Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was one of many huge surprises of the Summer time Game Fest season. With Marvel Comics’ well-known character roster, Arc System Works’ combating recreation improvement prowess, and Sony Interactive Leisure’s publishing may powering it, it is simple to see how Tokon has rapidly develop into probably the most anticipated combating video games.
Nowhere was that pleasure extra palpable than at Evo 2025, the place Tokon made its public playable debut. All through your complete three-day occasion, traces to strive the sport stretched across the Arc System Works exhibition sales space, with many eagerly ready for hours for a short Tokon trial session. So when Sony and Arc System Works supplied me a particular hands-on session to check out the superhero scuffles of Marvel Tokon, I leapt into motion. What I discovered was a hanging, extremely approachable fighter that feels prefer it’s poised for achievement.
Arc System Works’ pedigree amongst combating recreation followers wants little introduction: It received over followers within the early aughts with the sharp visuals and in-depth gameplay of the Responsible Gear collection, moved into the HD period with BlazBlue, and have since develop into broadly identified for its video games’ signature anime-style, extremely detailed graphics and high-octane, technically oriented fight. It is labored with different firms’ IPs to create titles like Persona 4 Area, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Granblue Fantasy Versus to nice success.
Whereas Marvel Tokon marks the primary time Arc is dealing with an American IP, it appears to have been given a terrific diploma of inventive freedom. The visuals are introduced within the firm’s well-loved 3D anime type, with characters like Captain America, Iron Man, Storm, and Ms. Marvel receiving design prospers from Arc’s artwork design staff that set them other than the characters’ depictions in different media. Character animations are clean and filled with element, and whereas there was just one background out there for fight within the present demo, it was filled with particulars whereas not being overly distracting from the frenetic on-screen battles.
Gamers could not use their very own controllers for the demo, so as an alternative of my personalized joystick, I picked up a DualSense and gave Tokon a whirl. The recreation’s management scheme match the structure completely: Face buttons have been mapped to mild, medium, and heavy assaults, with the bottommost one appearing as a devoted help name (the “Assemble” button). Whereas latest combating video games like Avenue Fighter VI have made an effort to attraction to style newcomers by providing a traditional and simplified management scheme, Tokon affords gamers each on the similar time: particular strikes may be enter with conventional fighting-game instructions, or by holding down the Fast Talent button (mapped to one of many shoulder buttons) and inputting a path. In contrast to Arc’s earlier Granblue Fantasy Versus, which imposed a talent cooldown for utilizing these simplified inputs, Tokon doesn’t penalize gamers for executing particular assaults this fashion. One other specialised button, Distinctive–again mapped to the shoulder in the course of the demo–activates distinct expertise {that a} specific character wields. Different buttons offered easy accessibility to dashing and throws. Regardless of not having the ability to use my very own controller, I tailored to the texture of the sport’s controls rapidly, because the structure felt optimized for pad play. (After all, you can swap buttons as you please within the closing recreation.)
From the outset, Marvel Tokon units itself other than different tag-based combating video games by altering up two core gameplay mechanics: the staff and the lifebar. You decide 4 characters earlier than beginning fight, assigning every character to make use of a projectile, anti-air, or specialty help assault. Nevertheless, fights are round-based, and you start battle with solely two members of your staff out there . To use your different two fighters, you will must unlock them by way of combating: utilizing particular throw assaults, blasting the opponent by way of the “wall” and inflicting a background transition or–if you are sadly on the receiving finish of a beatdown–losing rounds. It was defined to me by employees that the intention was to make it really feel such as you assemble your staff over a match, and I believe that component units Tokon other than its friends.
The different huge change is the lifebar. Many tag-based video games have a separate lifebar for every staff member, and swapping out will permit them a little bit of restoration over time. Marvel Tokon as an alternative has a shared lifebar, with using assists managed by way of a specialised gauge. Because of this you will not be left with out using a key help character as a consequence of them being KOed–though you’ll nonetheless need to handle the gauge, limiting how usually you need to use them. (And sure, you possibly can nonetheless rating additional injury by smacking round each the purpose and help characters on the similar time, an incidence gamers name a “Pleased Birthday.”)
Although the demo’s roster was restricted, the character selections have been wonderful, as every member of the solid felt distinct in fight. Captain America provides gamers the usual Dragon Punch- and projectile-style particular strikes many are accustomed to however can change issues up by throwing out his defend at funky angles or utilizing it to protect and counter. Storm can management spacing and exert stress, limiting the opponent’s motion whereas enhancing her personal. Each Iron Man and Star Lord supplied up projectiles and aerial motion, with Iron Man delivering unbelievable aerial mobility and Star Lord providing the enjoyable twist of having the ability to change his distinctive projectile assaults’ elemental properties (and thus results) within the midst of fight. Ms. Marvel’s limb-stretching skills let her navigate throughout the display screen, in addition to add some further vary to her regular strikes. Lastly, Physician Doom’s array of projectiles and distance attacks–including a space-controlling barrier–make up for his relative lack of velocity.
I additionally discovered that a few of the common mechanics Tokon introduces made it very straightforward to leap in and start enjoying round with characters. In addition to rapid-button-press auto-combos–a widespread characteristic throughout Arc’s latest combating games–all characters have entry to a common aerial launcher by urgent down and heavy assault. This is not the one approach (and even essentially the most optimum in some instances) to start out air combos, however it does act as a strong springboard to studying the flashy air combos widespread to tag-based fighters. Tagging in characters mid-match can be made easy by permitting you to carry the tag button down to change the character you simply known as in to the purpose place. Crossover, a counter-type talent carried out by urgent mild assault and Assemble when guarding, permits you to summon an help for a disruptive counterattack. Nevertheless, in case you can predict when your opponent goes for a Crossover, you possibly can truly counter with one in all your own–and in case your timing is excellent, you will disable use of their help characters for a short window.
There’s much more nitty-gritty to fight, together with particular strikes and a few incredible-looking supers, and team-driven Assemble methods, however I really feel like I would wreck a few of the enjoyable of experiencing Tokon for your self if I went too deep into the weeds right here. Fortunately, you will have an opportunity to take action very quickly: sign-ups for a closed beta take a look at in early September have gone stay. I might encourage anybody to use, since a part of what makes combating video games so thrilling goes by yourself journey of studying, discovery, and enchancment. Whereas the ultimate recreation’s a methods off–the present launch date is a nebulous “2026”–Marvel Tokon is already poised to be a prime contender.