Review: MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a Gorgeous Fighting Game That Doesn't Quite Pack a Punch

Now available on PlayStation 5 and PC, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls brings the Marvel Universe into the world of Arc System Works with a new team-based fighting game developed in collaboration with Marvel Games and PlayStation Studios.

Rather than sticking with a traditional one-on-one format, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls builds around 4v4 teams, allowing players to assemble groups of Marvel heroes and villains and strategically call upon their teammates throughout a match. The game combines fast-paced 2.5D combat with tag-team mechanics and character switching, putting an emphasis on finding combinations that work well together.

There's also an original story behind all of the fighting. Earth has been selected for the Challenge of the Champion, a tournament orchestrated by the Champion of the Universe, an Elder of the Universe searching the cosmos for worthy opponents. Teams of four compete for the opportunity to face the Champion himself, with the threat of Earth's destruction hanging over them should they fail to satisfy him in battle.

The story unfolds through Episode Mode, which explores the game's different teams and their motivations for entering the tournament. Among them are a newly assembled group of X-Men led by Storm and the Knights of Doom, an unlikely collection of villains led by Doctor Doom. The narrative is presented through motion-comic sequences that blend the visual styles of American comics and Japanese manga.

That combination fits with the game's broader visual identity, as Arc System Works has reimagined Marvel's familiar heroes and villains with a distinctive anime-inspired style, while stages draw upon recognizable locations from across the Marvel Universe.

As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of 2D fighting games like Smash Bros. or Mortal Kombat, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls wasn’t something I anticipated to enjoy. And, realistically, the gameplay wasn’t my favorite. I found the complexity of the keyboard controls to be a bit overzealous, with the tutorial taking quite a bit of time to complete. I also found that even after going through the different move sets, I was still just kind of button mashing. Again, that could be a me problem, but I just found the game to be a bit of a slog to start. However, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is absolutely gorgeous. Where it shines is its really interesting blend between animated series, comic book, and video game. In Episode Mode, I found the battles to be maybe 25% of the experience, which, again, was very enjoyable.

For its price point, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls feels a little above what it is offering. Games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 were released at the same price point and offer a far more robust gameplay experience. While there is definitely a market for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, I think they are trying to sit with AAA titles in a way that might prevent some gamers from giving it a chance. 

If you enjoy Marvel Comics as well as 2D fighting games, you’ll probably love this game, but maybe wait for it to go on sale. 

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launched on August 6, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and PC. The Standard Edition is priced at $59.99, while the Digital Deluxe Edition is $84.99 and the Ultimate Edition is $99.99.