Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Tested on: PS4
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Review
It’s been since 2011 since we last had our fix of Marvel vs. Capcom content, with the rather massive roster on the Ultimate Edition of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, which was the typical Capcom formula of rereleasing a game with the DLC added to it. Nonetheless, the third installment was a blast, that offered the same fun fighting aspects the first games had, albeit with updated graphics, a very impressive character roster and above all, flashy fast arcade battles. Now the sequel hit the stores, but the developers decided to change things up by going from a 3 vs 3 format to a 2 vs 2 tag battle system, with simplified controls, infinity stones as power-ups and a very different visual presentation. Is the series still sticking to its roots? Not so much. Is the game still worthy of the name Marvel vs. Capcom? Pretty much.
Story
The story is both easy and complicated as you’re thrown in the middle of things when shit is already going down. Both the Marvel and Capcom universes have merged with one another, creating one overlapping universe where Ultron has merged with Sigma, becoming Ultron Sigma. Ultron Sigma managed to get his hands on two of the infinity stones, granting him more power than one ‘living’ being should ever posses. Due to this he has been spreading a virus that turns everyone into soulless puppets, doing his every bidding. From here on out both universes have to work together to find and use the power of the four remaining infinity stones.
Overall the story is simple, and attractive enough to keep on playing until the credits start rolling instead of diving into the multiplayer modes from the start. Nonetheless, many open questions are left unanswered, and it all feels a bit chaotic without a proper beginning and even a proper ending. Although, even with the many cheesy one-liners present, the story is still a pleasant addition to the series.
Graphics
Where the original games were 2D fighters, with the third installment trying to stay true to the original style with amped up 3D models, with a cel-shaded style, Infinite is trying to stir things up. Rather than ‘comic book characters’ you are now treated to somewhat dodgy realistic character models, which have a certain flair, but come nowhere close to the otherwise perfect whole of the previous installment. Nonetheless, the style does grow on you, even though a disproportioned Thor is still a sight for sore eyes.
The stages themselves are okay-ish, but they never truly stand out, as they have somewhat bland background action, if any at all, and the environments feel somewhat sterile compared to the previous games, which had somewhat Street Fighter-esque backdrops with more life to them. Again, the game doesn’t really fall short on a graphical scale as a whole, it just feels a bit like a step back from the previous version, which was a colorful and enjoyable bliss.
Sound
Even though the conversations in the story mode can be a bit cheesy at times, most of the voice actors properly portray their characters, or at least do them justice. That being said, you still tend to compare the characters a lot with their live action counterparts from the barrage of superhero movies that have come out the last few years, which makes the Marvel characters a bit bland compared to the voiced Capcom characters.
The backdrop for the battles is rather uplifting, pleasant to listen to, and overall gets you in the mood to punch some digital characters in the face. The soundtrack is rather adventurous and while it feels less like the cheesy arcade soundtrack the previous games had, it suits the more realistic style just fine.
Gameplay
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is still very much a fighting game like its predecessors, albeit with a fairly big changeup in the game’s mechanics and format. Instead of 3 vs 3 battles, you’ll now have to make do with two characters on each side. Also the game revolves more around a tag battle format, rather than constantly letting your inactive character assist you in combat, making it vulnerable as well. This in a way makes the battles last a bit longer, but then again, it seems and feels as if your health gauge depletes a lot quicker compared to the previous games, making the battles shorter if your opponent doesn’t block or counter that many attacks.
The first titles all had fairly simplistic controls, especially when it came to special moves, or super moves, and Infinite is building further upon said concept. You’ll be able to perform combos by spamming a single button, which is something many may like, but weathered fans might not like these mechanics as it gives ‘noobs’ the chance to perform somewhat impressive looking combos. This combined with the Infinity Stones provides rather interesting mechanics, as your third character is replaced by one of the six stones, which all grant you new moves, and a new power-up mode. This changes the play style a tiny amount even if you tend to pick the same characters, but with a different stone. Older fans will still miss the third character, but the addition of the Infinity Stones is a fairly nice replacement.
Outside of the story mode and the multiplayer modes, you’ll also find challenges, which are basically short missions with conditions for each character, where you’ll have to pull off certain moves and combos in order to reach the clear state. Nothing overly original in the genre, but it’s a fun item for those who want to see how good they are with certain characters.
As far as the character roster goes, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite probably has the smallest roster of all games, with only 30 selectable characters. While this may sound like enough, the two on two format already diminishes the choice, and the painful absence of the X-Men characters, because Disney is being a cunt as usual, is a big negative factor for this title. We also miss a lot of characters from the previous games, that are within the universes that are allowed for the game, which makes it clear that Capcom is going for their DLC maneuver once again, trying to milk the cow further and further. For some reason they don’t understand that they always do this, and the cow is slowly starved to death with only a few droplets left in its udders.
Conclusion
Even though the series’ signature chaotic action has been downsized quite a bit, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite still very much feels like a MvC title, albeit with a graphical overhaul, simplified controls, and one less character to control per battle. While hardcore fans may be saddened that the game doesn’t stick to its roots, the game however opens up routes to new mechanics, somewhat more tactical gameplay and an interesting power-up mechanic. If you loved the previous games, but don’t mind a bit of a changeup, then you’ll certainly enjoy this one. If you would despise the game diverging from its basics, then you might want to sit this one out.
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