embodied by our first protagonist, Randy Santos, a wrestling rookie who is such a massive fan of the Macho Man that he often likes to punctuate his sentences with an “Oh si!” On the other side of the coin, we have the tag team of the Logan Brothers in Brink and Stag Logan—a duo that’s hoping to make it into the big leagues after paying their dues and taking scripted loss after loss in an effort to help their father’s wrestling company.

Of course, the whole story is wrapped up in the conceit that all of this seems to be taking place in a world populated by sentient toys. Wrestlers are action figures, and characters can range from being a nod towards Barbie, to a knock-off Mr. Potato Head, to even just straight up dinosaur toys. This also means that just about every location in the game is made to look like it’s in a toybox, from the piles of coffee cream at the base of a Randy Savage statue to the underbelly of Box Town.

"The use of the toy aesthetic also means that there’s a refreshing variety in the game’s various settings"

This wonderful aesthetic makes exploring the overworld in WrestleQuest an absolute joy, since you get to see a toy box-styled interpretation of what a city would look like. The use of the toy aesthetic also means that there’s a refreshing variety in the game’s various settings, from the green pastures of the early zones to the icy zones of the northern territories. It certainly also helps that every zone tends to have its own distinct take on the wrestling arena, which goes a long way in also offering some visual variety in the fights you’ll often find yourself getting into.

WrestleQuest quite honestly feels like a love-letter to professional wrestling. Not only does it feature an absurd level of fan service, especially for fans of classic wrestling, but it also manages to tell fun and interesting stories about the nature of the pro-wrestling business, all wrapped up in a wonderful aesthetic that manages to offer the perfect balance between the game’s serious moments and the more comedic bits. Throw on top a simple-but-robust RPG system that rewards understanding the ebb and flow of a typical wrestling match, and you get one of the most interesting takes on the wrestling medium in video game form out there.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Originally set to release today, publisher Skybound Games recently announced on Twitter that WrestleQuest has been pushed back to a bit later in the month, until August 22. Apparently, a code that can cause players to lose their save progress was discovered “in the final checks” prior to launch “on multiple different devices”, leading to the last-minute delay.

“Because this is a game filled with hours of content and player progress is so important, we could never bodyslam our fans like that,” the announcement message reads. “We are truly proud of this game and believe that we have a product that delivers on all counts.”

When WrestleQuest does release later this month, it will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android. For more details on the game, make sure to check out our recent interview with Mega Cat Studios founder James Deighan.

An update to our fans. See you in the ring August 22. pic.twitter.com/rvBXFu2Upj

— Skybound Games (@skyboundgames) August 8, 2023

Last year, shortly after the game’s announcement, in an interview with creative director Zack Manko, we learned plenty about WrestleQuest’s story, combat, progression mechanics, and much more, but of course, with the game’s launch now just around the corner, there’s plenty more information about it that’s become available. To follow up on all of those details and learn more about the game in the lead-up to its release, we recently reached out to developer Mega Cat Studios with a few more of our questions. Below, you can read our interview with Mega Cat Studios founder James Deighan.

"The lifeblood of both JRPGs and pro-wrestling is story and larger-than-life characters. We wanted to give players that epic-scale JRPG story they expect, told through a wrestling lens."

How much of an emphasis is WrestleQuest placing on story and storytelling, especially given its JRPG influences?

A ton! The lifeblood of both JRPGs and pro-wrestling is story and larger-than-life characters. We wanted to give players that epic-scale JRPG story they expect, told through a wrestling lens.

One of WrestleQuest’s most interesting visual elements is how it represents its characters as action figures. How did the idea for that first come about, and what does it add to the experience?

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to have a unique visual identity, maintain a pixel art aesthetic, and evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. For many of us, our strongest and earliest memories of wrestling started with the action figures. It also allows us to capture some of the fantasy that we wanted in WrestleQuest, from the animation to the feeling of being “in the playroom” throughout the game.

WrestleQuest is of course making use of plenty of external licenses. How complex has the process been of managing to nail those down, especially given the game’s unique premise and how it intends to use those licenses?

The licensing was interesting with WrestleQuest. We made a constant effort to do our due diligence as to not step on WWE’s toes, and make sure that, front and center, we were doing the character and estate’s justice to put them on the pedestal they deserve. Having a unique gameplay genre, visual identity, and use of licenses allowed us to follow our WrestleQuest dream as we’re exploring the use of these characters in a way that hasn’t been done before.

WrestleQuest is looking like Mega Cat’s biggest project ever, and by quite some margin. Can you talk to us about what that behind-the-scenes escalation has looked like and how your studio has grown to deliver a game on this scale?

I wish I had a more romantic version of the story. At one point, we decided that life is too short, and we may as well love the games we’re working on. As any indie studio can attest, it’s a constant challenge to stay excited and engaged with work for hire projects when the entire reason you joined the games industry was to make an impact, build a legacy, and contribute something to the fandom you’re personally invested in. WrestleQuest is our big bet on ourselves.

"We knew from the beginning that we wanted to have a unique visual identity, maintain a pixel art aesthetic, and evoke a strong sense of nostalgia."

The quality and volume of optional content can tend to make or break JRPGs. What should players expect from WrestleQuest on that front?

WrestleQuest does not pull any punches in the content department. Each legendary wrestler has their own themed side-quest, which unlock the game’s best rewards. For example, if you complete the Andre the Giant quest, you get the ability to summon him into combat, where he picks up the entire ring and slams it down, damaging your enemies.

Add that to numerous minigames, risk-reward arenas, and 40+ hours of core story content, and you’ll see that WrestleQuest has more than enough to keep you in the ring for the long run.

What can you tell us about the enemy variety and bosses in WrestleQuest?

Creating a spectacular combat system was one of our primary goals with WrestleQuest. We wanted to take that classic turn-based JRPG system and wrestlify it to make it better than ever.

Our enemies are a large part of that wrestlification process. Some enemies are just grunts that can be taken out easily. However, enemy wrestlers aren’t out when you reduce them to zero HP. To truly eliminate them, you’ll have to Pin them through the game’s reaction mechanics. Fail, and they’ll kick out with HP restored, ready to fight again.

Bosses go one step further in their presentation and spectacle. Before each major battle, you’ll perform a customizable walk-on routine down the entrance ramp. After that, you’ll cut a promo on your opponent, talking trash on the mic. Both of these systems allow you to build Hype, so you can start the battle with some buffs!

Additionally, boss battles themselves are themed after various match types, to increase the drama. You’ll take part in tag-team matches, hair vs hair bouts, multi-opponent rumbles, and more!

What can you tell us about the different locations and worlds that players will explore in WrestleQuest, and how varied they’ll be in terms of their design, visual style, and the kind of content they’ll have on offer?

WrestleQuest wrestlifies the tired, stale JRPG environments we’ve all been through time and time again. Rather than one more medieval-themed fantasy world, WrestleQuest is full of fresh locations. You’ll springboard off turnbuckles through ring-themed dungeons. You’ll track down a wrestling cult through a face paint store. You’ll battle through the corporate enclaves of scheming pro-wrestling execs.

Furthermore, each town in WrestleQuest is themed after a different regional style. Puroshi, for example, is themed after Japanese strong style puroresu. Early in the game you’ll come to a hardcore/extreme wrestling city. There is an entire continent inspired by lucha libre. We wanted to show every spice wrestling has to offer.

The Xbox Series S features lesser hardware compared to Xbox Series and Microsoft is pushing it as a 1440p/60 FPS console. Do you think it will be able to hold up for the more graphically intensive games as this generation progresses?

Seeing what Unreal 5 is capable of, I’m excited for the next generation of consoles. That said, I do think that great games don’t require great hardware, but great hardware makes great graphics accessible to developers and players alike.

"Creating a spectacular combat system was one of our primary goals with WrestleQuest. We wanted to take that classic turn-based JRPG system and wrestlify it to make it better than ever."

What frame rate and resolution will the game target on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S?

For frame rate, we’re looking at a buttery, baby oily 60 fps on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.

What are your thoughts on the Steam Deck? Do you have plans for any specific optimizations for the device?

We are absolutely massive fans of the Steam Deck, and have included it as a target device since its launch!

As a newcomer to the wrestling world, players start as a rookie and train tirelessly to become world champion. You’ll customize a character with different moves, taunts and entrances while battling Legends like Diamond Dallas Page, Jeff Jarrett and much more. Perform well, and some of those Legends will assist in combat like the Road Warriors unleashing the Doomsday Device.

With over 50 hours of content, including “tons” of side missions, WrestleQuest looks like a massive experience. Check out our interview with the development team here. There’s also a demo live for PC via Steam, which showcases updates to the World Map, visuals, and user interface.