Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite Hands-On Impressions: Still Gonna Take You For A Ride

Some of the complaints regarding Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite are beginning to stack up. The roster isn’t nearly as loaded as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3; there’s no sign or even an acknowledgement of the legendary X-Men characters; the switch from 3-on-3 to 2-on-2 may be a little jarring for some (despite the fact the series first started with 2-on-2); and it just doesn’t look the same.

But here’s the thing – we’re lucky to have a new Marvel vs. Capcom entry at all, really. The series has been built on the strength of its fighting community, and Capcom knew that it needed something to make up for Street Fighter, so it made a stellar deal with Marvel to bring the series back by any means necessary. And the comic book licensing landscape today is different than it was three years ago – plus the company was able to publish Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for new platforms out of the deal, which speaks volumes in terms of how much it cares about the series.

So I approached Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite with an open mind. Yes, the roster is condensed. Yes, the fighting is a little different. Yes, I prefer that Dante maybe not have that much of a steely glare. But the fact of the matter is, the game is still as fun as previous entries of the series, especially when it comes to chaining together combos, bringing in tag-team tactics to keep hitting an opponent, and unleashing the power of an Infinity Stone to really change things up.

The game’s roster isn’t half bad, despite the fact that favorites like Magneto and Wolverine are missing. There are quite a few good characters here, including Jedah, who’s incredibly powerful; Ghost Rider, who’s a lot more fun than he has any right being; Firebrand, who kicks major ass with his fire breath; and, oddly enough, Thanos, a tank-like character who’s got plenty of power in his boots. So there’s a good deal of variety, despite being on the short end. (And there’s DLC coming, introducing the likes of Black Panther and others to the mix.)

Flawed? Sure. Fun? Hell Yes.

Where Infinite really gets things right is with its fighting. It still feels as natural as ever, thanks to a system that recognizes the traits of what made Vs. so spectacular to begin with. It feels utterly natural when it comes to executing special moves for each character, and even chaining together combos for multiple hits. The tag in system also feels great, as you merely hit a button to call in a partner, either for a quick strike or for a permanent tag, to bring some fresh blood to the table.

And Infinite also offers something for everyone. Like the “Easy” setting in previous games, you can set up the controls to make combos come off even simpler, so you can get the hang of the game without being a total master. And it’s optional, so if you want to play the old-fashioned way, you still can. But there’s something here for everybody.

Let’s talk Infinity Stones for a minute. Capcom has implemented these into the game in a very effective manner, as you can either use them for quick attacks, or unleash a powerful move that turns the match in your favor, whether you’re stopping time long enough to really do damage to a foe, or unleashing quick homing attacks for a few quick extra hits. These are very cool, and you should check out the effects of each one, just to see what they can do when it comes to mixing things up.

The game’s visual style has a lot of fans up in arms, because some characters, they feel, look like “poop”. (Like Chun-Li’s original art style, which has been tweaked, and Dante from DmC.) But, honestly, I still think the game looks very good, though maybe not as amazing as Ultimate. The background design is inspired, whether you’re fighting through the outskirts of a Wakanda-based city, or in a complex that resembles something ripped straight out of Thor’s world. The background design is elegant, and we’re likely to see more introduced as the game picks up speed in the fighting market.

There’s Potential For Growth Here

Speaking of speed, Infinite has this nailed down pat. It just moves at the right pace when it comes to fighting, though I would like to see a “turbo” option implemented, just to represent the kind of “speedy” brawling we’ve seen in prior Capcom releases. Sometimes people just want to get through a match early, you know?

And though the character design may not be up to snuff for everyone, the animation truly is, especially the supers, which look pretty damn good, and the Infinity Stone executions. They’re a lot of fun.

I didn’t get to hear much of the audio (it was loud on the PAX floor), but the taunts are still trademarks of the Marvel vs. Capcom series, even though some characters, like Dante, tend to overdo it a little. The nature of the game, I suppose. The music’s not bad either, representing the classic MVC series in just the right way, even if we didn’t hear anyone telling us that they’re going to take us for a ride. (Reference to Marvel vs. Capcom 2, by the way.)

Sure, Infinite does feel a little short-changed in some areas, and fans are going to stop at nothing to point this out. But I think if you step back and enjoy the core game that Capcom strained to put together here, you’ll find something suitable for your fighting needs. And who knows? A year from now, it could grow to be something just as enormous as what Ultimate was, with its add-on characters, tweaks and new additions. It could grow into the next big thing.

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I’m still eager to see what happens with Infinite, even with the competition steadily stacking against it. We’ll bring you our full review coverage when the game drops on September 19th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Currently, Amazon Prime members can save 20% when they pre-order.