The cat’s finally out of the bag. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is slotted to launch some time next year. The game was revealed during the PlayStation Experience press conference over the weekend, and with the announcement came two trailers. I also had the chance to sit down with a few of the Marvel/Capcom team members who are working on the game, including: Creative Director of Marvel Entertainment Bill Rosemann, Executive Producer at Marvel Games Mike Jones, Director of Production at Capcom Mike Evans, and Peter Rosas (a.k.a. The Combo Fiend) to give you guys a better understanding of the brawler. But, before we get into the nitty gritty, feast your eyes on the gameplay trailer (at the top of the page) that debuted after the Capcom Cup.
The first thing you’ll notice is that instead of going three vs. three, your team now consists of only two characters. The team found that players were using the third slot as a utility, rather than choosing the character because they like said fighter. That’s where the Infinity Stones come into play (all six will be available, but of course you can only choose one to take into battle with you). In the Marvel comics, this powerful stones were used to break the laws of the universe, and so the team tried to apply that to the game. For example, the Time Infinity Stone will allow your brawler to move faster, and the Power Infinity Stone will give your team some extra juice. So really, the stones have two applications: one in the form of utility like the third character, and second as a powerful tool to make a come back.
I understand why the hardcore fanbase would be hesitant to accept this change, but you have to take a second to consider how much variety this will provide. Even if two players duke it out with the same characters like Iron Man and Captain Marvel, the Stone they choose and how they use it will will fuel different strategies. This will also make more characters viable. In a well-balanced fighter, each character has its strengths and weakness; the Infinity Stones will allow you to bypass some of the weakness. Slower, more lumbering brawlers can get the speed boost using the Time Infinity Stone. How long the stones’ abilities lasts still isn’t clear, but this application is what excites me the most. Then you have to consider that you can now swap between characters at any moment, which will make for some fun combos. The character experimentation alone makes me extremely excited.
You also have to remember that a story mode is being added to the package, and the team emphasized that they want to produce a top-notch narrative. I have a feeling that the Infinity Stones will play a big role in explaining how these two worlds collide. At this point, it’s just speculation, but it would make too much sense.
One thing is clear: this collaborative team is not shying away from the pressure of matching Marvel’s success in other mediums. The team is aiming to rope in Marvel fans with the more grounded look. Now we’ll see if they can please both hardcore and newcomers alike, but believe me, they’re cognizant of trying to strike this balance. What do you think about the inclusion of Infinity Stones? Do you care that teams will be one man down this time around? Which characters would you like to make it into the roster? Jab your thoughts into the comments section below!
Images: Marvel, Capcom
