Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is exactly what I want from a superhero fighting game. I want it to be energetic. I want it to be packed with familiar faces and lesser-known characters. Most importantly, I want it to be developed by Arc System Works, the developer behind Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ. My dream is finally coming true, and with Doomsday right around the corner, it’s arriving at the perfect time – and at the perfect price.
There’s nothing like learning new combos and going from being pretty bad to kinda bad in the best fighting games. It’s become a routine of mine: buy one, play it until I can win a match one time out of 10, then feel proud of myself. I may not be good, but at least I’m finally getting it. When Marvel Tokon was first revealed, I could feel my childhood excitement return, and now I’m waiting with my hands in a fighting game stance on my gamepad.
What I love about what we’ve seen so far is the approach Arc System Works is taking with these beloved characters. Each design has been transformed to match a Japanese style while still capturing the soul of characters like Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, and the villainous Doctor Doom. The tag-team aspect lets you pick your favorites in an all-out brawl, like watching your action figures fight it out in an intense match.
The gameplay looks energetic, delivering much of what I expected from the collaboration between Marvel and Arc System Works. While it doesn’t capture the same sleek, anime-style aesthetic as Dragon Ball FighterZ, it does look like a comic book brought to life, with a 2.5D style that will hopefully appeal to those waiting endlessly for another Marvel vs. Capcom entry, also known as suckers like me.
We’ve still got some time until the game releases, but if you’re looking to get a Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Steam key at a discount before launch, you can preorder the game for just $53.99 with Fanatical – that’s 10% off the list price, meaning you’ll pay less than those buying it directly through Steam while getting the same experience.
If you see me in any of your matches in the coming weeks, please go easy on me. I love fighting games, but they don’t like me, so let me win at least one round, okay?
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.