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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is an upcoming fighting video game in development by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series of crossover games. Like previous installments, players control characters from both the Marvel Comics and Capcom universes to compete in tag team battles. Infinite features two-on-two fights, as opposed to the three-on-three format used in its preceding titles. The series' traditional character assists have been removed; instead, the game incorporates a tag-based combo system, which allows players to form continuous combos between their two characters. It also introduces a new gameplay mechanic in the form of the Infinity Stones, which temporarily bestow players with unique abilities and stat boosts depending on the type of stone selected. The game is planned for release in September 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows

Infinite was announced during Sony's PlayStation Experience event in December 2016. Capcom initially lost the use of the Marvel Comics license in 2012, after The Walt Disney Company decided to focus on self-publishing its own gaming titles; however, Capcom was able to reacquire the license after Disney scrapped their plans. Infinite was designed to be more accessible than previous Marvel vs. Capcom games, resulting in departures from some series' mainstays, such as assists. The game will also feature a larger emphasis on storytelling, with its own cinematic story experience. The plot follows the heroes and villains of the Marvel and Capcom universes, who must work together to save their merged worlds against a new threat, Ultron Sigma.

Gameplay

Like its predecessors, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is a fighting game in which players compete against each other in tag team combat using characters from both the Marvel Comics universe and Capcom's video game franchises. Infinite will feature two-on-two partner battles, similar to Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and earlier installments in the franchise. Unlike past entries, the game does not allow players to use assist attacks from their off-screen characters; instead, Infinite utilizes a "free-form" tag system akin to Marvel vs. Capcom 3's "Team Aerial Combo" system and Street Fighter X Tekken's "Switch Cancel" system. Team members can be instantly tagged out, even during the middle of combos, allowing players to form continuous combos between their two characters.

Infinite will also implement a gameplay mechanic involving the Infinity Stones, similar to Marvel Super Heroes, where each stone grants unique abilities. For example, the Power Stone grants increased strength, while the Time Stone increases the player's maneuverability. Each player selects one Infinity Stone before the match begins, which grants one ability that can be activated at any time, and a second, stronger ability which has yet to be finalized. The game will also include a cinematic story mode; single-player modes, such as Training, Mission, and Arcade Mode; and online multiplayer with ranked and casual matches, global leaderboards, and online lobbies with spectating.

Playable characters

As with past installments, Infinite will feature both new and returning heroes and villains to the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Additional characters will also be released post-launch as downloadable content (DLC). New characters to the franchise are listed below in bold.

Story

Believing all biological life must be purged, Ultron and Sigma forge an alliance. Using the power of the Infinity Stones, the two fuse themselves into a single being, "Ultron Sigma", and merge the worlds of Marvel and Capcom into a single dimension, which they seek to rule by unleashing a cybernetic virus. As a result, the heroes and villains of both worlds must band together to defeat Ultron Sigma.

Development

Following the release of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the PlayStation Vita in 2012, Marvel's new parent company, The Walt Disney Company, which acquired Marvel in 2009, chose not to renew their licensing deal with Capcom, instead opting to move its viable properties towards their self-published game titles, such as the Disney Infinity series; this resulted in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes being removed from the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in 2013. However, in May 2016, Disney announced its decision to discontinue self-publishing efforts and switch over to a licensing-only model, allowing third-party game developers, including Capcom, to negotiate licenses with Marvel once again. On December 3, 2016, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was officially unveiled during Sony's PlayStation Experience event; its first gameplay footage debuted on the same day following the conclusion of Capcom Cup 2016. Norio Hirose, a programmer who had previously worked on X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, as well as other Capcom fighting games, such as Project Justice and Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000, serves as Infinite's director.

According to Mike Jones, Executive Producer at Marvel Games, Infinite was designed to be a "more elegant and simplified" game which remained as "complex and hardcore" as past Marvel vs. Capcom installments. The decision to change the three-on-three battle system used in the series' previous iteration was considered for a long time before ultimately settling on two-on-two fights for the sake of accessibility. Capcom's Director of Production, Michael Evans, wished to give casual Marvel vs. Capcom fans the ability to play the game without becoming overwhelmed by introducing a more manageable two-character system. To offset the streamlined character select system and removal of call-in assist attacks, the six Infinity Stones were implemented to provide teams with additional customization options and increase gameplay depth. Marvel and Capcom compared the Infinity Stones to the "Groove System" used in Capcom vs. SNK 2. The primary goal with the Infinity Stones was to create a level playing field by acting as a comeback enabler, and allowing players to compensate for their characters' deficiencies and enhance their strong points. According to developers, the inclusion of the Infinity Stones and the theme of "infinite possibilities" influenced their decision to use Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite as the game's title, rather than Marvel vs. Capcom 4.

Beyond appealing to genre and series fans, Capcom sought to target a diverse audience with Infinite and bring in casual players who were fans of Marvel's movies, comic books, and television shows. To this end, the developers wanted to introduce a more robust, cinematic story compared to previous Marvel vs. Capcom titles. Bill Rosemann, Creative Director at Marvel Games, stated that Infinite's increased emphasis on storytelling was influenced by Marvel's story and character-centric approach to their recent projects in games, film, and television; Rosemann and Jones cited Insomniac Games' Spider-Man video game, Telltale Games' Guardians of the Galaxy title, and Marvel's successful Netflix series as examples. While speaking at the 2017 D.I.C.E. Summit, Rosemann also explained that Marvel Games would not force its development partners to tie their games into existing storylines throughout Marvel's universes, giving them more freedom to craft their own original stories and create new visions for their characters. Frank Tieri, the lead writer for Marvel vs. Capcom 3, has also confirmed his involvement with Infinite. Capcom also promised a larger variety of single-player and multiplayer content at launch. The promise for a "feature-rich" product appears to have resulted from experiences with Street Fighter V, which was heavily criticized for its lack of content upon release.

Release

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is scheduled for release on September 19, 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. The game will be available in three editions: a standard edition, which features two pre-order costumes for Ryu and Thor; a Deluxe Edition, which features four pre-order costumes for Ryu, Thor, Hulk, and Mega Man X, as well as a season pass granting access to six DLC fighters; and a Collector's Edition, which includes the Deluxe Edition of the game, in addition to four character dioramas of Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Mega Man X, and Chun-Li by TriForce, and a case filled with six LED-powered Infinity Stone replicas.

Reception

Pre-release

In pre-release coverage, Infinite's departure from some of the series' long-standing gameplay mechanics, namely three-on-three battles and character assist moves, for the sake of accessibility was met with concern. Suriel Vazquez of Game Informer stated that Infinite could end up being a divisive game, especially to the hardcore audience, since both mechanics had defined the Marvel vs. Capcom series for nearly two decades. The issue was mirrored by IGN's Daniel Krupa, who mentioned that the shifts in the series' formula could lead to a feeling among fans that their game was being "diluted" for newer players. Both Vazquez and Krupa, however, appreciated the changes, with Vazquez saying that he preferred the series "go for broke", rather than play it safe.

Notes

1. Māberu VS. Kapukon: Infinitto (Japanese: マーベル VS. カプコン：インフィニット)

References

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14. "『MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE』はパートナーとの共闘感を重視、シリーズの根幹に迫るストーリーモードの実装も！". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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16. ^ Makuch, Eddie (December 5, 2016). "Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite Devs Respond to "Accessibility" Concerns". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
17. ^ Krupa, Daniel (December 9, 2016). "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Wants to Be Approachable Yet Complex". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
18. Sato (December 7, 2016). "Mega Man X's Popularity In The West Got Him Into Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite's First Trailer". Siliconera. Curse, Inc. Archived from the original on December 8, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
19. ^ Tsujimoto, Haruhiro (December 5, 2016). "MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE Announced!". Capcom. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
20. Dornbush, Jonathon (February 23, 2017). "DICE 2017: Marvel Games to Tell Original Stories, Not Held to Canon". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
21. Hussain, Tamoor (December 3, 2016). "Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite Officially Announced". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
22. ^ Romano, Sal (April 25, 2017). "Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite launches September 19; story trailer and new characters announced". Gematsu. Retrieved April 25, 2017.

External links

• Official website (English)
• Official website (Japanese)

• Capcom Versus (series)
• Crossover video games
• Fighting games
• Multiplayer and single-player video games
• Superhero video games
• Unreal Engine games
• Upcoming video games scheduled for 2017
• PlayStation 4 games
• Windows games
• Xbox One games