Marvel has been dabbling in fighting video games since the 1980s, but the one title that solidified their presence in the genre is 1998’s Marvel vs Capcom (MVC). In that same year, Arc System Works (ArcSys) released its first Guilty Gear, which spawned a cult following that would eventually fuel the success of Guilty Gear Strive in 2021, and in 2026, both will finally collide.
No one then would have expected Sony PlayStation to unite these parallels in a title like Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, with combat fuelled by the quirky, almost avant-garde, and beautifully colourful charm of ArcSys’ Guilty Gear-esque game design, mixed in with the icons of Marvel Comics. The reveal took Marvel enthusiasts and the fighting games community (FGC) by surprise, even as it brought about high anticipation from fans, as the game’s roster trailers to date are gifts that keep on giving.
Essentially a 4v4 2.5D fighter that pits Earth’s mightiest heroes and villains against each other, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls places players in control of a primary character, with up to three assist fighters who can be swapped out and individually controlled, but each quartet’s victory or loss is determined by a single health bar.
The latest character reveal now brings the game roster to a robust 20, while our recent hands-on preview of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls brings 14 to the table, offering a first-hand opportunity to explore combat with Magneto and Black Panther in focus.
FGC veterans are well aware that these two characters are not new to Marvel’s slate of fighting games. Most notably, Magneto has been a staple, especially for MVC fans, where they’ll muse on his infamous and oppressive rush-down mix-ups that require precise button inputs and impeccable timing.
Thankfully, this is hardly the case in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. To make combat more accessible for every character in the game, the R1 button serves as an anchor for beginners to easily execute complex moves. While Magneto’s zoning-rush-down archetype is still present, where leaving magnetic debris (dubbed ‘Magnetic Meteor’) across the arena sets up longer combos, newcomers can choose to utilise the debris as projectiles or mines by combining specific, singular directional buttons with R1. This allows them to focus more on strategic zoning rather than getting the button inputs correct.
On the other end, those bold enough for advanced play are free to strive for correct actual command inputs, which deal more damage and lengthen combos with an “extra skill version” of the moves. Either way, achieving combos of more than 10 consecutive hits is easy and flashy, which strengthens the game’s design philosophy, where fun and freedom to express specific combos take centre stage.
Although Black Panther made his debut as T’Challa, a close-range brawler, in Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite (2017), players in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls would play as Shuri, who relies more on defence and reach. This Black Panther rocks a spear that she can constantly throw and poke at from a distance, and the more she utilises the spear, the more she fills up her special Bast’s Blessing gauge that can lead to offensive playstyles and “all-out attacks”.
The superheroine is also able to charge up her vibranium armour, granting her the ‘armoured’ status, which allows her to ‘power through’ her moves and execute them without flinching even if she gets hit.
Characters like Danger and Peni Parker are also accessible during the preview. Danger brings loads of fun for zoners as her “Caliberate” move produces nodes near opponents that transform the ways her projectiles manifest, from reflecting lasers and hitting enemies from the back to generating larger explosions for her rockets. Peni Parker, meanwhile, is like Guilty Gear Strive’s Faust, relying on random throwables and gadgets that add variety and chaos to combos.
Much has also been accomplished to make the matches more engaging. Animations are tighter and punchier, and there is an endless myriad of team names which accommodate your choice of four characters in the roster. Choosing Storm, Wolverine, Magik, and Danger will form the “Unbreakable X-Men”, but swap Magik with Peni Parker and you’ll perhaps get a team called “Cybernetic Mutants,” bringing flavour to player choice and customisation.
Although the bulk of the characters are already accessible, the game’s final build leaves much to be explored and experienced with its 20-character roster (or more, if ArcSys chooses to spring a surprise). We still have characters like Blade, Deadpool, Loki, and more to look forward to playing, while a year-one Character & Stage Pass has promised four additional new characters and a new stage.
Separately, the preview session also gave a glimpse (we weren’t allowed to try it out) of PlayStation’s proprietary FlexStrike wireless fight stick, which supports the PlayStation Link dongle and will come with a dedicated case and strap. Since a hands-on experience with the device was unavailable, we’re unable to share our thoughts on its performance and compatibility.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will be released for PlayStation 5 and PC on 6 August in tandem with the FlexStrike wireless fight stick.
Crack open a cold one with Joey, because the moment you approach him, he will start talking about film and video games for days. He spends his waking moments during the weekends meditating on how the latest movie he’s watched or game he’s played has impacted his worldview.
Kevin Low
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