Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite Review: How My Skepticism Was Proven Wrong

When Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite was announced, I was hyped. The fighting game franchise that pit heroes and villains from the pages of Marvel Comics and from the cartridges of some of Capcom’s greatest titles has always been one of my favorite in the genre.

However, that excitement slowly began to wane as the roster filled up with a lot of returning characters from Ultimate MvC3 while also missing notable staples to the franchise. The overall look of the game and its story didn’t really grab me, either.

I was no longer looking forward to what Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite had to offer, but after extensive playtime, I’m so happy to be proven wrong. Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is a blast with a surprising engaging story and enough changes to the battle system to make the gameplay feel fresh.

STORY MODE

The first big change to the MvC franchise is the introduction of a story mode. If you’ve followed the game, you’re aware that the story revolves around Sigma and Ultron aligning to take over both Marvel and Capcom worlds using the Infinity Stones, and it’s up to the respective heroes of to take them down.

I won’t go into detail on the varying story beats, but the story of MvC: Infinite is way more engaging than I figured it would be. While the opening moments of the story are choppy going between gameplay and cutscenes, once the story gets going, it really becomes fun to play and watch the different characters interact to build this mash-up world.

The storytelling isn’t like Injustice 2, but the dialogue is fun and really brings out the different characters’ personalities, especially for characters that are not as familiar.

Like many fighting game stories, Infinite’s story mode forces players to use characters they may never have chosen before and lets them get to know them in battle. Also, the ending of MvC: Infinite ’s story really lays the groundwork for the future of the franchise and makes Infinite feel like the first part of a long saga. It’s a great start, but all eyes will be on Capcom to see how the storytelling evolves in the next MvC game.

ROSTER/DLC

The roster of Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite needs to be addressed. A big part of fighting games is its roster and whether it can find a balance between returning/fan-favorite characters and brand-new ones.

Infinite has 30 characters in the base roster, which is pretty substantial. However, it’s a shame that Capcom/Marvel decided to reintroduce many characters from past games, especially when staples like Wolverine and Doctor Doom aren’t a part of Infinite.

Twenty-four characters return from Ultimate MvC 3 and while the DLC will bring in six brand-new fighters, the paywall they’re locked behind is discouraging.

On the brightside, no two characters play the same and even the returning characters have been reworked to feel fresh.

Nova was one of the coolest-looking characters in Ultimate MvC 3 , but he wasn’t fun to play. In MvC: Infinite , Nova feels faster, his movements feel more fluid and now he’s one of my early favorites. Seeing the changes to older characters almost makes them feel brand new…..almost.

BATTLING/GAMEPLAY

It was never in doubt that MvCI will bring the franchise’s staple high-energy fighting. But what I was interested in seeing was how Infinite would change up the battling and gameplay to feel fresh.

The Infinity Stones implemented in battle replace the X-Factor from MvC 3 and the fighting is much better for it. While the X-Factor was the same for every character, giving a boost in power and speed, there are six different Infinity Stones that have varying effects and will change the strategies of players on both sides.

Each Infinity Stone have some very overpowered effects (as Infinity Stones should), varying from launching projectiles to phasing through opponents, and it’s been fun mixing and matching Infinity Stones with teams to create my own strategies and battle plans.

Another change in Infinite are two-man teams as opposed to three-man teams. MvC was built on these two-man teams and it really does help newer players acclimate and focus only on learning two characters instead of three. It also makes fights shorter, which may not seem like a good thing, but it’s great when playing Online and through the Arcade Mode.

As for the technical aspect of fighting in Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite , it feels like your typical MvC but the team switching and assists feel different. You can still chain combos by switching or launch devastating super attacks, but no longer does it feel like there are endless combos —either that or the difficulty to perform these 50-hit combos has been cranked up, which could reward players who put in the time to learn elaborate combos.

Newcomers to Marvel vs Capcom may feel overwhelmed by this, but the inputs are rather simple and it’s easy to learn combos and special attacks. It’s especially helpful that the Missions mode teaches players how to use each character, including some complex combos that even veteran players may have trouble completing.

VERDICT

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is so much fun to play that it pushed away any bad impressions I had going in, especially with the lackluster roster. The controls are fluid and while the roster brings a lot of older characters back, they are reworked and feel almost like totally different fighters.

What’s more, the Story Mode is engaging and lays a solid foundation for what the MvC franchise will be moving forward and I’m excited for the future. Players have plenty to do with the Story, and difficult Arcade and Mission modes. Online matches work well and the option to play Ranked or Casual will help encourage new players to try their hands at some online play.

If you were skeptical about Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite like I was, don’t be. It’s a blast to play and it’s a must-own for fighting game fans.