Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite Review – Written by Jose Vega
Purchased product for the sake of review.
Marvel & Capcom… they are two different companies that have one thing in common: a franchise where many of their franchise’s best duke it out against each other. In 2011, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was released. Though it had a pretty positive reception, it wasn’t enough and the series would enter hibernation. Marvel was under the grip of Disney and before long, Disney would get involved making games of their own, only to call it quits after Disney Infinity bit the dust. Five years later, it was announced that Marvel and Capcom would be back at it again with a new entry into the Versus series. The game in question was Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite. Now that it has been released, does this game hold up to the hype?
The plot for Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite involves Ultron Sigma using the Reality and Space Stones to merge the worlds of Marvel and Capcom together. This creates a world where he is ruler but a legion of heroes from both Marvel and Capcom worlds unite to not only defeat Ultron Sigma but also find a way to undo and restore their respective worlds.
Many previous entries didn’t have much of a plot but this is the first time in the series where the plot takes precedence. Sadly I feel that it isn’t as interesting. Capcom had hyped the game’s story as being the main focal point. All it did sadly was only damage the overall presentation, especially when the demo was released a few months back. Compared to the final version it isn’t as much helpful and though it did improve when it came to the character models, having something that wasn’t as good in the beginning only serves to hurt the game, not help it. If anyone likes the story, more power to them. However I believe that a story had to be made in response to Netherealm’s games like Mortal Kombat and Injustice having story modes that provide a lot.
Gameplay has always been the Versus series’ strong point and this is no exception. Going back to basics, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite is a 2-on-2 fighting game where you choose two characters and then duke it out either with the computer or online against other players. It also is a 4-button fighter with 2 punches & 2 kicks respectively, similar to Marvel vs. Capcom 2. One noticeable feature is the Infinity Stones, brought back from Marvel Super Heroes. They provide a nifty addition by adding an advantage that can change how your team handles the battlefield. By pressing either the left or both shoulder buttons, you can activate an Infinity Surge for a quick effect or go full throttle with an Infinity Storm after filling up your Infinite meter. This adds a lot of variety to the game, as each of the six Infinity Stones offers different effects. You have a choice of up to 30 different characters to choose from. More than half of the cast is from the previous game and unfortunately it hurts the overall game. You have new characters such as Mega Man X, Jedah, Gamora, Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) and some that are coming down the line as DLC but I feel pretty disappointed that the roster is lackluster. Simply lackluster.
The game does offer a lot and compared to Street Fighter V, at least that’s better than having a barebones product. You have your traditional arcade and versus modes but there’s also Story. Story Mode will take you probably 2-3 hours to complete, more if players plan to do it in a higher difficulty. Mission Mode is back from Marvel 3 and it offers players a set of challenges they need to complete with each character. Online mode is also included with ranked and player matches. Players can also set up lobbied where up to eight players can play against each other. Interestingly, up to four games can happen in a lobby at once. It’s pretty cool. Compared to SFV, this game really offers a lot for your money’s worth and if you have friends then you’ll have a fun time. Also the game has an Easy Combo System that you can thankfully turn off in the options menu. It’s a neat addition for newcomers to get into the game without having to worry about anything complex. It also applies for Easy Hyper Combos as well, which like I mentioned can be turned off.
Though it has many positives, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite has many things that hurt the game. The presentation isn’t that great. Character models may look good but most of the time, they feel off. Compared to the demo where they looked real hideous in some cases, I am happy that Capcom took the liberty to improve on the models after much feedback. The story isn’t as great and can sometimes be real jarring. Since story had been focused on a lot, it also means there are no arcade endings. A bummer. Music is also a bit forgetful. Many of the tracks don’t seem to hook you compared to previous titles and though the game uses techno, it doesn’t click. I mentioned that the roster was lackluster. Several well-known characters such as Wolverine, Magneto and others aren’t in the game. This is mostly due to legal stuff behind the scenes between Marvel/Disney and Fox over the film rights. It’s upsetting that they aren’t in and I can understand why but on the other hand, all of this is just one big advertisement for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Another big nitpick is DLC and it seems Capcom hasn’t learned their lesson from Street Fighter V. Unlike SFV, this issue is minor at best. There is DLC in the game and it comprises of six new characters as well as some alternate costumes. A season pass for this can be purchased but I feel that their business model will only do more harm than good for the overall game. Made no better that the game has a $90 deluxe edition and a $200 collector’s edition that is outright poor. It didn’t help that the game had pretty poor PR especially with Peter “Combofiend” Ross as well as Pete Rosas and Michael Evans saying stuff like characters are functions or saying that there’s no X-Men because fans don’t remember them. It’s poor PR on not just Capcom’s part but also Marvel and Disney. No wonder the game had controversy from the get-go.
Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite isn’t a bad game. It truthfully isn’t. The game has really good gameplay, addicting if you put the time and effort into it. However great gameplay doesn’t equal a great game if the overall presentation is lackluster. A poor roster of familiar faces with little new appearances, a story that doesn’t seem to grip you in, questionable choices behind the scenes and you get a recipe for disaster. Should you buy this game at full price? Absolutely not. Wait for a price drop or better yet, wait till Capcom releases a complete edition for this. Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite may be a game that would get the series out of hibernation but it’s not the game we’re looking for.
I give Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite a 5 out of 10. You want a fighting game that feels like Marvel vs. Capcom but plays well? Wait for Dragon Ball Fighter Z.
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