Fighting games might look simple on the surface, but they’re among the hardest genres to get right. Simply attaching the Marvel name to a new fighter—even with the franchise’s rich history in the genre—is no guarantee of success. The gameplay has to feel responsive, the roster needs to be compelling, and, perhaps most importantly, it needs to strike the delicate balance between welcoming newcomers and satisfying dedicated players.
Throw 4v4 tag mechanics into the mix, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls could easily have become an overwhelming mess.
Instead, Arc System Works has delivered one of the most enjoyable fighting games I’ve played in years. It’s visually stunning, packed with personality, and while it’s easy to pick up, there’s already enough depth to suggest players will be uncovering new strategies and combos for a long time to come.
I Could Play This All Day
I’ve always enjoyed fighting games, but tag fighters have never really clicked with me. Managing multiple characters, health bars, and constant switches has often felt more stressful than satisfying.
Marvel Tokon changes that.
Rather than forcing you to constantly rotate between all four fighters, the game places a much greater emphasis on assists. You can comfortably focus on a primary character while calling teammates in to extend combos, cover weaknesses or provide utility like anti-air attacks. It makes the format feel far more approachable without removing the strategic depth that tag fighters are known for.
That meant I could gradually learn each character before experimenting with different team combinations, and with 21 playable fighters—including a secret unlockable character—there’s plenty to discover.
While some players may have hoped for a larger launch roster, I never felt short-changed. Every character feels unique, with distinct abilities, playstyles and team synergies that make experimenting genuinely rewarding. I was constantly swapping fighters in and out to find combinations that suited my style.
The onboarding deserves plenty of praise too. The tutorial does an excellent job of introducing the game’s mechanics, while Character Lessons dive deeper into each fighter’s toolkit. It’s accessible without talking down to players, and by the time I ventured online, I felt prepared rather than overwhelmed.
That’s the beauty of Marvel Tokon. It’s easy to enjoy from your very first match, but it’s equally clear that we’ve only scratched the surface of what skilled players will eventually achieve—I’ve already seen some crazy combos pulled off on social media.
Complete Package Deal
The game includes five short Episodes that explore why Marvel’s heroes and villains have been brought together. While they’re relatively brief, they serve as a fun introduction to the roster and provide an easy way to sample different characters before settling on your favourites.
As a huge fan of Marvel as a whole and an avid comic reader, I really enjoyed the different interpretations of these characters, and the voice acting elevated them to another level entirely. I didn’t find a weak performance across the board, and when you pair that with the game’s overall presentation, it’s a sight to behold.
Arc System Works has perfectly captured the look of a living comic book, with vibrant character designs, colourful arenas and spectacular special moves that make every fight exciting to watch. Even with eight fighters on screen at once sometimes, the action rarely becomes difficult to follow.
The unlockable costumes and colour variants also deserve praise.
While some cosmetics are reserved for Ultimate Edition owners, there’s still plenty to earn in-game, with rewards encouraging you to explore the game’s standout modes. It might sound simple, but rewarding players for simply playing feels like a dying art these days, so I’m glad Marvel Tokon still embraces it.
Naturally, online multiplayer is where Marvel Tokon will ultimately live or die for many players, and thankfully, my experience has been excellent.
I’m generally someone who prefers to play games competitively, and Ranked quickly became my home whenever I jumped online. Playing on PS5, matches were smooth and responsive. Whether I was serving up a beatdown or getting absolutely destroyed myself, the game rarely got in the way of the action.
More importantly, Marvel Tokon already feels like a fighting game that I’ll keep coming back to. There’s always another character to learn, another team composition to experiment with, and another mechanic to understand. That’s an important quality for any fighting game, because the initial excitement can only carry you so far. Marvel Tokon has the foundations to keep that excitement going long after launch.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Verdict
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls succeeds because it understands exactly what it wants to be. It delivers a fighting game that’s approachable enough for newcomers while offering the depth experienced players expect from Arc System Works.
The 4v4 tag system initially sounds intimidating, but clever design choices make it surprisingly easy to learn without sacrificing its long-term complexity. Combined with an excellent roster, fantastic tutorials, gorgeous visuals, and strong online performance, it feels like a complete package.
Only time will tell how the roster evolves and whether the competitive scene continues to thrive, but the foundations couldn’t be much stronger. Whether you’re a lifelong fighting game fan or someone who just saw a new Marvel game and wanted to give it a go, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is an easy recommendation—and one of the strongest fighting game launches in recent memory.
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Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
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Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Charlie is one of Insider Gaming's Guides Writers who's been in the gaming industry for a little over a year. Unfortunately for him, he enjoys every video game genre out…
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