Marvel vs. Capcom Infinity is finished. The game was not included in the line up at any stage at Evo. Capcom has announced that the game will not be featured at their Pro Tour. To all video gamers, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinity is dead.
Relax.
Chill, as they say.
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinity is not a bad game. Some gamers have even argued that the game is just one patch away from being the best in the series. While I, believe that it is a good game, it will take more than a simple patch in order to fix all of the problems. There are three simple steps that should be taken in order to make Marvel vs. Capcom Infinity the game we all thought it was going to be.
Step 1: Roster Overhaul.
The main strength of any fighting game should be its cast of characters. Even if a game is lacking in graphics and game mechanics, a solid cast of characters can overlook many flaws. When fighting games announce their cast of characters, it should be met with excitement, disbelief and awe. The cast should not be greeted with “meh,” or “That’s who they picked?” In MVCI, the character choices were baffling. Bionic Commando, a game series not embraced by the mainstream, should never have been in this game, let alone in the main roster. Gamers were expecting some of their old favorites and instead got Frank West. This is the easiest problem to solve. Truth be told, it became much easier to fix once it was announced that Disney was in the process of acquiring 20th Century Fox. Marvel characters such as the X-Men and The Fantastic Four can now be used without push back from Disney. Give gamers the characters they want and then throw in some wacky choices for DLC.
Step 2: Look to the Past.
Innovation is the backbone of the gaming industry. Game series should always be trying out new things. This does not mean however, that a complete overhaul of a game is necessary. The MVC series was based on very quick combat, a tag mode and trying to figure out the biggest combo you could make. When designing MVCI, Capcom should have kept these mechanics and tried to improve upon things that gamers didn’t like. Branching out can be a good business strategy, but should be saved for a spin-off game instead. MVCI was described as being slow, a word that should never be used to describe a MVC game.
Step 3: Don’t be Afraid to Hit Restart
While the talk about patches being used to fix the game is a valid one, a much more drastic step might have to be taken. Capcom should rework this game from the ground up. No new characters will be able to fix the problems the game has. The game should be retooled and released as an almost brand new game. There is a belief that this game was rushed out because Disney wanted it on shelves before the Infinity War movie came out. Since this is no longer an issue, time should be spent in order to create a game that is a fantastic representation of the MVC series. Capcom was lucky that this game was not Disney’s biggest video game blunder this year. That award goes to Star Wars Battlefront II.
MVCI is not a bad game, but it should have been an excellent game. By having the right characters and adding the tools gamers needed to play the best way possible, the game could have been a major success. This doesn’t mean however that the game can’t be enjoyed. Here’s hoping that Capcom’s lack of push, almost trying to make gamers forget about it, means that changes are on the horizon.
