Many themes run through Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, but “partnership” is on point. Capcom is working closely with editors from Marvel Comics to form a world that truly feels like a combination of the best of both - for example, in Avengers Tower, instead of the infamous Jarvis, Tony Stark communes with a Dr. Light artificial intelligence.
Partnership extends beyond the story and sets and into the battles. Infinite pairs teams of two, a departure from the Versus tradition of three-person squads. In place of a third spandex-clad anchor, you take one of the six Infinity Stones into the fight. Each of the Stones gives your team access to all new attacks and effects, acting almost like the third member of your squad. The Infinity Stones give the ability to create space between you and an enemy, explore new combo options, increase your damage or speed, and more. For example, the Time gem allows your fighters to dash around the screen, coaxing mobility from even the slowest and most cumbersome of the cast, and when fully charged, it infuses your heroes with speed that bend the rules of what the mechanics allow. The versatility presented by the Stones means that gone are the days of ignoring characters that might be your favorites from comics or other games simply because they don’t synergize with your team or their weaknesses are hard to overcome. Now, choose two fighters you think are cool and get to work.
Above: Check out the first gameplay trailer for Infinite, featuring Chun-Li, The Hulk, Hawkeye, and Ultron.
The goal to make Infinite accessible for broad demographics of both casual fans and FGC die-hards was apparent.
I found my mind already calculating new combos in just my short time with Infinite. Versus diehards are going to quickly realize there’s a lot to “lab” here. Dirty mix-ups made possible by various combinations of characters and Infinity Stones left me shaking my head and grinning like an idiot at the potential for shenanigans. That’s not to say Infinite is for only the faithful. Care has been taken to make the action accessible to newer folks whose interest may be piqued by the exploding popularity of the Marvel film franchises. A simple, one-button combo system is available from the moment you touch the sticks, which allowed me to come out of the gate swinging. I found the transition from these basic elements into the game’s more intermediate and advanced mechanics to be smooth. The goal to make Infinite accessible for broad demographics of both casual fans and FGC die-hards was apparent.
Marvel’s partnership with Capcom is also evident in changes to the heroes themselves. Returning Marvel Comics icons feel similar to their appearances in previous Versus games, but most have been tweaked to more accurately represent the Marvel Cinematic versions we have come to know. Captain America’s shield is a more prominent feature of his arsenal, letting him deflect projectiles. He can bounce it off the walls, ceiling, and floors to Pearl Harbor opponents from behind. Hulk can jump from the walls of the screen and leap across the stage like a terrifying green wrecking ball. If you’ve never played Marvel vs. Capcom, these Avengers will still look and feel familiar to you. If you’re a series veteran, the changes make sense and infuse the characters with freshness that makes them unique to Infinite.
Above: Dig this story trailer for Infinite, which shows you the campaign's primary enemy.
When combined with Infinity Stone powers, the offensive options are vast.
Using partnership to drive evolution was something Capcom made sure to point out as they introduced Infinite to me. You can see it in some innovative and radically different approaches to familiar mechanics. I was shown how characters can now freely “tag” their partner at any time, even when in the air or during a long animation, setting up nasty tricks and sneaky offense. Strider can summon a slow-moving droid, tag out, and his partner can use it for cover. Iron Man can use Proton Cannon to lock down a blocking opponent while Captain America tags in to dash behind them or Hulk lumbers in to start charging his slow-building unblockable punch. Free tags also extend combos in a dramatic number of ways. When combined with Infinity Stone powers, the offensive options are vast.
Marvel and Capcom both exist in rich universes with scores of adored characters, and it always seemed natural to pair the two. Infinite pulls that partnership front and center, using it as the inspiration for an original story drawing together both worlds in a shared universe and to help the Versus series evolve. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be thinking of new ridiculous tech and waxing up my curly mustache.
Darry Huskey has been fortunate to write about, talk about, and live stream some great Marvel moments. You can follow him on Twitter @darryh.
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