Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – games vs. comic books

GameCentral previews Capcom’s new Versus fighter and probes the developer on whether Power Stone, Squirrel Girl, and Doctor Octopus are in it…

Marvel and Capcom go way back, long before Marvel became such a cinematic powerhouse. Their first collaboration was in 1993, with an obscure (but very good) coin-op based on The Punisher. But a year later they released fighting game X-Men: Children Of The Atom, a 2D fighter that started a line of tie-ins that remain some of the few genuinely good comic book games to have ever been made. But with 1996’s X-Men Vs. Street Fighter it also led to the start of Capcom’s Versus series of crossover games. And now that team-up has been renewed once again…



Capcom has lost and regained the Marvel licence a number of times over the years, and many feared that with the success of the movies, and Disney’s general disinterest in video games, there’d never be another one after 2011’s Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. And yet here we are. Whether the new game will include characters not associated with the Marvel movies is still unclear, despite us trying to get to the bottom of it in the interview below, but we were able to play a preview of the game that features all 14 currently announced characters.

There’s likely to be at least twice as many characters in the final game, but the ones announced so far for the Marvel side are Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, Rocket Racoon, and Ultron. And from the Capcom side there’s Ryu, Mega Man X, Morrigan, Chun-Li, Strider Hiryu, and Chris Redfield. As previously announced there will also be six DLC characters, one of which has been revealed as Mega Man X bad guy Sigma – but we didn’t get to play as him (or Rocket).


If you haven’t played a Marvel Vs. Capcom game before then they are, intentionally, extremely easy to pick up. Given the extra mainstream appeal granted by the Marvel characters, the games are less technical than Street Fighter, involve less buttons, and focus more on tag team battles and aerial combat. Fighting games have always struggled to attract new players not used to their controls, and Infinite is specifically designed to be as accessible as possible.

Much as we love the genre we don’t get nearly enough time to practise at it, and usually get very self-conscious when playing a fighting game at a preview. But with Infinite we were able to immediately get into the action by just bashing the four main attack buttons (two levels of punches and kicks, instead of the six of Street Fighter). Setting off an aerial rave is simplicity itself and every character has an easy hyper combo that you can activate with just two button presses when your special bar fills up. There’s also a universal combo that’s the same for every character and yet does something different for each one.

There’s still other combos and moves that are more complicated, that you can look up and learn on your own, but there’s plenty enough to be getting on with without any prior experience. Especially as many of the special moves for each character are just a quarter turn of the analogue stick and one button press.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Iron Man’s been in the games since the beginning

The nature of the characters themselves ensures plenty of variety despite the more standardised controls. Some, like Captain Marvel, can fly, while others are better at ranged or close combat, offence or defence. Thor, for example, has a great knockback move that can then quickly be followed up by throwing his hammer either straight forward or at an angle, depending on which button you press. Hulk is, of course, strong but slow, and while Chris has some very powerful weapons they have to be manually reloaded – with a little ammo icon showing on screen.



Beyond the diverse range of individual character abilities the game also has its own unique gimmicks, the most obvious being the fact you always play as a team of two and can switch them out at any time. This includes during a combo, which not only gives you even more option during a fight but also allows the other character to recover some health when not in use. This isn’t a new feature for the series – Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 had teams of three not two – but the removal of any restrictions on when you can make the swap makes this partner system a lot more flexible.

The other new-but-not-new idea is the infinity stones, but they work a bit differently here than they did in 1995’s Marvel Super Heroes. You don’t collect them in a match but instead select one of the six before you start. These confer a special ability that’s activated by the left shoulder button and the chance to set off an ‘Infinity Storm’ if you hold both when a separate gauge is filled.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Thor takes on Street Fighter’s Ryu

There were three stones available in the preview we played, with the space one allowing you to pull characters closer, power making you stronger, and time giving you a short-range teleporting dash. We found the latter particularly useful for slower characters like Hulk, while the Infinity Storm for space, in which the other character is enclosed in a transparent box that restricts their movement, is a great way to turn the tide of a match.


We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Infinite, and we’re not just saying that because we won almost all our bouts. Based on the characters we played with the game’s goal to offer a more accessible, less serious, alternative to Street Fighter works perfectly. Although with hardly any characters announced yet that weren’t in one of the previous games we’ll have to see how the balance of fighters is maintained in the full game – and how much longevity the action really has.

Below you can find our interview with producer Mike Evans and associate producer Peter Rosas, in which we discuss some of the problems of making fighting games more accessible, and who is and isn’t in the final game. They seem to give away several strong hints about future announcements, but even as it is now Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite already puts up a good fight.

Formats: PlayStation 4 (previewed), Xbox One, and PC

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Release Date: 19th September 2017

GC: Have you guys done interviews for this before?

ME: Yeah, we’re at the tail end of the European press tour now. We started out in Paris and then…

GC: Ah, so we’re the last stop?

ME: Yeah.

GC: So you’ve realised by now that all anybody wants to do is ask you whether their favourite characters are in the game?

Both: [laughs]

GC: So do you want to do that first, or leave it till the end?

ME: [laughs] Let’s do that now!


GC: Now I don’t usually say this, but your review score is directly tied to how many times you say the word ‘no’ during the course of this interview.

Both: [laughs]

PR: You might want to end on that question!

GC: Yeah, actually let’s do that. But some basic questions you might be able to allude to… I’m sure you won’t say how many characters there are going to be in total, but are we looking at a similar figure to the last game? [Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 launched with 36 characters – GC]

ME: We can’t say at this time, but we do have 14 characters announced today and then obviously until September 19th we still have a lot of time. We have many more announcements coming. But I can’t say about the final number.

GC: So you’re not ruling out it being disappointingly low? [laughs]

ME: [laughs] It won’t be disappointing!

GC: When this was first announced some fans theorised that the Marvel characters would only include those that Marvel has the cinematic rights to. That is the case so far, but is that going to be true for the whole game?

ME: No…

GC: It’s nothing to be ashamed of, if it’s all down to the lawyers.

ME: Totally, totally. No, but it’s not. And if Marvel were here they would answer as I’m going to. It’s not based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We take a lot of inspiration from the cinematic universe, but the game is a completely original universe.

GC: So you could have the Fantastic Four or X-Men in the game, if you wanted them?

ME: I can’t say about that one.

GC: You can’t say if you could?

ME: I… can’t answer that question.

GC: You can’t say if you could say if you could?

ME: Exactly! [laughs]

GC: [conspiratorially] You can have Doctor Doom though, surely?

ME: Oh, ah… I would say stay excited. We have many announcements coming. But you’re not the first to ask that one!

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Ultron is the main Marvel bad guy in the game

GC: What I really loved about the previous games is how unashamedly cheesy they were. Like, Hawkeye had his terrible original costume, and he looks absurd, and I loved that! But in this he’s got a cooler looking costume, that seems more like the movies. And yet Ultron looks more like the comics, with his proper mouth. So where’s the dividing line there? How are you making these decisions?

ME: Our R&D team in Japan are the ones proposing the designs. So if we say we want to use Ultron, for example, we try and take inspiration from everywhere. The cinematic designs, but also the comic designs. But you’ll notice the Ultron in this game is actually a completely original design. Even though he looks very cool and much like his comic book it’s an original design for Infinite. So that was a design that was created by the R&D team and then through the creative process, working with the Marvel team, we worked through the brand in approvals and things for these characters.

So I would say that we do have a bit of creative freedom when it comes to the design of the characters. But Bill Rosemann – the creative director at Marvel – and those guys are very helpful in letting us know what’s coming in the future, what does this modern character look like, and so on.

GC: So if you wanted Hawkeye to have his stupid ‘H’ on his head, they would’ve let you?

ME: Totally, totally. I think from Marvel’s perspective they’re just most concerned about the storytelling, you know? And if it makes sense…

GC: If it makes sense? [laughs] It’s very important to me that the story makes sense in this game.

ME: [laughs] Everything in context should be appropriate and make sense. Not just because, ‘This costume is cool and I want to use it’. There’s some of that, right, because it’s a game, but…

GC: I always assumed with the earlier games that the guys making them in Japan weren’t really familiar with most of the characters, and were just picking them based on who looked cool. Which is why you ended up with really obscure characters like Shuma-Gorath, but not some of the bigger names.

ME: Right, right. Blackheart as well.

GC: Is that how it still works?

ME: I think you’re probably right about back in the 90s, before Marvel was a powerhouse, and these guys in Japan were just picking, ‘Oh, this character looks cool!’ But now, on the Japan side, we have a lot of super-fans of the comics and the characters. So I think you see it come out a lot in the game design too. The attacks and the special moves. They’re very true to how the characters are represented in the comics and stuff.

So I would say this time around the R&D team is – even though Marvel as a brand is still growing in Japan – they really have a keen eye over there, for what characters they want and obviously the character designs too.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Hawkeye’s look is somewhere between the movies and comics

GC: And in terms of Capcom character design, I was surprised Chris still looks like piggy-eyed Hulk Chris?

ME: The RE5 version?

GC: Yeah. That’s not a placeholder or anything is it? Given the situation with Resident Evil 7.

ME: We felt that version…

GC: [under breath] The worst version.

ME: …of Chris was one of the most recognisable versions. Wait, did you just say the worst version?

All: [laughs]

GC: He would be the best if he has an attack in which he punches a boulder at someone.

ME: [laughs] That’s a fantastic idea!

GC: He doesn’t have that?

ME: No. [laughs]

GC: C’mon!

All: [laughs]

GC: You were talking a lot about accessibility during your introduction, which is always a sore issue in fighters. Is this going to actually have a proper tutorial, unlike Street Fighter V? Because playing the story mode is not the same thing.

ME: The best tutorials are the ones where you don’t feel you’re getting a lecture. We wanted the story mode to be the first entry point, and the story mode obviously ramps in complexity as you play through it. But it tutorial-ises you on the basic systems. So when you come out the end of that you should know about the partner system, the stones, and how to do some combos. So that’s enough just to jump in and have fun with your friends.

However, the more deep tutorial-ised system will be in what we’re calling the Mission mode, which teaches you the systems from beginner to advanced and you can pick your favourite characters and learn how to use them and learn combos from very simple to very complex. So if you want to put in the extra time to practice and learn the tutorials you can definitely do that with the Mission mode.

GC: I’ve never understood why fighting game developers don’t see that as the number one problem, but they clearly don’t considering how few games ever bother to teach the player anything. Back in the arcade days you just had to hope there was someone who knew what they were doing standing next to you, and you could learn from them, and they still seem to be relying on that essentially!

PR: [laughs]

ME: That’s the reason we implemented these simple combo commands, and simple hyper combo. Especially the Versus series, the DNA is the air combo. That’s what separates the series from other Capcom fighters. But some people pick the game up and they can’t do an air combo, they can’t get that excitement from the game.

PR: Yeah, and what we notice also is… let’s say there’s a player who didn’t go through the story mode but they just picked up the controller. What are they more likely to do? They’re more likely to just start bashing some buttons. And to account for that, that’s why there are those simple commands – just in case they are pressing things. They’ll get feedback, they’ll see something cool, and they can replicate that really quickly.

Even if they were just pressing a series of buttons they can replicate that and start to get a feel for the game in general. And then if they want to go to training mode or mission mode they can. But some players, they’re impatient and they just want to go into versus with a friend. We wanted to make sure that regardless of which option they chose there’s something fun going on.

GC: The problem with past Mission modes is that they’re all very abstract. They teach you the moves but not the tactics. Not how you’d actually use them in a fight.

ME: I think what we can do in regards to that…

GC: I’m not suggesting it’s easy to teach people these things, especially in an entertaining manner, but I do think that’s what’s holding the genre back. It’s fairly easy to teach them a few moves, but the jump from that to forming actual complex tactics is a big leap.

ME: Oh no, it’s a very difficult problem. So for example, the partner counter-switch mechanic, when you’re getting beat up you can switch out your character. That’s something that would be tutorial-ised and shown to players, but then it’s like, ‘When does it really make sense to do that?’

During a match you have to first remember the move, then realise when it’s appropriate, and then get the controls right. I think for all fighting games that’s always been a big hurdle: how do we go from learning it to actually applying it in a normal situation?

GC: The flipside to this is how technical does the game get? Are hardcore game going to get into it? Will it be promoted as an eSports game with official tournaments? Or are you treating this as just a fighter for beginners?

PR: I actually feel this fighter ranges the entire spectrum. For those that may not be familiar with fighting games the commands are pretty simple. The special moves are typically quarter circle forward and a button or quarter circle back and a button. There’s one button dedicated to switching in and out, and there’s one button dedicated to the stones. So just on the surface it’s pretty easy to pick up and approach.

Figuring out when to switch your characters is a whole other level of complexity, then using an infinity stone to change the dynamic of your team adds that additional layer. So for those who want to get more hardcore, and want to put more time into it, there’s definitely a lot there for them. And I’m speaking as a person that is extremely hardcore. Especially when it comes to the Versus series there’s a lot of fun there, right? However, if I didn’t want to put in the time and I just wanted to play around with my team and manoeuvre around and didn’t want to develop a strategy or anything I wouldn’t have to.

For games that are considered eSports or something that the more hardcore guys can delve into and have fun with, and really compete in, you really need those games that allow you to develop a deeper strategy and require decision making and that type of thing. And there’s no shortage of that in Infinite. So I really don’t see how it couldn’t become an eSport.

That said, due to the game coming out this year in September it is too late for the Capcom Pro Tour season, so we don’t really have any plans for implementing it this year. And we haven’t really worked out the eSports aspect of it. But that said, we know our community is really passionate and once it does come out they’ll probably start throwing their own things and we’ll be looking forward to it.

ME: The other interesting thing is that for Street Fighter V, as you mentioned it, your impression of it is that it was a little more buttoned up, a little more serious. Your impression of the Versus series is that it’s a little more open, and I think it is that. And one of the cool things about the Versus series and the Marvel games is is that you can kind of create your own identity, your own play style, in the game. Whereas in Street Fighter you may have to play more proscribed style.

In a Versus game you’ve always been able to create your own style that you’ve been known for, like Justin Wong’s team or such-and-such a team, through MvC2 and 3. And this time with the stones and the partnership and the openness of the system we really feel like it’s going to allow people to create their own unique play style. Like, Peter’s Ryu and Captain Marvel with the time stone could be completely different to my Captain Marvel and Ryu with the power stone. So in that sense we think it would actually be a good fit for eSports.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Strider’s easy hyper combo in action

GC: [to PR woman]: How long have I got now?

PR woman: You’ve got just one more question.

ME: Here comes the character question!

All: [laughs]

GC: Right then… your review score. It’s starting at a 10 and every time you displease me with your answer it goes down by one.

Both: [laughs]

GC: I ask about a sequel to this every year from Capcom…

PR woman: I bet I know what this is going to be.

GC: …so I’m really hoping this is the point at which Capcom finally acknowledges that Power Stone exists and that it is awesome.

ME: Wow! Well… That’s amazing that you’re such a big fan of the Power Stone series, because we don’t hear that a lot. But it’s a fantastic game. All right, I have one good announcement for you, and you’re going to hate me for this: the power stone is in the game! [laughs]

GC: Wha? What! Oh wait, you mean the Infinity power stone?

ME: [laughs]

GC: Do you want to get 0/10?

All: [laughs]

GC: To be honest I’m more of a DC fan than Marvel, so I’m most interested in the Capcom characters. And I imagine they’re picking their own characters based on their general popularity and also fan service for the hardcore. But is there a third criteria where they’re thinking about older franchises they might bring back, and that this would be a good way to reintroduce them? Because Capcom has said they want to return to some of their old franchises in the future.

ME: Yeah, yeah. We definitely think about that. The logic is that we think about it from all angles. Of course, we want to pick characters that we feel the character type is appropriate in the line-up. So fast, small characters and big brawler characters. But also in a crossover game like this, especially one where we’re trying to tell a story, we want to look for really interesting match-ups. Interesting characters that could play off each other well.

You saw in the teaser Rocket and X, right? Rocket’s really interested in technology and tinkering with things, and then you have X. You also have Chun-Li and Captain Marvel: two very powerful female characters that are at the forefront. So we’re looking at characters that play off each other well, work together well. But also important, as you say, is those more fan service characters that people want to see brought back.

GC: You could have Gunrock and The Thing, who are both big giant rock monsters.

ME: [laughs] Yes!

GC: Yes?! That’s confirmed is it?

ME: It’s confirmed that we could have that. [laughs]

All: [laughs]

GC: So you’re absolutely going to go back to the office and report that there is huge demand for a Power Stone character?

ME: Since it’s the first time I’ve heard this I wouldn’t say it’s great demand but…

GC: Nobody else has asked for it, ever?

ME: I’m afraid not.

GC: [dispirited] What a world! What a world!

All: [laughs]

GC: Right then, my most wanted pick on the Marvel side… please say you’ve heard of Squirrel Girl?

ME: I’ve heard of Squirrel Girl, yes.

GC: Have you heard of definite plans to include her in the base game?

All: [laughs]

ME: That’s fantastic! [laughs] I’ve heard of Squirrel Girl, that’s all I can say.

GC: Have you heard of Tippy-Toe?

ME: No, that’s one I haven’t heard of.

GC: Gah! If you knew who Tippy-Toe is it would be an indication that Squirrel Girl was actually in the game. Darn…

ME: I’m not trying to Tippy-Toe round the situation.

GC: [stern look] Tippy-Toe is her best squirrel friend.

PR woman: [looking up Squirrel Girl on her phone] Tippy-Toe goes with Monkey Joe, I’ve just learnt.

GC: Sadly, Monkey Joe died.

ME: Aww! Dreams shattered. And you said you weren’t a Marvel fan!

GC: I just said I was a bigger DC fan. But I do really like Squirrel Girl, it’s a very funny comic book. Alright now, just quickly. These are Capcom characters I noticed a lot of other people asking for, that I’d also be really keen on: Regina or anyone from Dino Crisis?

PR woman: You’re always asking me for more Dino Crisis!

ME: Dinosaurs are cool!

GC: Okay, so Dino Crisis is definitely in it?

ME: [laughs – followed by elongated conversation on how to pronounce Regina, ending in no consensus]

GC: Asura? I always worry I’m not pronouncing that right, the big guy with the six arms.

ME: There are no announcements at this time regarding Asura’s Wrath. [laughs]

GC: I tell you what, can you just tell me whether someone else has mentioned him up until this point? That would actually be a useful indicator.

ME: Okay, I’ve heard both of those before. Because I spent a good two months going through YouTube videos to see what people were interested in.

GC: Breath Of Fire?

ME: I’ve heard of this game. Ryu is in the game, I can confirm.

GC: Uh huh. You won’t be laughing when you see this game’s Metacritic score. [Ryu is also the name of a major character in Breath Of Fire – GC]

ME: [laughs]

GC: Anyone from Onimusha?

ME: We haven’t heard that one, no.

GC: Really? That surprises me. Okay, the Marvel side quickly: Namor?

ME: Is that a DC character?

GC: No, he’s like the Marvel version of Aquaman, I forget his title… the Sub-Mariner!

ME: Oh yeah, the Sub-Mariner. I do know him.

GC: Ms. Marvel?

ME: Kamala Khan with the stretchy limbs, like Dhalsim. I’m a big fan of the comics, fantastic.

GC: [mutters] She’s not as good as Squirrel Girl.

ME: [laughs]

GC: Okay, we’ll just finish on Doctor Octopus, because I know he was one that almost made it into Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. So, this would be the perfect chance to add him.

ME: I cannot speak to this. But I hear he does have six arms.

GC: Err… yes, I guess. Wait, is that a clue about pairing him with Asura?

ME: …

GC: Okay, thanks very much. You’ve been a great sport.

ME: No problem, that was really fun.

GC: So is the roster set in stone now?

ME: Yeah, the roster is set in stone now.

GC: And the roster for the DLC as well?

ME: Uh-hum.

GC: So for these characters you’re obviously not putting in there’s almost no hope?

ME: [laughs] Well, we love to hear your feedback! [laughs]

GC: [laughs] All right, that really is it. Thanks very much for your time.

ME: No problem.

PR: Thank you.

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