Should you marvel at this fighter?

PlayStation Studios, Arc System Works (Arc), and Marvel Games have joined forces to realize the latest in tag team fighters, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Experience the Marvel Universe like never before with reimagined characters and stages, a heart-pounding soundtrack, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and jaw-dropping visuals that promise to keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether this is your first fighting game or you are a veteran of the genre, Arc has incorporated gameplay controls and mechanics that are easy to pick up and play, and yet still offer the depth and versatility for high level competition. Enter the fray with iconic Marvel heroes and villains such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, and Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) – each with Arc’s unique twist on their character designs and gameplay styles.

Capcom have produced a good number of fighting games with Marvel characters over the years, so it was a surprise to see another developer have a go at making their own Marvel fighter, but also to put an anime-style to Marvel. It’s a gamble but one that works surprisingly well, the main difference is that the fights are 4v4 instead of the traditional tag-teams of 3v3.

There’s an impressive story mode with comic-book style storytelling alongside anime cutscenes. Fighting itself handles incredibly well and although I’m far from the best at these types of fighters (I’m more of a Smash Bros guy myself) I found myself holding my own well against both AI and online opponents. The netcode is impressive and while it has some work still to do, has come a long way from its initial launch and continues to improve with each update.

The roster is already pretty full, though I know more fighters will be entering the fray through updates. Picking the fighters that work well for you with competitive matches is interesting as you have to spend enough time with each and work out what fighters’ gel for you and which ones are a no-go.

The visuals are very impressive with the anime take on the Marvel universe. Characters are nicely designed and the game runs at a buttery smooth framerate throughout. Voice-acting is also decent, while the soundtrack also does a great job. I didn’t come across any glitches or issues during my time with the game, so all in all the presentation is top notch.

The Verdict

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls does an incredible job in making a highly enjoyable 4v4 tag team fighter. It does well in redesigning the Marvel universe in anime while taking cues from the Marvel vs Capcom series. It is dripping in quality throughout and is worth any Marvel or fighting fan’s time and money.

Score: 9.0