MARVEL Tōkon: Preventing Souls was offered by PlayStation for evaluate. Thanks!
In relation to 2D anime fighters, few names carry as a lot weight as Arc System Works (ArcSys). Over the a long time, the Japanese studio has established itself as one of many trade’s giants, delivering a number of the style’s most recognizable and mechanically wealthy combating video games by means of franchises like Responsible Gear and BlazBlue, whereas additionally bringing its signature type to large licensed properties with video games like Dragon Ball FighterZ.
However MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls represents one thing a lot larger. Teaming up with Sony Interactive Leisure and Marvel Video games, Arc System Works has rolled up its sleeves for what is well some of the formidable tasks within the studio’s historical past: a full-scale AAA Marvel combating recreation. With an infinite license behind it, Sony’s backing, and a developer that has spent a long time mastering the style, expectations had been understandably sky-high.
And after spending a substantial period of time throwing arms with Marvel’s best, there’s one massive query left to reply: does MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls dwell as much as these expectations? In some methods, sure, however in others, it falters.
At its core, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls looks like a contemporary non secular successor to the legendary Marvel vs. Capcom sequence, taking the chaotic team-based components that outlined these video games and reimagining it by means of Arc System Works’ personal design philosophy. It is a fast-paced 4v4 tag fighter that places a heavy emphasis on staff synergy, assists, and explosive offensive strain.
That Marvel vs. Capcom DNA is straight away obvious, however Tōkon is not merely making an attempt to recreate it. Assists could be essential to your offense to increase combos, keep strain, or cowl an unsafe method, whereas tagging between fighters permits your complete staff to grow to be a part of a single offensive sequence. There’s additionally loads of Dragon Ball FighterZ in its blood, notably in how Arc System Works encourages aggressive motion, lengthy combo conversions, and assists that may flip small openings into prolonged sequences involving a number of characters.
Tōkon begins to carve out an identification of its personal by means of its uncommon method to the normal tag components. 4 fighters could seem on every staff, however they don’t seem to be merely 4 separate well being bars ready to be cycled by means of. Your squad shares a single well being pool, and entry to your teammates evolves all through the match by means of the Meeting system. As extra of your staff enters the combat, your offensive prospects develop with them, regularly turning what begins as a comparatively targeted confrontation into the type of splendidly chaotic Marvel spectacle you’d count on from having eight superheroes throwing arms on the identical stage.
The shared well being pool was really one of many mechanics that originally excited me essentially the most. On paper, it appeared like a genuinely totally different method to the normal tag fighter components, and I used to be curious to see how Arc System Works would construct a complete 4v4 system round it. Sadly, after spending extra time with the sport, it grew to become certainly one of my greatest points with Tōkon.
In conventional tag fighters, swapping characters is not nearly bringing one other moveset onto the display. Managing recoverable well being, pulling an injured fighter out of hazard, and deciding when to sacrifice strain to allow them to recuperate create a complete strategic layer round tagging. Tōkon’s shared well being pool successfully removes that decision-making altogether. There is no such thing as a wounded teammate to guard or recovering character you are desperately making an attempt to maintain on the bench, as a result of each hit finally comes out of the identical useful resource.
Because of this, I hardly ever felt inspired to consider my staff as 4 particular person fighters that I wanted to rigorously rotate all through a match. As an alternative, teammates typically felt extra like extra offensive sources to name upon, shifting the main focus closely towards spamming assists fairly than significant character administration. For me, that strips away a lot of the creativity, rigidity, and tactical decision-making that make tag fighters so satisfying within the first place. It is actually totally different, however sadly, not in a method I loved.
Motion was one other main subject for me. After enjoying Arc System Works fighters like BlazBlue and Responsible Gear, the place motion is quick, easy, and top-of-the-line elements of the fight, Tōkon merely did not really feel like an ArcSys recreation to me.
Dashing into assaults feels awkward, aerial approaches do not circulation in addition to I anticipated, and characters can really feel surprisingly clunky each within the air and on the bottom. I typically knew precisely what I wished to do, however executing it by no means felt as easy or pure as I wished it to.
This grew to become much more noticeable as a result of Tōkon is such an aggressive recreation. You are consistently transferring in, calling assists, and searching for a gap, so having motion that feels this stiff hurts the general circulation of fight fairly a bit. It isn’t at a degree that utterly ruins the combating for me, but it surely persistently makes it much less satisfying than I anticipated.
Whereas I had my points with motion and the best way Tōkon handles tagging, the combo system itself is well my favourite a part of the gameplay. Combos are extremely flashy and satisfying to tug off, however extra importantly, there’s loads of room to get inventive with them.
The essential combo system is straightforward to know, however when you begin mixing in Abilities, assists, launches, wall interactions, and character switches, you possibly can take a combo in a ridiculous variety of instructions. Totally different assists can utterly change the way you prolong a combo, and switching characters halfway by means of one opens up much more routes relying in your staff composition.
It creates a very nice stability the place placing collectively one thing cool would not require you to spend hours in coaching mode, however gamers who do need to lab nonetheless have lots to experiment with. I consistently discovered myself making an attempt totally different assists or barely altering a route simply to see how a lot additional I may push it, and watching 4 Marvel characters soar out and in of an enormous combo by no means actually stopped trying superior.
For all my complaints about Tōkon’s tag system, that is the one event the place having 4 characters on a staff shines.
Sadly, this expertise is held again by Tōkon’s management scheme. Particular strikes could be carried out in two methods: both by means of conventional movement inputs or by way of a easy shortcut. Utilizing the shortcut barely reduces the injury of the transfer, which seems like a good trade-off, and through combos, I hardly ever discovered it to be a significant downside.
Neutrals are a special story. Getting access to one-button anti-airs and response punishes makes conditions that will usually require execution a lot simpler to deal with, and the injury penalty would not actually remedy that downside both. If I must react to a jump-in, having the ability to immediately throw out an anti-air particular with a single button continues to be an enormous benefit no matter whether or not the transfer offers barely much less injury.
Tōkon additionally goes a lot additional with auto combos than I might have preferred. Making combating video games simpler to choose up is an efficient factor for newcomers, however there are such a lot of computerized routes right here, and a few of them are efficient sufficient that I began questioning how a lot the sport really rewards studying tougher choices. When the better route will get you too near what an skilled participant can obtain manually, the hole between studying the sport and mastering it begins to really feel smaller.
Accessibility should not come at the price of giving gamers causes to enhance. Studying execution, spending time in coaching mode, and finally having the ability to do one thing that you simply could not do once you first began are a number of the most rewarding elements of combating video games. Tōkon nonetheless has loads of depth beneath its accessible controls, however I feel it goes somewhat too far in eradicating the barrier to execution.
The irritating half is that the choice is not notably effectively designed both. I choose having conventional movement inputs in combating video games, however a few of Tōkon’s enter decisions really feel unnecessarily awkward. Command grabs being tied to a DP-style Shoryuken movement already looks like a wierd selection, however my greatest subject is how regularly the sport makes use of down-down inputs for assaults and particular strikes.
Double-tapping down would possibly sound easy on paper, however doing it persistently in the midst of a quick match feels extremely clunky on an analog stick or combat stick. Virtually each character has some variation of a down-down assault or enter, and utilizing them shortly could be a nightmare on these controllers. At a time when Hitbox and keyboard have already got such a transparent aggressive benefit with regards to sure inputs, as a fightstick participant, I actually query the choice to make use of down-down inputs this regularly.
Fortunately, I’ve nearly nothing damaging to say about Tōkon’s defensive mechanics. In actual fact, I feel this is perhaps the most effective defensive system I’ve ever seen in a tag fighter.
There are such a lot of methods to take care of strain with out making protection really feel simple. Simply Protection rewards you for timing your blocks correctly, whereas Assemble Counter offers you a defensive backstep that mechanically counters the opponent in the event that they assault into it. It is extremely helpful towards aggressive gamers, but it surely’s additionally very punishable in case your opponent reads it, so you possibly can’t simply throw it out everytime you’re underneath strain.
Then there’s Crossover, which is perhaps my favourite addition. Whereas blocking, you possibly can name certainly one of your teammates to interrupt the opponent’s onslaught and provides your self an opportunity to combat again. In a 4v4 recreation the place assists can hold you blocking for what looks like an eternity, having your individual staff grow to be a part of your protection looks like the proper reply.
What I like most is that none of those mechanics exchange regular blocking. They offer you totally different solutions relying on what your opponent is doing, and understanding when to maintain blocking, try a Simply Protection, threat an Assemble Counter, or spend your staff sources on a Crossover turns into its personal little thoughts recreation.
That is masterful work from Arc System Works. Tag fighters are often recognized for ridiculous offense, assists, and unending strain, however Tōkon offers the defending participant simply as many fascinating choices to make. I had issues with a number of elements of the fight, however the defensive facet is well one of many recreation’s greatest strengths and, for me, the most effective one I’ve performed in a tag fighter.
Transferring on to the sport modes, the very first thing that stands out is Episode Mode, Tōkon’s primary story mode. And I genuinely assume this is perhaps one of many worst story modes I’ve ever performed in a combating recreation.
Marvel has over 80 years of lore. 1000’s of characters, iconic villains, legendary storylines, alternate universes, large crossover occasions, and a long time’ price of fabric that writers may solely dream of accessing. And in some way, with all of that sitting proper in entrance of them, the most effective thought they might provide you with was… a match. It is mainly the identical drained setup we have seen numerous instances in video games like Useless or Alive or Tekken. Discover an excuse to throw the whole forged collectively, make everybody combat one another, introduce some utterly uninteresting made-up characters, and name it a narrative. Besides these video games do not have the whole Marvel universe sitting of their arms.
That is what makes Episode Mode so irritating. It isn’t simply dangerous; it is an unbelievable waste of potential. Each cinematic jogged my memory of what they might have carried out as a substitute. Each boring dialog, each compelled purpose for one more combat, and each time certainly one of these characters appeared simply made me surprise how this was the story they settled on.
As if the story itself wasn’t dangerous sufficient, the presentation in some way manages to be even worse. Round 30% of Episode Mode is informed by means of fantastically animated cinematics that look precisely pretty much as good as you’d count on from Arc System Works. The remainder is offered in generic, poorly drawn, comic-book-style chapters, and the distinction between the 2 is truthfully jarring.
The cinematics will typically simply randomly finish and throw you into a type of ugly comedian ebook sections, nearly as in the event that they ran out of price range midway by means of the scene and could not afford to animate the remainder of it. Going from attractive ArcSys animation to observing cheap-looking static panels utterly killed the presentation for me. Mixed with the cliché writing, it will definitely reached a degree the place I did one thing I severely do not bear in mind ever doing whereas reviewing a recreation: I began eager to skip story sections.
Outdoors of the story, Tōkon has two extra items of content material underneath what it calls “Arcade,” though calling a few of this an Arcade Mode feels fairly beneficiant.
The primary is All-Star Area, which is cut up into Area and Survival. Survival is strictly what you’d count on from old-school combating video games: you combat by means of a sequence of opponents whereas making an attempt to outlive for so long as doable. Nothing particular, but it surely does what it must do.
Area, alternatively, appears to be Tōkon’s alternative for a standard Arcade Mode, and it is disappointing. You merely combat your method by means of a sequence of matches till you attain the top. That is it. There aren’t any intro cinematics, no distinctive character interactions, and nothing that makes selecting a special fighter really feel such as you’re seeing their very own little story. It looks like they wished to verify “Arcade Mode” off the record with out really placing any of the character into it that makes these modes price enjoying.
After which there’s Arcadia Rumble, a third-person, Smash Bros.-style mode that feels utterly misplaced. You run round as chibi variations of the characters, gathering orbs, leaping round, attacking different gamers, and making an attempt to deplete their hearts to complete in first place. There are some roguelite parts thrown in, and you may play both on-line or single-player.
I discovered the entire thing infantile, foolish, and disconnected from the explanation I am enjoying a combating recreation within the first place. It looks like a random occasion recreation that in some way ended up inside Tōkon fairly than a mode designed round what the sport really does effectively. Contemplating how bare-bones Area and Episodes already really feel, seeing improvement time go into Arcadia Rumble as a substitute solely made its inclusion much more irritating.
One space the place Tōkon completely delivers is its tutorials. They do a wonderful job of instructing the sport’s offensive, defensive, and management mechanics with out merely throwing partitions of textual content at you. The sport explains every mechanic, makes you really carry out it, and presents every thing in a method that is simple to recollect and surprisingly enjoyable to undergo.
There are additionally devoted guides for each character that specify their distinctive mechanics and the way you are really supposed to make use of them. That is particularly helpful in a recreation the place characters can play so in another way from each other, and I discovered these guides genuinely useful when making an attempt somebody new.
The combo trials are additionally very well designed. They’re enjoyable to finish whereas providing you with a good suggestion of what every character can really do, fairly than feeling like a random guidelines of combos you may by no means use once more.
It would not fairly attain the extent of Avatar Legends for me, which nonetheless has my favourite tutorial programs in a combating recreation, however Tōkon comes surprisingly shut. Between the tutorials, character guides, and combo trials, that is simply one of many strongest elements of its single-player content material.
I’ve at all times been an enormous fanboy of Arc System Works with regards to visuals and 2D artwork, and for essentially the most half, Tōkon did not disappoint me right here. The characters look incredible, with that signature ArcSys type making nearly each member of the Marvel roster appear like they had been made for an anime fighter.
Ability results and animations are equally spectacular. Particular strikes are flashy, colourful, and genuinely hype-inducing, particularly when a number of characters and assists begin flying across the display without delay. From the menu designs to the fantastically animated cinematics, nearly every thing does a fantastic job of promoting this futuristic Marvel anime aesthetic the sport goes for.
The phases, nevertheless, had been a significant disappointment. In comparison with the quantity of element put into the characters, most of the environments look noticeably decrease high quality and surprisingly bland. The distinction could be fairly distracting, with these attractive character fashions combating towards backgrounds that merely do not feel on the identical visible degree.
The music is totally incredible. It introduced again a few of that previous Marvel vs. Capcom feeling for me, particularly with each character having their very own distinctive theme just like the old-school fighters used to do. The soundtrack suits the general anime fighter tone completely and provides lots to Tōkon’s character.
Sadly, I am unable to say the identical in regards to the voice appearing. I discovered it surprisingly dangerous, particularly for characters like Deadpool, Loki, and Iron Man whose voices and personalities have grow to be so recognizable over time. Lots of their supply simply sounds misplaced, each in the course of the story and the pre-fight intros, and I by no means actually acquired used to it.
The sound results are extra of a combined bag. Sooner and extra acrobatic characters sound nice, particularly once you’re chaining assaults collectively and every thing begins transferring at full pace. However the larger characters are lacking that very same affect. When somebody like Hulk or Champion lands an enormous hit, I need to hear that heavy ‘THUNK” that makes it really feel like somebody simply acquired completely destroyed. Tōkon by no means fairly delivers that weight, and a few of their strongest assaults find yourself sounding a lot weaker than they appear.
MARVEL Tōkon: Preventing Souls – PC Efficiency & Points
Sadly, we won’t speak about Steam Deck efficiency this time round. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls makes use of a kernel-level anti-cheat system, which prevents the sport from launching on SteamOS fully.
However that is removed from the one subject with the PC model. Since that is the model we’re reviewing, I need to focus on the overall efficiency when enjoying on PC.
I reviewed Tōkon on an RTX 5090, and even on some of the highly effective GPUs out there, the sport is crammed with noticeable stutters. For a combating recreation, the place sustaining a steady expertise is extra vital than in nearly another style, that is merely not acceptable. The sport seems to be nice, however nothing taking place on display comes near explaining why a system this highly effective ought to battle with stuttering.
Regardless of how highly effective your PC is, Tōkon is at present in a horrible technical state, and for a lot of gamers, I might contemplate it borderline unplayable. Even brute-forcing the sport with high-end {hardware} would not assure the graceful and constant expertise a combating recreation wants.
I additionally need to make it clear that not one of the points or private complaints I discussed on this part will have an effect on the ultimate rating. Since we’re reviewing the PC model, nevertheless, I felt they wanted to be addressed. Think about this part extra of a warning: in its present state, you merely should not count on the fluid combating recreation expertise that Tōkon is meant to offer on PC.
MARVEL Tōkon: Preventing Souls – Steam Deck Efficiency on Home windows
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is sadly not playable on the Steam Deck by means of SteamOS as a result of anti-cheat, which is a bummer. Nonetheless, in the event you do have Home windows put in on the Deck, the sport does run and could be performed, although it doesn’t carry out effectively.
Even on the lowest doable settings, the sport won’t hit 60 FPS. Visually, it nonetheless seems to be okay on the lowest settings, however it can stick between 40 to 50 FPS. For a fighter like this, we actually want a strong 60 FPS, so it’s not one thing I might suggest, particularly if you wish to play on-line.
Conclusion:
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a disappointment. Its incredible combo system, glorious defensive mechanics, and exquisite ArcSys visuals present flashes of what may have been a worthy Marvel vs. Capcom non secular successor. Sadly, stiff motion, questionable controls, a disappointing tag system, and horrible single-player content material drag the entire expertise down. With the Marvel license and Arc System Works behind it, Tōkon merely ought to have been rather more.
The PC model makes issues even worse. Kernel-level anti-cheat utterly locks SteamOS customers out, whereas extreme stuttering and optimization points make it tough to get the graceful expertise a combating recreation requires even on high-end {hardware}. These points do not have an effect on my ultimate rating, however PC gamers ought to completely hold them in thoughts earlier than shopping for.
Our evaluate is predicated on the PC model of this recreation.
Should you loved this evaluate, be sure you take a look at the remainder of the content material on SteamDeckHQ! We’ve got all kinds of recreation critiques and information which can be certain to assist your gaming expertise. Whether or not you are searching for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or simply need to keep up-to-date on the most recent tendencies, we have your again.