Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (version reviewed), PC
Genre: 2D Fighting, Tag Fighter, Superhero, Anime Fighter

There comes a time when a new video game company, one specializing in fighting games, has to take up the mantle of the Marvel fighter title. Capcom had their many chances -so many since the 90s and the X-Men fighters of yore- and their last attempt in 2017 was so dire and middling that a dedicated fighting game group of six people alongside a popular content creator who loves the genre to death had to improve it on their own.

Leave it to a renowned team like Arc System Works to steer the reins and make their own fighting game using the (sorta) beloved Marvel superhero license to a proper direction, and giving it a unique name: Marvel Tokon – Fighting Souls. ASW’s take on the superhero versus game is a four-person tag-team fighting title that channels a bit of the spirit of past Marvel-laced 2D tag fighters while also being its own beast. One that’s anime-sharpened, plays really well, is packed with a good amount of casual and competitive content, and full of “sauce” as the kids call it.

One which comes with some caveats (which we’ll get to, count on it), but by and large this will be the next big thing in superhero fighting games. 

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls pits the comic book brand’s biggest and newest superheroes against each other in versus 2D fighting combat. Players pick their favourite superheroes, mutants, anti-heroes, and villains in teams of 4, with one lead and three assists whom you can tag out during a fight, or just call out as assist attacks to help cover you. Unlike other tag team fighters, everyone in the team shares a life bar. So when you tag someone out while you’re at half health, your bar remains as such.

In fact, this “tag fighter” can accommodate those who want just to master one character while having the other three as assists to cover that hero’s blind spots. Besides, you don’t start out with 4 characters at the start: you have to “Assemble” your team by “wall-crashing” your opponents, pushing them to the corner while amassing more friends to add to your barrage of assists. Failing that, losing a round in a match nets the loser a full team to even out the odds, forcing the winning team to be a bit more aggressive and incentives to crash them through walls. 

This structure is rather unique. Not only does it makes you take more offensive stances and reward aggressive playstyles , but the “one character focus” helps lower the barrier of entry for the tag fighter genre, so you can actually get by with just learning up to two characters. Granted, it is more optimal to learn all four characters in a team and switch between them back-and-forth mid-match, but that’s mostly for high-level play and if you’re the sweaty kind who cares about higher ranks.

As far as accessibility goes, this structure works especially with how the buttons are laid out and how loose and less strict the button and motion inputs are. In fact, you are encouraged to use the Quick Skill inputs especially for some high-level long strings that require a lot of inputs; shortcuts are welcome in this day and age. As a result, the game lets you pick up characters at your own pace without overwhelming you with a barrage of mechanics like other similar titles like Invincible and 2XKO. 

Speaking of which, said characters you get to fight as include Captain America, Wolverine, Doctor Doom, Spider-Man and/or his nemesis The Green Goblin, or even the in-vogue blonde Russian baddie Magik, a mutant who can summon stepping disc teleporters and uses dark arts while frequenting Marvel’s version of the underworld- comics are weird. Each of the 21 characters you get to play as are incredibly unique in their skillset and kit, with gimmicks that range from easy-to-use to pretty-tough-unless-you-have-loads-of-time difficulty.

Some heroes are simple to pick up like the new-gen heroine Ms. Marvel with her stretchy limbs and mid-distance-dominating normals, to The Green Goblin who can summon his glider either as a temporary assist or as an airborne ride that grants him new moves and shenanigans. My favourite picks include Ghost Rider (the Robbie Reyes working man one) who has a gauge that makes his long-reaching special moves go faster and powered-up if kept to a certain limit, and Carnage who can place parasitic bombs on his opponents with his Unique Skill, then trigger them manually with his special moves and leaving him at an advantage to pressure his victims.

In any case, the 21 characters offer a lot of diverse playstyles to mix and match for your four-person team, with each of them offering different assist attacks when called and having their own pluses and quirks in a fight. In other words, loads of experimentation and sorting out what kind of hero caters to your playstyle. Favour rushdown over defense? Just use Spider-Man, Black Panther, and a few others who can cover their bases. Prefer tanks that blast through offensive barrage and projectiles from zoners? Just pick Hulk and use his armoured M-strength moves to get in and bully your opponents with highs and lows. 

For veterans of tag fighting games: this title is similar in fighting mechanics and style to ASW’s 2018 title Dragon Ball FighterZ, but with the shared lifebar, additional free defensive and assemble mechanics, and obvious Marvel aesthetics. If you favour that sort of fighting game style, you’ll feel right at home and even cherish at this new iteration of it.

Amazing Fantasy

Of course, the obligatory offline Versus Mode and online play (casual, Ranked, open lobby, and so forth) are not the only gameplay option on offer in this triple-A package. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has a slew of single-player and offline modes that definitely cater to those who aren’t completely in a competitive mood. The game’s story mode is divided into 5 Episodes, each focusing on a different team ranging from the X-Men to Doctor Doom’s motley squad of killers and freaks. The plotlines are done up by renowned comic-writer-slash-games-journalist Kieron Gillen, with art by a slew of talent like comic book legend Mike Deodato Jr. and international star Hiro Mashima of Fairy Tail fame.

As far as a standalone Marvel superhero storyline goes, they’re all entertaining and do flesh out the motives and characterizations of each team’s point person. Unfolding in motion comic book form, you’ll get a hoot out of not only how these Marvel characters are portrayed -Doctor Doom and Ghost Rider being my personal favourites- but also at the many easter eggs and cameos. Comic book fans will be astonished at how ASW handle these tales. 

Other than that, you can also get the gist of each hero’s gimmick and unique playstyle through the character lessons option, or even the game’s fighting mechanics with the extensive tutorial on tap. If you rather test your skills and endurance, there are always the combo trials that gifts you with extra colours if you complete them all, or even the Survival Mode that has you fighting a 100 (or more) fighters in a row, equipping buffs and perks along the way while facing ever-mounting challenges. The Arcadia Rumble mode lets you play as chibi avatars of Marvel characters and play a bunch of minigames that test your reflexes and even improve your timing for certain counter mechanics in a real 4v4 fight.

There’s even the All-Star Arena mode where you pick a team of your choosing and go through different fights to unlock artworks and bonuses depending on the path you take on a hexagonal-laid map. In short, there’s a lot of replayability for those who just want to muck around in single-player mode. 

And this also goes without saying based on the screenshots you’ve seen on this review, but this game is a beauty to witness and behold. Arc System Works spared no expense in Marvel Tokon’s production and art, with characters moving and playing like their comic book-slash-movie counterpart while also getting that unique anime glow-up that the company is renowned for. Every character’s designs from the roster to even the side ones in the backgrounds and Episodes mode are a joy to see in motion. That goes double for the soundtrack too: from death metal(Carnage) to sentai hard rock anthems (Ghost Rider), to even J-Pop (Peni Parker), pop rock-and-sitar hybrid (Ms. Marvel) and violin-orchestra-guitars mash-up ballads (Storm), it’s an earwig-fest for fighting game and comic book-slash-anime fans.

‘Nuff Said

With a plethora of features, immaculate art style & sounds, huge love & respect of the source material from Arc System Works, and a solid fighting game engine that caters to both beginners and expert, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is a triumph. Pro players will find a lot of replay value and high-level matches here when they keep an open mind. Even the most jaded and stubborn of tag fighters will admit that there’s a lot of “sauce” and depth in the devs’ take on Marvel superheroes. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is clearly its own brand of tag fighter, one made by veterans who have had experience making and improving upon the high-level genre so that it’s fun for all.

It’s a shame that the game is (sorta) exclusive to PlayStation, a company so adamant on disowning its physical media heritage in favour of pure digital online future. One that even can’t keep its online infrastructure stable & protected unlike Valve’s Steam commitment & structure.

The other elephant I need to bring up is the PC version: it runs like ass. The PC port of Marvel Tokon is unoptimized, filled to the brim with anti-cheat and anti-DRM loaders that affect the game’s performance, and stutters like crazy. PS5 players who fight against PC players via crossplay are not going to have a good smooth time duking it out among one another.

Long story short: shame on those who compromised the PC version with these under-the-hood issues. Feel free to dock 40 or more points off the bottom score if you’re planning on getting the PC version. A big company making a polished title like this should know better than to release unoptimized slop.

Despite the publisher’s attempt at sabotaging its own loyal fanbase in favour of a myopic vision that rather feeds its bottom line instead of respecting its audience, it doesn’t change the fact that Marvel and Arc System Works have a veritable fighting game hit on their hands. We are indeed relishing in a new age of tag(esque) fighters; one that is well-presented, plays very well and is designed for both newbies and pros in mind, and is a treat for comic book and/or anime fans.

Pros

• Amazing aesthetics & style.
• Good chunk of single-player content.
• Offense-heavy fighting mechanics that both casuals and hardcore players can get into.
• Diverse roster of characters with unique skillsets & kits.
• Loads of love for Marvel fans & anime enthusiasts.

Cons

• High-level fights can get VERY messy.
• Crossplay & network issues.
• PC version has issues.
• PlayStation’s current stance on digital-over-physical gaming.

Final Score: 90/100*

*Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is available on August 6 for PC and PlayStation 5. Do note that the game’s publisher Sony & PlayStation are pushing an all-digital future without being upfront about its limits. PS5 downloads can’t be played from USB, and expanding storage requires an expensive NVMe SSD. Digital games are licenses, not true ownership. Physical discs preserve choice, competition, and ownership. 

Also do note that Marvel Tōkon is currently blocked in over 130 countries on PC because it requires a linked PlayStation Network (PSN) account, which is restricted in those areas.