{"id":1643754,"date":"2026-07-24T18:59:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T18:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eGHWDgMPoE5GVk3ufnRfaH"},"modified":"2026-07-24T18:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T18:59:27","slug":"i-suck-at-fighting-games-but-marvel-tokon-has-the-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/i-suck-at-fighting-games-but-marvel-tokon-has-the-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"I suck at fighting games, but Marvel T\u014dkon has the sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I will openly admit that I’m not usually a fighting game person<\/a>. I enjoy playing Mortal Kombat with my equally bad friends, but as soon as I’m up against someone who knows their shit, I’m fumbling over the controls. Unsurprisingly, it’s not all too fun getting your ass whooped and feeling like there’s little you can do to stop the pain.<\/p>\n

But as soon as I laid eyes on Marvel T\u014dkon: Fighting Souls<\/a> during Sony’s 2025 State of Play, I knew I needed to at least try it\u2014just look at the graphic design work on display. And now that the Marvel T\u014dkon beta<\/a> has arrived, I’ve done just that.<\/p>\n

Marvel T\u014dkon’s main selling point for a fighting game flump like me\u2014besides the cool cast and art style\u2014is the universal controls and automated combos. Basically, every superhero shares the same combo inputs, unlike, say, Mortal Kombat, where each character has unique chains. It’s all standardised.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Gameplay
Arc System Works<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Gameplay
Arc System Works<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

Light, medium, and heavy attacks while standing, crouched, or aerial will always perform the same actions and automatically lead to specific chains no matter who you’re playing. For example, the following chain is a few basic attacks that’ll launch your enemy into an aerial combo, then knock them down to earth again: L \u2192 M \u2192 H \u2192 Down \u2192 H \u2192 M \u2192 H \u2192 Down \u2192 H.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the right bumper is dedicated to your character’s unique attacks, while the right trigger handles your skills. Pressing triangle\/Y and circle\/B will grab your opponent. The X\/A button, along with the left trigger, are mapped to your team swapping moves.<\/p>\n

It’s intuitive, it’s quick, and it’s much easier to remember than Mortal Kombat’s fighter-specific inputs and combos that typically also have you pressing buttons like you’re entering the Konami code. I can comfortably bounce from Wolverine to Captain America without having to rewire my brain.<\/p>\n