There was a huge fear among fighting game fans that Capcom’s crossover fighter would never return.
Years after Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s initial launch, hardcore members of the FGC played it extensively. When news came that Capcom had lost the rights to Marvel’s characters due to Disney acquiring Marvel in 2009, all hope seemed to be lose for a MVC sequel. But the biggest shock of all came during the 2016 PlayStation Experience. A debut trailer for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite blew everyone’s heads off once Mega Man X, Ryu, Captain Marvel and Iron Man graced the big screen. While the fan response to MVCI has been less that stellar at times, there’s still a ton of fans out there who can’t wait to participate in the game’s 2v2 madness.
To get you all up to speed on Capcom’s next crossover fighter, here’s a facts guide on the next installment within the “Vs.” series.
1. There’s Going be a More Dedicated Effort to Make This Fighter’s Story Mode More Worthwhile
It was quite disappointing to see that Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s promise of an engrossing story mode went unfulfilled. What was offered was a simple Arcade Mode that threw random teams at the player that was followed up by a big boss encounter against Galactus. After defeating him, all you were treated to was a comic book stylized ending for the character that was the one to defeat Galactus. The way the plot will unfold in MVCI will be more in line with the big cinematic presentation featured in NetherRealm’s fighters (Mortal Kombat X, Injustice 2).
So MVCI’s story goes like this: Ultron (Marvel) and Sigma (Capcom, Mega Man X) decide to align with each other and eventually fuse their powers in order to eliminate all biological life. The mega powerful Ultron Sigma merges Marvel and Capcom’s universes into a single dimension and fights to control it with a cybernetic virus. Heroes from both worlds are forced to band together in order to collect the remaining Infinity Stones in order to defeat Ultron Sigma. Along with that massive threat, the combined alliance of Marvel and Capcom’s heroes have to contend with other villains such as Jedah (he’s focused on unleashing the power of the Symbiote alien organism on the new merged world).
Capcom
Capcom made sure to break down every offline and online mode that will be present in MVCI. You can read up on all that info below. Also make sure to check out all the trailers posted here to get a gist of how the Story Mode will unfold:
Offline Modes and Features:
– Story: puts players at the center of a fierce battle as heroes from both universes come together to stop Ultron Sigma, the combined form of two robotic villains.
– Arcade: recreates the classic arcade experience. Keep winning to move forward and confront the final boss in an epic showdown of skills.
– Mission: players can do various tutorial missions, or try their hand at advanced character-specific challenges.
– Training: set up a training area with various parameters and hone skills to improve fighting abilities.
– Vs. Player 2: go head-to-head against another player locally.
– Vs. CPU: play solo against an AI-controlled opponent.
– Collection: the Dr. Light Database contains numerous unlockable items, including cut scenes from the story mode, character/stage information, concept artwork and character/stage audio tracks.
Online Modes and Features:
– Ranked Match: battle other players online to advance in the rankings.
– Casual Match: battle other players online without the results affecting the rankings.
– Beginners League: a special league fought between players of Rank 14 or lower.
– Lobby: search for or create a lobby where up to 8 players can engage in simultaneous player-vs-player matches.
– Rankings: view the rankings of players from all over the world.
– Replay Settings: configure replay settings and view replays.
2. The Battles Have Been Taken Back to a 2v2 Format; Creating Your Own Assists & Using Infinity Stones Changes up the Mechanics
The biggest changes to MVCI relates to its visual style and renewed focus on a 2v2 format. Putting a team together now means players will have to understand the synergy it’ll take to pull off flashy combos with just two members. Call-in assists are no longer present (although technically, Ultron can still pull those off), but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The free form mechanics within this fighter are referred to as the “Active Switch” system, which lets you switch between your characters at any time. This means you can bring in your partner right in the middle of super moves or other normal/special attacks. What’s even cooler is the new “Counter Switch” maneuver, which allows you to tag in your partner while your current character is being attacked by your opponent. This presents players with the chance to counterattack and save their partner from dying due to a devastating combo.
Another big part of the game’s mechanics is the return of the Infinity Stones from Marvel Super Heroes. Before jumping into battle, you’ll be asked to select an Infinity Stone for your team. Each stone’s powers are lifted from a certain element – Power, Mind, Soul, Time, Space and Reality. These stones provide your team with an “Infinity Surge” attack and a super move known as the “Infinity Storm.” Click on each of the elements listed beforehand to get a thorough explanation of what they can do.
3. The Marvel Side Brings Back Some Old Favorites and New Faces, But No X-Men are Present…
Fans who’ve been playing Capcom’s superhero crossover fighters since the beginning have gotten used to seeing certain members appear in every entry. Fan favorites such as Wolverine, Storm, Magneto and other X-Men have been an integral part of each game’s massive roster. Due to the issues stemming from Marvel and Fox’s rights battle over the use of certain characters, X-Men characters and members of the Fantastic Four are expected not to show up in MVCI (sadly…).
The Marvel side of the roster still features a number of standout heroes and villains. It’s pretty easy to see that a lot of the roster decisions have been impacted by the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Refer to the list below to see who’ll be joining the fight against Ultron Sigma (click on any of their names to see a gameplay breakdown of them):
– Black Panther (2017 Character Pass DLC)
– Black Widow (2017 Character Pass DLC)
– Captain America
– Captain Marvel
– Doctor Strange
– Dormammu
– Gamora
– Ghost Rider
– Hawkeye
– Hulk
– Iron Man
– Nova
– Rocket Raccoon
– Spider-Man
– Thanos
– Thor
– Ultron
– Venom (2017 Character Pass DLC)
– Winter Soldier (2017 Character Pass DLC)
4. Capcom’s Roster Also Comprises of Returning Characters and Fresh Additions
As for the Capcom side of things, a lot of returning members are ready for battle once again. Series regulars such as Ryu, Chun-Li and Strider will now be joined by newcomers such as Mega Man X, Sigma and Jedah Dogma. Check out the list below to see who’ll be representing the Capcom side of MVCI (click on any one of their names to see what they can do in battle):
– Arthur (Ghosts ‘n Goblins)
– Chris Redfield (Resident Evil 5)
– Chun-Li (Street Fighter II)
– Dante (Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening)
– Firebrand (Ghosts ‘n Goblins)
– Frank West (Dead Rising)
– Jedah Dohma (Darkstalkers 3)
– Mega Man X (Mega Man X)
– Mike Haggar (Final Fight)
– Monster Hunter (Monster Hunter; 2017 Character Pass DLC)
– Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers)
– Nemesis (Resident Evil: Nemesis)
– Nathan Spencer (2009’s Bionic Commando)
– Ryu (Street Fighter)
– Sigma (Mega Man X; 2017 Character Pass DLC)
– Strider Hiryu (Strider)
– Zero (Mega Man X)
5. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Offers up Bonus DLC Costumes With Every Edition
MVCI is being offered up in three different editions – Standard, Digital Deluxe and Collector’s. Each edition’s pre-order bonus comes in the form of a special costume pack that features alternate outfits for Ryu, Mega Man X, Hulk and Thor. This means anyone who pre-orders the game will get access to Evil Ryu, Command Mission X, Gladiator Hulk and Warrior Thor.
Capcom
PS4 owners of the game will get an exclusive costume of their own – Captain Marvel’s Major Carol Danvers. If you choose to get the Digital Deluxe Edition, you’ll get access to MVCI along with the 2017 Season Pass that gives you six extra characters. The physical version of the Deluxe Edition also provides all of that plus an exclusive Steelbook case. To see everything that comes included with the Collector’s Edition, check out the picture seen above and description posted below:
– Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite: Physical Deluxe Edition
– Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite: 2017 Character Pass
– Four premium character dioramas of Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Mega Man X and Chun-Li
– A case filled with six Infinity Stone replicas
– Premium Packaging
Buy Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite here.
Buy the Digital Deluxe Edition of Marvel vs. Capcom here.
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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know