So it was once again with EA Sports FC 27. The legendary Kylian Mbappé returns as an Ultimate Edition cover athlete – technically his debut in the current franchise, with his last being on the Standard Edition for FIFA 23. The usual glitz and glamor with the reveal trailer, and the announcement of an even more expensive edition in Ultimate Plus that’s also time-limited, making for a uniquely gross kind of FOMO? Off to a rough start already, lads.

But then the development team introduced the latest range of changes and so-called improvements in a new deep dive. Call me a repeat recipient of the “fool me twice” award, but I’m cautiously optimistic. Interested, even, at what FC 27 is cooking.

The most prominent – which is probably why it’s the first mentioned – is the revamp to AI defenders in competitive play. The emphasis this time is providing more control for the player and returning the focus to manual defending, instead of the AI hogging the limelight. Say what you will about a sports game, whether it’s FIFA, FC, NBA, or whatnot. Striking a balance between being a superstar and a team player is undoubtedly important. But I also want to play the damn game.

To that end, AI defenders will still attempt possession, especially if a dribbler barrels towards their general direction, but they won’t be tackling at every possible turn. Their reach is also reduced compared to a manual defender, which means they’re trying to set you up for success rather than stealing the show.

Of course, with so much on your shoulders, you’re going to need to get more active. Increased jockey speed is a start, but now, manually-triggered stand tackles have more range. As bizarre as it sounds for a franchise with a decades-long pedigree of compelling gameplay to emphasize actually considering your positioning, switching to a defender at the right moment and focusing on tackling – “so actually playing the game?” as I remarked – at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Further encouraging you to actually control the players in the game you spent $70 minimum on is Avoidance. It essentially adds some evasion while executing corner kicks, because lest a match turn into too much jockeying back and forth for supremacy, you have options to actually wait and plan the next attack.

Which is good, because FC 27 will seemingly punish you for mistakes. No, don’t do a double-take. I’m serious. You’re no longer immediately in the best position when entering the box; manually controlled runs now only go for a limited distance, so you need to be more active; and crossing is as reliant on aiming as it is power. Somehow, we’ve reached the stage where considering the team’s actual position rather than relying on planned trajectories is essential. Even curved runs get a facelift of sorts with new Triggered Curve Runs, offering up more ways to weave through defenders, but also taking longer.

There’s a lot more to break down, from ground and Dinked Passes also focusing more on your own skill, or being able to continue dribbling, even when knocked off balance (provided you have the stats to sustain it). But the two things that give me some hope for FC 27 are the changes to PlayStyles.

Technical Dribbler, Finesse Shot, Intercept, Pinged Pass, Jockey, Precision Header – almost everything has received a balancing pass. You would think they’re being made less effective, but the emphasis is instead on scaling with your Attributes while reducing the gap between PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ tiers. Because when you don’t have to always rely on the better option, it creates incentives for trying others. Granted, it’s a fine balance – Rapid PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ providing more speed to dribbling animations is now gone, while the overall animation speed with those who don’t have the PlayStyle is still the same. A clearly worse option compared to last year, but if it was that good, maybe it needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

Of course, as much as I appreciate the increased control and adjustments to make you an active participant in the actual gameplay, there are some concerns (and no, not because it’s still EA). The lowered amount of assistance means that the mechanics need to feel rewarding, in terms of responsiveness, animations, collisions, smoothness of control, movement, the whole works. And considering how EA Sports FC 26 was dragged for its various bugs, it feels like an overall lack of polish this year could drag everything down, despite the best intentions.

There’s also the part about off-balance dribbling. Simply put, what if the attacker survives when it feels like they shouldn’t have? Conversely, what do you do about a player who puts so much stake in their off-balance dribbling that losing feels like a near impossibility (and makes it feel unrealistic when it does happen)? These are the kinds of things that you can only fine-tune so much internally, and where getting it in the hands of players for feedback is essential. Which is great because the more expensive editions provide seven days of early access! Perfect for testing, right?

There are still many areas that EA Sports FC 27 needs to improve over last year, especially when it comes to Player Career and Manager Career. The temptation to ensure Ultimate Team isn’t rewarding enough, seemingly pushing the largest number of players there ever will be at launch to spend money, is one that I don’t think Electronic Arts will shy away from. This is one of those “fool me once” situations which even I’m not stupid enough to give the benefit of the doubt to. And as always, locking certain game-changing features to current-gen versions – like off-balance dribbling – remains as questionable as ever.

But the gameplay still sounds enticing, simply because it’s harkening back to a time where skill took priority over comfort. Where planning and outplaying your opponent actually meant something, and which the actual gameplay managed to back up. Sure, it could sometimes err on the side of feeling too punishing – not everyone wants to work like crazy in every match, especially when sitting down for a few casual games. Yet with how much EA Sports FC 26 went in the other direction, it was only a matter of time before some course-correction was required.

The question now is whether the development team can deliver on all these promises in a way that actually results in enjoyable gameplay. Which is the goal of every game, let’s be real, so seeing a franchise like this mess up on so many occasions without fail makes it all the more baffling.

Still, I’m cautiously optimistic heading into its release on September 25th. I’d say the plan is set, and all that’s left is to not mess anything up, but really, that’s a given at this point.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

More Missions

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 will feature 15 levels at launch, though it’s unclear whether they’ll be divided into separate campaigns like the original. The latter only featured 12 missions initially, making up four campaigns with distinct objectives. It’s worth noting that the Pathogen expansion added three more missions for a total of 15 to the original. But instead of going back to baseline, Cold Iron Studios is starting with the same number, offering more bang for the player’s buck.

Also, director Chris Cross told Space.com that the team focused on “clarity of narrative and mission” in Fireteam Elite 2. “It’s more than just go here, get to point B, and then shoot the thing. Playing this game, there’s an actual throughline with the story.”

4 Player vs 3 Player Co-op

The other big change is one that fans have perhaps demanded the most – four-player co-op. While the original stood out with its three-player squads, it just didn’t feel right, and that’s even more so nowadays with how many indie and triple-A titles boast four-player co-op at a minimum. Of course, the benefits extend beyond just adding another player because of how the build variety and revamped classes add more strategy to the mix. But perhaps most important of all is the environments that you’ll be fighting in.

More Space, More Mayhem

Claustrophobic corridors with ample choke points where Xenomorphs could traverse along the floor, ceiling and walls are what it’s all about in the franchise, though the first game had its share of open spaces and killing fields. With the addition of another player, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 offers larger environments and even more enemy numbers to compensate. “It’s 25% more space that you need and 25% more damage. It definitely presented some challenges, but absolutely worth it. Fireteam Elite 2 is still the same flavor, but it plays better,” Cross said in the same interview.

But how will you be tackling some of the meanest creatures in the galaxy and making it out alive? With the new revamped classes, of course.

Five Redesigned Base Classes

The original Fireteam Elite offered five classes – Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc and Recon. If the names weren’t enough indication, each fulfilled a very specific role beyond slaying out. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 takes those same classes and evolves them into the Duelist, Machinist, Marauder, Hunter and Medic. While still broadly fulfilling the same roles, they now offer more options and ways to play alongside new perks.

For example, the Marauder has the Blast Cannon ability, firing an explosive straight into a Xenomorph’s face. However, you can upgrade it into either the Blastwave or Thermal Cannon – which is a straight-up flamethrower – depending on your needs (or what looks cool). It also has Titan Rockets for launching a powerful missile, which can once again be modified into a Phosphorous Rocket or Rocket Mines. One of its key Perks is Rampage, where killing an enemy grants a stack, and at 25, your movement speed, fire rate and reload speed are heavily buffed for 8 seconds at the cost of stability. Perfect for grabbing a shotgun and going wild on a horde of Xenos.

Then you have the Duelist, whose Stay on Target perk grants two percent increased damage whenever you hit an enemy, capping at 20 percent. You better keep landing those shots though, because the stacks start disappearing if you stop. Its Burst Configuration activates an experimental weapon which can be upgraded to damage in fragments or in a singular precision hit. All in all, if you’re looking for a specific playstyle, be it support or taking on a more defensive role, Fireteam Elite 2 has you covered.

The Endgame Specialist Class

But what if none of the above quenches your appetite for total Xenomorph destruction? What if parts of them all do? Well, that’s where the new Specialist comes in. Unlike Fireteam Elite 1, which added new classes in Season 1 and 3 with the Phalanx and Lancer, respectively, the sequel offers a sixth class from launch itself. It’s endgame-focused, which means you’ll need to put time into the other classes first, but you can essentially mix and match different abilities and perks into this one build. That includes any weapons as well, granting true freedom to create a build specifically tuned to your liking – something that the original outright lacked.

Primary and Signature Weapons

Another significant change from Aliens: Fireteam Elite is how loadouts now work. Originally, you could select one Primary weapon, with the dinky sidearm serving as your backup. In the sequel, there’s now a Primary and Signature weapon setup with the sidearm kept as your third weapon. One example of a Signature weapon is the Machinist’s Plasma guns, which consume less ammo than other weapons if managed properly. Meanwhile, a Marauder has access to heavy weapons like Smartguns, Rocket Launchers and Heavy Flamethrowers, while Hunters can utilizes rifles and beam weapons.

The key difference is the Duelist, which can wield two Primary weapons and has increased ammo reserves overall, fitting the gung-ho fantasy of jumping in, guns blazing (sans jumping). And of course, the Specialist is free to use any weapons, including Signature weapons, from the other classes. Want a Revolver Rifle as your Primary and a Smartgun as your Signature? Go ahead.

Augments and Weapon Progression Changes

Much like the first game, weapons can be customized with different muzzles, magazines, and optics. And while using it more unlocks different options, they’re a little bit different in Fireteam Elite 2. Based on various previews and gameplay, weapons now have slots for Traits and stats like weapon assist or handling, besides one for changing the color scheme. It’s the last slot which is most interesting because it enables Augments, like Incendiary Ammunition, which can ignite enemies but reduces stopping power. Augments seemingly have different rarities, like Unstable, so the best options may have little to no drawbacks. Either way, this new system enables more free-form customisation rather than following a set upgrade path, and we like it.

Fully Customizable Sidearms

Let’s talk about sidearms in Fireteam Elite. Actually, let’s not, because there’s nothing to talk about. These were backup weapons when your primary ran out of ammo and offered little more than slight reassurance when facing a horde of Xenos. Thankfully, Fireteam Elite 2 now allows you to customize sidearms, instilling traits, additional stats and Augments as they rank up while equipping different attachments. And based on footage thus far, it appears to be an actually viable weapon in the sequel.

Larger Perk Grid

The Perk Grid returns, once again providing a grid where you can allot perks depending on how many blocks they occupy. The original offered a 32-block Perk Grid, but with all these different options for customizing each class, not to mention the sheer number that the Specialist opens up, it makes sense for Cold Iron Studios to expand on that. To that end, Fireteam Elite 2 has a 42-block grid, which means more damage, utility or survivability when you need it. Or really just more damage on top of damage.

Crossplay at Launch and Cross-Platform Voice Chat

When Aliens: Fireteam Elite launched, it infamously lacked cross-platform multiplayer. That would eventually change almost a year after launch, but it still lacked cross-platform voice chat, which meant needing to hop on Discord to coordinate with allies. Chalk up another win for Fireteam Elite 2 because not only does it support crossplay out of the metaphorical box, but it also packs in voice chat that applies across all platforms.”

With twelve players across three squads working in urban maps that are larger than anything before them, scale seemed to be the main focus of Horde Siege, but its scope has been built so well it could give even the highly anticipated story a run for its money. A satisfying loop that began with training before quickly weaving in objective-based operations, exploration, defence, wave survival, and the final extraction never felt predictable across four matches spread over several hours.

Even on its easiest difficulty, we found enough to keep us on our toes even in moments of respite between waves of hostiles, the need for survival necessitating the intelligent use of our arsenals and class-based skill sets. While we stayed on easy for the most part to get a better sense of the build overall, we should tell you that final balancing, along with mechanics, performance, and content, could change between this preview build of the game and the final release one.

With that out of the way, it’s time to dive into the fray, and what a glorious battle it is!

A Potent Mix Of Varying PvE Experiences

We began our preview with the Onboarding mission, which introduced the game’s mechanics like shooting, movement, and cover before having our squad defending a R.I.G. against several enemy waves. We were then ordered to proceed to an extraction site only to find it on the verge of being overrun. Purging the hostile presence enough to allow a safe landing for a helicopter finally let our team get up out of there.

It wasn’t important as merely a tutorial mission meant to get you familiar with the controls, but with the rhythm of what was expected of you. Defending a position, moving forward, clearing out areas, and finally extracting safely were strongly established as core parts of the gameplay loop on offer, encouraging staying on the move instead of doubling down at a safe spot for the entirety of the match. Of course, the rest of the activities on offer quickly built on that.

There was Blitz, an activity type that had us scouring the map for R.I.G. components before tasking us with their installation and repair, while enemy fire rained all around us was definitely a memorable first time experiencing it. Having to hold down positions to allow repairs to finish, and then having to take on a more conventional wave of enemies right after that was intense, and immensely satisfying when it brought the team together to pull off some excellent defence. Of course, the extraction area needed a bit of extermination too, so there was a lot of combat involved, but with interesting twists that encouraged unpredictability thanks to how scavenging, repairing, defence, and extraction were all variables that could go one way or another every time you began a match.

It’s saying a lot, then, that Siege was our favorite activity, and that’s simply because it was our favorite interpretation of the objective-based formula on offer. Collecting data pads strewn about the map at quite a distance from each other was an optional secondary objective that had our squad falling down and reviving each other way more than we’d have liked to admit.

Of course, the primary objective of calibrating the R.I.G. also meant that we needed to hold positions for as long as the calibration protocol was running. With that needing to be done across three different zones, while fending off coordinated attacks from vicious enemy squads, this one became a series of decisions to be made on the fly, each one bearing weight on the outcome of each objective.

Was it a good idea to split up, cover more ground, and try to knock out as many objectives as possible? Who would hold down the most exposed position? Were those data pads worth the risk of being downed far from the safe helping hands of our fellow squad members, putting them at risk if they were to attempt a rescue? Siege made Horde feel less like killing everything in sight, and more like carving a path to the best possible outcomes for you and your comrades.

But that doesn’t mean that killing everything you see isn’t an option, as the traditional Horde activity returns in a gloriously familiar wave-survival format that gets brutally difficult even on the easiest setting. Ten waves of increasingly difficult enemies, with a bit of downtime between waves made this one a great reminder of the constant escalation that we’ve often felt when tackling one nasty wave after another. It’s nice to know that E-Day isn’t discarding something that’s felt so familiar, while also making it work alongside fresh new formats.

Between these four activities, Horde felt like a mode that could switch things up almost on a whim, while still being familiarly rewarding when we were able to work with our mates as a coordinated squad blazing a path through Locusts as if they were nothing while a single mistake could alter the delicate balance of the fight at any time.

But why has it made as much of an impression as it has? We’re happy to elaborate!

A New Rhythm

It’s important to think about how traditional Horde has evolved over iterations to appreciate just how good this one is. What began as continuous wave survival quickly expanded into classes, progression, fortifications, and deployable defenses such as Gears 3’s barriers and turrets against major boss waves. Gear 4’s Horde 3.0 let you establish a base almost anywhere with the Fabricator while deepening classes and abilities. But a common factor across the board has been a loop where you’re holding your ground against overwhelming odds.

E-Day switches that up, making travelling through the map across multiple stages a core part of the gameplay, with defensive stations acting as waypoints to take a stand against particularly nasty hostiles before making your way to the next bunch of encounters. Recovering missing items, capturing or holding separate zones, clearing extraction sites, and those secondary objectives that bring a whole new layer to each run are all factors that play on that forward momentum to make the whole thing feel very dynamic this time around.

On that note, we believe that Horde’s maps deserve a special shout, being enormous enough to accommodate all the chaos while still supporting pushing forward in ways that felt natural. It’s in the way cover is laid out ever so organically, allowing for quick responses to tactical opportunities that arise. Separating from your squad at the right moments made as much sense as cooperating on other occasions, and it feels like the potential to craft your own journey is always at your fingertips.

It helps that everything’s quite readable, with clear markers on squad members if the need to split up arose, and this is the franchise’s great map designs at their finest. They’re impressive not just because they’re huge, but because they help you lean in to all the changes that have come, with revamped combat spaces and tactical decisions baked into their very foundations. The new movement system complements the maps, and is an exceptional part of the experience. It might be among the finest we’ve played in a third-person shooter if we’re being honest.

It’s familiar, but fresh in how smoothly you move in and out of cover, and how crossing huge distances didn’t feel like a chore. It’s in how responsive changing positions feels when you’re under heavy fire, while lending practicality to splitting off from the group and making your way back to it once you handle your business. It’s Gears as you know and love it, while removing some of the rigidity from past titles to make this one stand out.

Of course, what we were doing on those maps was as important as moving around them, and chasing down objectives felt natural rather than mandatory, a logical sequence framed very well by the narrative context lent to your desperate battles. While we found ourselves sticking with our squad for the most part, circumstances could change in seconds to force us apart. Those calibration zones we had to hold down were a good example of that, and we made good use of those markers to monitor each other, ready to leave our position and lend assistance if the situation demanded it.

We liked that reviving a downed teammate was quick and straightforward, needing nothing more than a quick butoon press before they were back in the think of the action. It was particularly welcome when a stray rocket ended what should have been a near-perfect blaze of glory to a nearby data pad, the corpses of Locust forces strewn all around us. Instead, we crawled desperately in its direction until a fellow member gave us a helping hand to get us back on our feet.

The four classes are distinct enough to make settling into a role feel unique to each player, with each one coming with its own pros and cons. We’re going to hold off on commenting on the balancing between them as we stuck to the Assault class for the most part. But the Marksman, Medic, and Breacher are equally viable. We loved the combination of the Assault class and the Lancer, and there’s a lot of space for customising your build to the tiniest detail if the numerous locked options we encountered were any indication.

As Effective As Ever

Horde’s always been a fun part of Gears of War. Having it feels as brutal as ever in its own dedicated space is a great way to make it welcoming to long-term fans, while Onboarding is a great place for newbies to pick up their weapons and learn its nuances. It’s just the beginning of how this take on the popular mode feels exceptionally well crafted. It’d already given us so many fond memories.

We loved how Onboarding became a full blown shootout, a desperate battle to ensure our safe extraction. We loved how hunting for the R.I.G.’s parts while fending off waves of enemies felt like there was a sense of purpose and direction guiding the battlefield’s chaos towards a rewarding goal. We loved how the choice to pursue secondary objectives becomes a thing you have to deal with in the midst of heated firefights, and could affect your success at holding down calibration zones.

We absolutely loved the gradually escalating difficulty of traditional Horde, a reminder that E-Day was every bit as good at nailing down that nasty wave survival formula. With traversal that felt silky smooth, great level design with ample cover and opportunities to improvise on the fly, and those enormous spaces were all memorable enough to have us very excited to see what the final build looks like.

We’re counting the days to this one, and it isn’t just because we’re eager to play more of it. We can’t wait for you to join in on the fun too, and share in the joy that playing this early build has given us.

This game was previewed on Xbox Series X. (Access provided by Xbox).

Ease of Use Ratings

We’ve talked about each fighter’s unique playstyles, and suffice to say, mastering Star Lord’s elemental attacks is not as easy as simply pulling and swinging towards opponents as Spider-Man. That’s where the Ease of Use Rating comes in. The greater the number of stars, the easier a character is to play. Captain America is rated five stars, making him the easiest to start with, while Danger and Ghost Rider are rated two stars, making them the toughest to start with.

Start Up Battle

Training Mode, as you’d expect, is there to practice and refine combos with various settings to customize opponents. But Start Up Battle is where you’ll really get started, as it lays out every single mechanic, from Assemble to how the 4v4 format works, before challenging you to apply it all in a match. And if you’re comfortable enough with the basics, you can skip them and dive into Tōkon’s complexities more quickly.

Assemble Counter

Assemble is the term for Assists, and when you’re in neutral, you can bring out as many as you want with a very slight cooldown. But there’s one more. If you’re good at reading an opponent, hitting back + Light Attack + Assemble will cause your point character to counter the incoming hit and call in an ally for a follow-up attack, which costs one point of your Assemble Gauge.

Crossover

Unlike Assemble Counter, Crossovers are performed when you’re already in a blocking stance, i.e. when caught in the corner. By hitting Light Attack + Assemble while guarding, you’ll call in an ally to disrupt the opponent, which is great for interrupting any potential combos. This consumes one Assemble Gauge, but be careful. If your opponent hits Light Attack + Assemble at the right moment during your Crossover, they can execute a Crossover Reflect, countering it and briefly stopping you from performing any Assembles.

Assemble Smash

When executing a regular Assemble, an ally’s position in the top-left character grid indicates which assist they’ll perform. In the neutral position without any direction, a Shooter Assist is called in, good for long-range projectile attacks. Down + Assemble is the Vertical Assist – ideal for mid-air and whatnot – while Back + Assemble executes an Assault Assist for unleashing a powerful skill.

But what if you wanted to layeth the smacketh downeth on enemies with a barrage of coordinated attacks? That’s where Assemble Smash comes in. It’s performed with Light Attack + Assemble right when an enemy’s attack lands or even as an overhead, making it impossible to block when crouching. But if you hit the Assemble button again when the initial Smash lands, other allies are brought in for additional hits. And if that wasn’t enough, performing it in mid-air will bypass projectiles (though it doesn’t have armor so other opposing attacks are fair game). Sure, this will completely spend your Assemble Gauge with all the follow-ups, but it’s the style that counts. Speaking of which…

Combo Gauge

In a game where it’s easy enough to rack up combos once you know what to do, and how each character works, it makes sense to have a Combo Gauge. It’s the blue bar located right under the orange bar displaying the number of hits, and it effectively stops combos when maxed out. How you get around that is where Tōkon’s combat really comes together because performing Assembles will reduce the gauge and extend combos. Meanwhile, combos in mid-air cause the gauge to rise less than on the ground, thus allowing you to get some extra hits in and keep the combo rolling.

Surprisingly Extensive Accessibility Settings

Say what you will about PlayStation, but their games, even those from third-party developers, tend to offer a strong range of accessibility features. These include disabling excessive camera movement and effects for better visual comfort, a screen reader, mono audio, basic controller remapping, inverting sticks, and much more.

PS5 Features

Beyond the console’s SSD enabling faster loading times and rematches, the Tempest 3D Audio support, or even the support for DualSense’s Haptic Feedback (which can be turned off, of course), it’s nice to see Marvel Tōkon performing so well on the base PS5. Visuals are upscaled to 4K, and if you haven’t noticed from all the trailers and gameplay thus far, they look very sharp.

PS5 Pro Uses PSSR

Far be it from the PS5 Pro to be left behind, and to no one’s surprise, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution is supported for improved image clarity. That means even crisper-looking battles and visual splendor in stunning 4K.

PC in 4K (But Locked to 60 FPS)

Marvel Tōkon supports 4K on PC at Ultra settings, but battles are locked to 60 FPS. Lest you think it’s a detriment, this is actually common for many fighting games on the platform, whether it’s Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 or ArcSys’s own Guilty Gear Strive. On the bright side, PC players can leverage Haptic Feedback on a DualSense wireless controller.

Easy Anti-Cheat on PC

Now the actual bad news: Easy Anti-Cheat is required to play on PC. This is a Kernel-level anti-cheat solution, and even if you uninstall the game, it must be manually removed. 2XKO received a fair bit of flak for its own Kernel-level Riot Vanguard, and though many other fighters can suffer from cheaters on PC due to the lack of anti-cheat, it’s a tough pill to swallow.

Full Voice Acting in 10 Languages

On the bright side, there’s full voice acting for 10 languages, including English, Japanese, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin and more. You also get support for 16 text languages, so if you want to play in Japanese or Korean with English subtitles, then go for it.

Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate Editions

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls will set you back by $60 – the same as Street Fighter 6 at launch. Interestingly, that also applies to the Deluxe Edition, which includes the base game, Year 1 Characters and Stage Pass, Howard the Duck as a lobby avatar and the adorable Cosmo as a lobby pet – all for $85. The Ultimate Edition retails for $100 and includes everything from the Deluxe Edition, along with an Animated Chromatic color unlock and five character outfits, including Classic Iron Man, Classic Captain America, and Spider-Man’s Advanced Suit 2.0 from Insomniac’s titles.

Marvel’s Wolverine Collaboration Costume

Was anyone else thinking how strange it was that Marvel Tōkon and Insomniac’s latest were releasing so close to one another, both featuring Wolverine, and there was no sign of a crossover? Turns out, we were wrong – the “Battle Reborn” outfit from Marvel’s Wolverine will be available on September 1st for all Tokon players for free.

While Arc System Works admits that alternate outfits haven’t really been its thing, there’s “a much greater emphasis on costume development as one of the ways players can enjoy their favorite characters in new ways,” per producer Takeshi Yamanaka. The team is looking to add a “variety of costumes” later on, so make your wildest guess about what those could be.

The First DLC Fighter

Unfortunately, we didn’t learn which DLC characters would be joining the roster in Year 1 during San Diego Comic-Con, but lest we forget, that’s kind of how Arc System Works has always handled reveals. One after another for maximum hype, and the first DLC character is certainly out of this world in more ways than one – Phoenix Cyclops. Arriving in Fall 2026, this is Scott Summers fused with the Phoenix Force, as last seen in the comics crossover Avengers vs. X-Men. Details remain to be revealed on his abilities, but the usual Optic Blasts and fiery Phoenix powers are to be expected.

Well, the game’s PlayStation version is now an important part of the conversation thanks to Sony’s policy of region-locking digital codes, requiring that they match the country registered on the player account. That throws a wrench in Rockstar’s plans, considering that its retail strategy could go haywire if the only thing standing between potential players and a purchased copy of the game is a platform-specific restriction.

How does that work, you ask? Well, let’s dive in and take a look at a situation that might not come with quick and easy solutions.

A Familiar Hurdle To A Fresh New Game

Let’s get this out of the way: Sony requiring PS Store codes to match the region registered with the account isn’t anything new. But it’s important to remember that you don’t have the option to change your region once you select it when setting up a new account, a detail that becomes important a little later down the line. For now, it’s enough to know that it’s always been a thing with PlayStation, and isn’t a new restriction created specifically for GTA 6.

That brings in Rockstar’s role in the situation. Would it be fair to blame the studio for a restriction it has no control over? Should it change its position on shipping its flagship title without discs on physical editions? Why is Rockstar even a part of the conversation when this isn’t some new form of region-locking that it invented, but rather an existing one that doesn’t have a workaround at the moment?

That’s because a game as important to the industry and gaming culture as GTA 6 shouldn’t have to face issues like region-locking. Up until now, that has been an issue with DLC, pre-order bonuses, in-game currencies, season passes, and digital add-ons to games, many of which can be bought with codes that PlayStation players must be quite careful about ensuring their purchase was going to work on their version of the game.

But as far as the boxed edition of GTA 6 is concerned, that’s now the entire base game, with no disk to use in case the code ends up incompatible. Region-locking might not have been too much of a concern in the past, but it certainly is now, considering that it’s a possibility that a number of players using one of the most popular consoles of the current generation to play one of its biggest releases might not be able to boot up a copy that they own.

Something’s gone wrong somewhere along the way, hasn’t it? Well, like it or not, here we are. But wait. Things could get a lot worse.

Potential Pitfalls

It’s insane to assume that in today’s world, it’s a gamer making purchases through a single channel (a retailer or digital storefront) that forms a title’s supply chain. But that’s exactly what this situation feels like, as Sony’s restriction assumes that a person stays put in the country where they first created an account, and that they’re only going to stick to that region thereafter. But that ignores several possibilities, all of which have been mild inconveniences until now, but could become serious roadblocks to GTA 6’s release if things get ugly enough.

It’s possible that a copy purchased from an international retailer doesn’t let you access the game when you type in your code thanks to a regional mismatch. That could apply to a cheaper imported copy too, or one that you received as a gift. All of those are different ways to get the game, by the way, but you’re still not going to be able to play it if the regions don’t line up.

Let’s assume you’re careful and do your best to ensure that the restriction doesn’t apply to you. That might mean looking through multiple marketplace sellers in case you don’t find ones that list the region specifically. It could also mean you might not be able to play a copy you purchased locally in case you’re living in a different country from the one your account is based in. That might mean that you need to create a new account, and GTA 6 is the first title in an unnecessary effort to build an entirely separate library of games.

It doesn’t help that Rockstar has explicitly recommended cognizance of this specific pitfall, and has asked players to purchase physical editions of the game from retailers in the same country as the account a player’s profile is based in. That’s not to say that the studio expects every foreign purchase to fail, but the fact that it has spoken up about it points to the probability that it anticipated issues and is trying to get in front of them. That’s made all the more complicated by the fact that the studio uses regional groups instead of locking each code to an individual country.

That means you’ve got a code for regions like North America, UK, Japan, Korea, and different groupings for Asian countries. India, for instance, shares groups with Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, among others. While that might be an efficient distribution strategy internally, Rockstar should know that it’s possible for a physical copy to simply not work thanks to these groupings because some players may not understand how it organizes its regions.

A copy purchased from one country could still work in another one, while one from a nearby country could fail if it’s in another group. We’re going to reiterate that this doesn’t mean every foreign copy is going to be unusable, but it does highlight a higher probability of issues for a game that’s been highly anticipated for a very long time.

This is also a great place to bring in Japan, and the unique regional restriction that Rockstar needs to adhere to there. Japanese codes of GTA 6 are going to become redundant after 170 days if they remain unredeemed. It’s a great example of why a code isn’t equal to a disc, highlighting how a sealed disc remains usable for years while a code can expire if the region it’s issued in doesn’t allow it to endure. Life happens, and it’s very possible that a player could find that brand new copy just sitting around waiting for them to boot up the game until six months later, that code just vanishes into the ether.

We try to stay neutral and consider the merits of both sides in any argument, but we can’t help but wonder if all this potential friction is really necessary given that other platforms are free of them.

Unnecessary Evils

Remember when we mentioned that you can’t change regions once you pick one when setting up your account on PlayStation? Here’s why that’s important. For starters, the option to switch regions is the most obvious solution to all of the problems we’ve been talking about, but it’s off the table already. Another inadvisable solution is a new account created specifically for the same region as the code, but that’s a pathway to needless hassles for a player who just wants to enjoy a game they’ve bought.

Which account technically owns the game becomes an issue, as you’re going to have to work with restoring licences and setting up your primary account for console sharing if you plan to play the game on it. It also becomes an issue when trying to figure out which account needs to buy future downloadable content, Ultimate Edition upgrades, any bonuses, or perhaps when you want to access the game on another console later. There’s only so many passwords one can keep track of, after all.

You shouldn’t have to maintain a separate account just to play a purchased copy of a game. Even worse is the fact that this restriction doesn’t exist on other platforms like Xbox. It’s the same boxed product with a code to the digital version of the game, but where the PS5 could stumble on region-locking, an Xbox is going to sail right on through. It obviously doesn’t mean that one console is better than the other, but it does reveal how illogical it is to have different conditions on the same damn product.

It also showcases an interesting facet of the physical versus digital games debate: the box may be even less secure than a digital copy if you’re the type to buy your games directly off your account’s digital storefront, which ensures that region-locking isn’t of any concern whatsoever. GTA 6 is now a game where buying a physical copy for your PlayStation doesn’t give you a playable disc, or any options for an offline install, with the added uncertainty of your copy being incompatible with your account.

You forego the convenience of automatic storefront matching and lose value on traditional preservation too. That’s not to mention potential losses from no resale value if you’re the type to budget things out gaming-wise. In all practicality, GTA 6 on PlayStation combines the restrictions of digital ownership with the uncertainty of purchasing a retail physical copy as it stands.

While you could argue that it isn’t a new problem, we’d counter by agreeing while pointing out that it’s now getting the scale and visibility it perhaps should have always had thanks to GTA 6. It’s one of the first high profile games to vanish entirely behind a download code that may or may not work based on the region it was issued for and the one you’re trying to redeem it in. It’s turned a familiar voucher restriction into another valid point in the larger debate about access, preservation, importing, and gifting of games.

There isn’t a disc left when a code fails, and no matter where you stand on ownership and preservation of games, that is definitely a cause for concern when talking about one of the biggest games of a whole generation of them.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Raiders, as I specified already, decidedly bucks that declining trend and pulls me back into the fold. The very first spin off the Splatoon franchise has ever gotten, it delivers two things that until now, have been unprecedented – a Splatoon title that is primarily single player; and, perhaps more importantly, the very first looter shooter Nintendo has ever made.

"There’s actually not that much variety in mission types and variety"

Because that’s what Splatoon Raiders is – a looter shooter. Rather than being based on the content distribution model of something like Destiny, however, it’s better to compare Raiders to Borderlands or Monster Hunter. This is a game that’s packed with a remarkable amount of content and systems, requiring neither persistent online connectivity, nor updates, to flesh out the structure and skeleton.

Like any loot game, Splatoon Raiders sees players pick out missions, and then run them to the end for loot drops; said loot drops can then augment and modify your build and abilities, which in turn allows you to take on higher leveled missions for better loot, and so on and so forth. It’s a structure that has worked in pretty much every loot game there ever has been, from Borderlands to The Division, and it serves Raiders well. The missions in question are extremely quick to run, requiring under ten minutes to complete in almost all cases, which lends them well to the repetition inherent to replaying older levels for better loot – also something that is a hallmark of loot games, mind you.

There’s actually not that much variety in mission types and variety – you either run through a linear course, clearing some mandatory objectives, and defeating all enemies you find on the way; or you are tasked with defeating a certain amount of enemies within a certain period of time, with enemies respawning endlessly until you do; there are missions that give you one primary objective, with a bunch of minor objectives scattered across the map, and let you decide how you want to progress; and then there are the smaller, more specific missions, such as ones where you can only use certain gear, or have to fight off only a specific kind of enemy, or have to complete some sort of platforming obstacle course.

You’d think the lack of variety would start to grate, particularly in a game that asks for so much repetition from the player to begin with. However, interestingly enough, that never quite happened with Raiders in my experience. At least part of this has to do with Splatoon’s immaculate game feel and mechanics. Spraying stages with colored ink, seamlessly transforming into your squid form to traverse and navigate, and defeating enemies in giant explosions of color all remains inherently satisfying and addictive on some deep, primal level, and keeps players on the loot treadmill in spite of the ostensible issues with repetition. These, combined with the general stage design — short and quick, with rapid pacing and straightforward objectives — means that the issue of the lack of variety and repetition never even occurred to me while actually playing the game. It was only when stopping to reflect on my time with Raiders that I realized that it does technically “falter” on this front.

"Every major mission in the game can be played multiplayer, with friends or with strangers."

Repetition is ultimately inherent to a loot game — one could even argue it is the entire point. Loot games that don’t force you to work towards your preferred or desired drops by repetition and grinding tend to receive harsh criticism from players who find they have nothing within the game left to do — as happened with Monster Hunter Wilds last year, or Destiny 2 when it first came out, before its expansions fixed it up. I don’t think anyone who is interested in the genre is going to find Raiders worse on this front than any other similar title. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Splatoon is generally better about it than other titles in the genre are. The strength of the series’ core mechanics, paired with smart mission design, helps it retain an edge.

A key aspect of loot games, particularly in the modern era, is multiplayer and co-op. For all that the marketing of Splatoon Raiders has focused on the fact that it is the first single player game in the series, it is, in fact, fully multiplayer. Every major mission in the game can be played multiplayer, with friends or with strangers. And, in fact, Splatoon Raiders has a far more robust and functional suite of online multiplayer features than any of the mainline games have had.

For starters, and remarkably, I experienced no lag, no stuttering, no disconnections, and no instability in my entire time with the game at all, almost half of which was spent playing with others. In 2026, it can feel almost comical to call attention to this, but I would like to remind everyone that Nintendo, and the original Switch, were so deficient with online support and features that games with frequent lag, stutters, and disconnections were extremely common until just a few years ago. With Raiders, however, the game ran as smoothly in multiplayer as it does single player.

Beyond just the netcode, the actual suite of online features is also great; you can play with strangers, play with friends, have private parties, call on help from other players if you’re playing solo and struggling, help out other players who may be stuck; it’s all quick and straightforward, and it’s remarkably seamless. If multiple players are playing, then everyone gains progress for the levels being completed in their individual and respective games, even if the missions in question are ahead of however far they may have progressed in their own game. This, again, doesn’t seem like a big deal, but is such a contrast to how something like Monster Hunter handles synching players’ progress, that it merits being called out – especially since this is technically Nintendo’s first attempt at the genre to begin with.

"Like other games of this type, Raiders also really spreads its wings and comes into its own when it gets to the endgame."

The actual loot and grinding aspect of Raiders benefits from being part of the Splatoon IP. The mainline games’ madcap weapon variety, with different types (all of which play substantively differently), makes it over; to augment it further, Raiders also has you aiming for modifiers on your powers and abilities, weaving and mixing its various randomized drops in all sorts of ways to allow for a glorious litany of ways to customize your build to your play style.

Like other games of this type, Raiders also really spreads its wings and comes into its own when it gets to the endgame. The post game content in Splatoon Raiders is pretty robust and deranged in its challenge and difficulty level, and running some of the end game stuff leads to some of the most hectic moments in any game that I can remember in recent memory.

Which, actually, brings me to what I found the most surprising aspect of Splatoon Raiders — it may be the most technically impressive game from Nintendo I have played in the Switch 2 (again. Yes, I realize I say this often, but also, we are early enough in the console’s life cycle right now that each new release shows us more about its capabilities).

It’s amusing, because Splatoon Raiders apparently started development as an expansion for Splatoon 3, a game on the original Switch. However, this game, in the form that it is currently in, would probably melt that system if it tried to run on it. Splatoon Raiders frequently fills the screen with dozens of enemies, dozens of beams, explosions, waves, transparencies, and particle effects, dozens of bright splashes of color, multiple player characters, and through all this, it runs at a steady, locked 60 frames per second. There was not a single dropped frame in Raiders in the entire time I spent with it — and believe me, after a certain point, I was trying my best to push the game and catch any stutters or frame rate drops in the act.

I legitimately had very little expectations from or interest in Splatoon Raiders, with the last few entries in the franchise convincing me that it was no longer for me. What I ended up getting is definitely my favorite game in the franchise since the Wii U original over a decade ago, one of my favorite exclusives on the Switch 2, a system that is rapidly building an enviable library of quality exclusive content, and one of my favorite loot games ever, in a genre where, over several decades, I’ve experienced no end of fantastic games. For an unassuming spin off in one of Nintendo’s so called lesser franchises, that’s a pretty strong outing, all said and done.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.

Asobo could have played that quite safely, setting up a well-polished and refined take on its stealth-forward formula that had already worked so well across two titles. Sophia’s slingshot was a potent weapon, and it would have been so easy to call it a day and give it some increased utility with careful, cautious additions. Of course, turning the clock back by fifteen years to examine an earlier chapter in Sophia’s life, and using that as a platform to turn things back even further and potentially examine the origins of the game’s supernatural elements is a bold gambit.

But there are hints of intelligence that shine through, making us believe that the developers have been clever about cooking up a game that wears its inspirations on its sleeve while setting up the franchise for future success in the process. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s jump right in.

Fascinating Forward Momentum

It makes sense that Sophia is at the heart of this new adventure, given that she was woven into Requiem quite well, while her potential return was set up quite clearly at the end of it. She’s a largely open book at this point, though, and her reluctance to take drastic decisions in Requiem leaves plenty of room to explore what kind of violence she may have experienced, or inflicted, in the past. Taking the story back to her early days is a great narrative choice, cementing her role in whatever comes next while expanding her skill set beyond the previous title’s range of capabilities afforded to her.

The narrative justification and grounding for it is there for all to see, considering that she’s likely to be a protector of sorts to Amicia wherever their adventures take them next. Looking deeper into her violent past, and potentially getting a closer look at the events that shaped her into the woman we know is definitely intriguing, and can lend flavor to the franchise’s overarching narrative.

A prequel is definitely a great way to establish continuity to the events of the first two games, and perhaps help ground Sophia’s role in them. We don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Macula Prime remains largely unexamined beyond the entire child and guardian part of it. Sophia’s past could be the key to helping track other infected children in the future, making her crucial to Amicia’s desire to help them as a means of honoring Hugo.

An opportunity to witness a franchise as riveting as this comes one full circle is definitely enticing, as is the one to take things forward in exciting new directions with more contextualised lead characters than what Requiem managed. But that’s just the story. We’ve still got that swashbuckling brand of combat and tomb-raiding in a brand new areas to talk about.

Keeping Things Fresh

While we aren’t surprised that the developers wanted to leave the dark and gritty tone of the first two games behind, taking us back to Greece wasn’t something we’d have guessed at. The island of Crete, which is where Sophia’s ground for exploration, brings all the color and brightness of that distinct Mediterranean vibe to the table and it’s a very welcome new visual style for the franchise. Footgae from official gameplay and trailers show cliff sides, dark underground levels, water and beaches, and a few mountains, all of which shine through with a clean image and seemingly stable framerates.

Results on the final release may vary, but things are looking quite good on the visual front, and the change is more than superficial. The Plague Tale games have always been lookers so it’s not a surprise that Resonance looks so good. It makes Sophia’s past a very vibrant place, although Asobo has made it clear that the brighter surroundings won’t spare her from the kind of hardship the franchise has become known for. That’s going to be an interesting contrast, and watching it play out could be among the best stories 2026 gives us the pleasure of witnessing.

Sophia is tenacious by nature, and a stable, grounded presence. But she seems more reckless in the past, and perhaps even a tad too confident in her abilities if you look at her in action. The shift from stealth to a head on combat is a big change, but Sophia seems more than capable of winning us over with a set of tools that serve her very well. There’s the grappling hook to close gaps, along with a sword-and-dagger combat system where parries, dodges, and the nimble use of abilities can have you making fights look stylish and easy.

Indeed, everything we’ve seen of the game, and talk from the developers about how Ghost of Tsushima served as a major inspiration among other action titles, points to a combat system that’s designed to keep you flowing from one move to the other while constantly keeping enemies off balance. That’s always our favorite kind of combat loop as measured aggression often makes for the most thrilling fights. Although, when you actually play the game, the combat does enough to make it stand out from Ghost.

The game’s level design improvements in Plague Tale were clearly demonstrated through the platforming sections of a specific chapter, which was featured in the preview build that we had the opportunity to experience firsthand. We’re not going to spoil anything here, but when you factor those in with puzzles (which we will talk about in a bit) and platforming that are sure to remind you of yet another swashbuckling franchise, you might wonder if Resonance ends up feeling a tad derivative. Trust us, it’s not.

Although it’s a valid concern, we’re pointing you towards what is our favorite addition of them all: the way the game has woven in a myth into its narrative and gameplay. Taking Sophia back to her past, examining visions of the location she’s now exploring is a ticket to the very Island’s early days, where you’re going to take control of a character in his fight against the Minotaur. The developers are playing things pretty close to the chest on that front, but it isn’t too hard to predict some connection with the Macula Prime on the cards. It will be interesting to see how things pan out on that front.

Regardless, it’s another justification for the shift from stealth to action, it’s also important to consider the suspicion that choosing Sophia for the experiment felt too convenient. As a blank slate with a role to play in the franchise’s future, is Resonance simply playing it safe, buying time as it figures out what’s next for its story? Is Sophia merely a smokescreen before the franchise returns to Amicia’s sneaky story, or a beacon for better things to come?

A Proving Ground

The only answer we have to those questions at the moment is that the island of Crete is more than just a home for Sophia’s early story and a convenient means to weave the minotaur into the mix. It’s also a stage for Asobo to show us what it can do, on a stage that’s well out of its comfort zone. The island’s excellent design carries the studio’s ambitions, and its lack of experience designing combat systems in the past is a valid concern. The first two Plague games despite being great, their respective combat systems were still pretty simplistic.

With Resonance, however, we think that it’s a great way to bring a fresh new perspective on systems we already know and love, and everything we’ve seen of the combat system in action points to it feeling fast, fluid, and fantastically brutal. What’s more, the developers have since said that it isn’t going to be too much for players unfamiliar with Soulslikes, pointing to an accessible experience that balances innovations and challenge. Pragmata has already shown us how that pans out this year, and Resonance stands to gain a lot from a well-placed experience.

Well, official footage points and our hands on with the game points to that being the case, with a seamless flow between exploration, light platforming, puzzles, and intense fights setting up a rhythm that’s both comfortable yet unpredictable. But we’ve still got a few concerns. Like the animations could be better? I feel they are a tad abrupt. Can the game have enough of a balance between Sophia and Theseus, and have enough of a foundation to support their reportedly distinct combat styles? The entire system and its related animations will need enough readability to ensure a seamless switch between the two. However, given the pedigree of the developer, we have plenty of reasons to remain reassured on that particular front.

Our time with the preview build also shed light on another facet of the experience that might be a tad risky. The intricate and complex design of some puzzles genuinely tested us, especially since the game largely avoids forcing hints or solutions on the player. I mean, we spents several minutes thinking what to do next and we felt stuck during many moments. However, there’s a catch. A helpful companion did offer up entirely optional dialogue prompts, leaving the choice to accept their help up to you in what we think is a clever take on a tried-and-tested system of handholding, with enough player agency to make it stand out.

All in all, Resonance is shaping up to be sailing towards a bright horizon for its ambitious effort at bringing something new to the Plague’s Tale formula. It’s got enough going for it to make it a solid addition to the franchise, and the surprises that we just know are coming could just make it one that stands out among 2026’s best ones.

The stage is set, and the curtain call is now a little over a month away before we find out if this one has what it takes, but it’s looking so darn good we’re almost hoping it succeeds.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

So, while appetite for crossover fighters still exists, and the superhero genre garners huge appeal, Fighting Souls’ reimagined heroes are designed to appeal to casual fighting game audiences and the more competitive FGC alike. It’s stylish, yet purportedly responsive, with easy to learn mechanics hiding depth to be unmasked through mastery. It captures the frenetic energy of classic crossover fighters, sure, but ArcSys is making sure to carve out a unique identity.

And, if anything, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s backing is a dream partnership for the studio beyond the obvious financial benefits. Whilst, yes, the Japanese giant brings marketing and production value befitting of the Marvel license, ArcSys is the sizzle on the steak. Guilty Gear -Strive-, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and Dragon Ball FighterZ showcase the studio’s reputation for expressive animation, visual flair, and 2D fighting expertise. In essence: this is far from a niche fighting game. It’s primed to be a blockbuster, in both budget and pedigree.

But, we did say the game is poised to succeed beyond its hype and reputation, but what exactly do we mean? Well, look – a 4v4 tag-team system isn’t a groundbreaking revolution, sure, but it’s a meaningful evolution with potential to become the standard for tag-team fighters which follow.

Unlike the tag-fighter genre’s now-traditional 3v3 structure, Fighting Souls revolves around a shared life bar, fundamentally changing the flow of every match. Rather than watching individual teammates disappear one by one – like the recently released Invincible VS, where assists and utility benefits are lost with them – your entire squad remains in play until your collective health is exhausted. This shift, if implemented correctly, should reduce the slippery slope effect common to tag fighters, where losing a single character can spiral into an almost unrecoverable disadvantage.

But there’s a system built around this foundation, too. Your team won’t begin battles at full strength; no, starting 2v2, you’ll unlock additional characters throughout the match by reaching Turning Points through skilful play. This expands your tactical options, your available health, and skill gauge, although an extra character arrives at the end of each round either way, ensuring the playing field remains somewhat level.

Elsewhere, Active Tag mechanics promise lengthy combo extensions, while chained Ultimate Skills create spectacular, screen-filling spectacles the likes of which Marvel fans will expect. More importantly, however, ArcSys appears to have found a way to refresh a formula that has remained unchanged for years. Instead of adding to the already crowded tag-team genre, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls seems intent on rethinking how tag-team battles function beyond simply adding an extra teammate.

Another bridge that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls hopes to cross is the divide between an established accessibility for newcomers with the mechanical depth that appeases competitive veterans. Plenty of modern fighters pledge to nail this dual design philosophy, and the just-released Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game aside, not many achieve it. They either overwhelm newcomers with intimidating combo chains or simplify mechanics to the point where seasoned players bounce. ArcSys, instead, appears determined to strike a convincing balance.

At the heart of Fighting Souls’ philosophy is a control scheme designed to remove the potential intimidation associated with other titles in the genre. Quarter circle motions, for instance, are relegated to optional, replaced with a Quick Skill button that executes special attacks with a simpler directional input. Likewise, you can chain together visually striking combos through chaining light, medium, and heavy attacks, while a dedicated dash button makes movement more immediate than relying on double tapping directional inputs. Ultimate Skills are only a button away, ensuring casual players can enjoy the cinematic spectacle Marvel is renowned for without spending hours in training modes. It’s a system the aforementioned Avatar Legends utilised to great extent, yet that title excels in making sure that foundational simplicity doesn’t come at the expense of mechanical depth – something Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls appears poised to replicate.

See, beneath the approachable controls is an intricate suite of mechanics built robustly for long-term mastery. Team orders, resource management, Active Tag extensions, Stylish Combos that reward diverse creativity over repeating the same manoeuvres, and the already mentioned evolving 4v4 structure each provide extra strategic layers for competitive players to chew on. Throw in rollback netcode, a comprehensive training mode, and a ranked ladder, and Fighting Souls is set to satisfy both ideals of the fighter-game-player’s mindset. All in all. ArcSys has been able to simplify execution while preserving tactical complexity, and with it the possibility that Marvel Tōkon will enjoy a long shelf life as a result.

But look, of course, not everyone picks up a fighting game with ranked competition in mind. If you are a casual looking for non-competitive play then Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ Episode Mode looks right up your street. Penned by celebrated comic writer Kieron Gillen, Fighting Souls’ Episode Mode brings five distinct storylines, each following a different superhero team as they confront the looming threat of the as-yet unknown Champion.

And what’s more, expressively illustrated motion-comic sequences make the action appear as though it’s bursting straight off the page. Episode Mode, to sum up, looks like a stronger single player offering than most other fighting games.

Yet, despite its promise Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls isn’t without its potential pitfalls. The biggest concern surrounds its twenty-strong launch roster, with many fearing that a 4v4 fighter could place an overreliance on post-launch DLC. The worry has only been heightened by the omission of several notorious Marvel heroes – namely iconic X-Men figures such as Cyclops, whose absence has sparked discussion on how extensive Fighting Souls’ monetisation plans run.

There are gameplay concerns too. Slot-based assist attacks, for instance, risk homogenising your team’s make-up, whilst there are undeniable questions surrounding how ArcSys can balance a shared health system across a four-character team. Then there is the ominous cloud of Sony’s PSN issues, and while these are controversial they do feel like speedbumps that’ll be flattened pre-launch.

What these potential drawbacks indicate is that success is by no means guaranteed. Competitive players may well scrutinise the game’s mechanics, while everyone will likely question the limited launch roster. But, like we said at the outset, if Arc System Works can deliver on the title’s promise – and if fighting game newcomers can find their place amongst the competitively minded – then Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has every chance to push the fighting genre to a new benchmark. It’s built on refining established ideas, yes, but there’s undeniable ambition to match Marvel’s gravitational pull.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

To say this is an oppressive opening is an understatement. It feels like being dropped into a drum of treacle, where movement labours against the stench of death. Looking down, there are corpses everywhere. Fresh blood still glistens; wounds are ripe before decay.

Something terrible has happened here, and I’m compelled to find out what.

"To say this is an oppressive opening is an understatement."

Yet, treacle, as it happens, is an appropriate description for another reason. See, the slipperiness of your character’s traversal is as striking as the heavy atmosphere. He jogs, but his momentum resembles someone skirting along a patch of ice. It’s immediately jarring, and it’s not the only rough edge The Relic greets you with.

Camerawork consistently juts between trees, fence poles, and stone walls behind you, with its awkwardness exacerbated during combat when you’re locked onto an opponent. Enemies themselves show little variation in archetype and moveset. The large-framed axe man, for instance, follows a set pattern: swing, double swing, unblockable chop, axe throw, repeat.

Then there are the game’s NPCs, like the merchant I rescue alongside his daughter, who repeats the same short animation loop as we talk. His hands follow a circular motion like he’s describing the wheels of a bicycle. And, the village’s ransacked dwellers fare no better, operating on similarly short cycles. Worse still, their faces lack detail enough to convincingly show a grimace to match the desperation in their voices. On the whole, vocal performances are effective at portraying despair, even if their mannerisms don’t.

Then there’s an unintentional irony. The forest is currently undergoing some sort of violent pillage by the hand of a group known as the Looters. Yet, after clearing the village of assailants to explore the barn at its centre I find three gold coin purses. Surely this counts as looting too?

A handful of other technical hiccups slightly undermine the excellent atmosphere: foliage pop-in, disappearing NPCs, and inconsistent collision detection which sees a fleeing villager run right through me like I’m a ghost.

Still, venturing deeper into the forest, I overlook these niggles to follow the narrative breadcrumb trail. Occasional glowing nodes reveal fragments of story, and it’s an engaging way to learn about the recent tragedies befalling this particular stretch of woodland. Retelling the events like an audio-diary, one such tale describes villagers who barricaded themselves away from a band of Looters. Piece by piece, the story reveals a false promise, deception, and a survivor consumed by guilt. Delivering chapters in soundbites like this feels effective; like an engrossing book, I wanted to keep turning the page. There isn’t always a worthwhile reward at the end, just satisfaction in reaching a neat conclusion.

"A handful of other technical hiccups slightly undermine the excellent atmosphere"

While the atmospheric storytelling may be evocative, The Relic: First Guardian ultimately lives or dies by its combat. Showing Soulslike inspiration, you’ve access to a single attack, a block, parry, and dodge, and despite its early promise your moveset feels limited. The key distinction, however, is your stamina gauge which is tied exclusively to defense and evasion. You can’t spam-dodge or hold block as you’ll quickly drain your energy, ending up stunned and vulnerable. But, on the flipside, if you string a handful of parries together then your assailant becomes staggered. What’s more, timing windows feel generously wide, so it isn’t long before you’re deflecting strikes and swings with ease. It’s just, during these early skirmishes, you don’t have any devastating finishers – these come far later.

Elsewhere in your arsenal are Relic-powered elemental abilities which operate on a cooldown, as is space for the titular Relics themselves to provide passive bonuses when equipped – increased vitality, bonus HP for every enemy slain, boosted stamina, and so on.

Through exploration, you’ll learn that The Relic’s semi-open world isn’t as demanding as Dark Souls’ usual fare. Areas for rest function as bonfires, yet cleared enemies won’t respawn. There’s usually a reset area adjacent to a boss arena, too. Likewise, resources aren’t lost on death, nor does currency need retrieving from the place you fell.

Eschewing Soulslike’s typical punishment alleviates friction in exploration. In other words, you’re free to wander intuitively, scavenging resources, collecting story fragments, assisting country-folk, and finding more weapons to add to your sword-and-shield starter.

Speaking of weapons, you’ll find these by following the same glowing memories outlined earlier. In doing so, you’ll discover each one-of-a-kind weapon’s rich, often tragic backstory, simultaneously fostering attachment while grounding them in the world’s lore.

A blacksmith can upgrade your weapons too, but he’s encountered only sporadically. Worse, he demands a bounty of crafting resources to bolster your blade. Even after multiple hours of playtime, I still didn’t have enough. My desire to buildcraft grew tiresome the more downed enemies didn’t drop the fragments and shards I needed.

Still, each weapon has its own skill tree, with powerful specials and finishers unlocking more expressive combat. The power of the two-handed axe, for instance, is released by spinning scythes and towering cleaves, pulverising enemies with satisfying heft.

"Eschewing Soulslike’s typical punishment alleviates friction in exploration."

The catch is that those abilities, too, are painfully slow to unlock. Like the blacksmith’s upgrades, each ability costs an excess of currency – this time: Relic Energy, harvested from ancient locations found throughout the wilds. Most award 600 energy, while skills begin at 1,000 and rise thereafter.

Weapon skills aren’t the only Relic Energy sink either. Opening additional Relic slots requires abundant Relic Energy, alongside a rarely found Awakening Shard. Ultimately, the rate you acquire Relics outpaces your ability to use them, hindering the build potential in your inventory.

Thankfully, Relics can be freely swapped to suit different scenarios or playstyles, so limited slot availability isn’t the progression system’s biggest flaw. Instead, honing your character through weapon enhancements, skills, and Relics is an undeniable grind, leaving combat starved of meaningful growth for too long.

I yearned for more tools; more than the D-pad controlled consumables, more than the one-or-two skills I unlocked every couple of hours, with the limits to your arsenal becoming obtrusive during boss fights. Now, the first few you encounter can be parried and downed without issue, but as you venture deeper boss difficulty scales accordingly. Soon enough, they’re swinging multiple unblockable strikes, throwing fire, and generally demanding more than parrying and a pair of skills and Relic slots apiece can provide. Worse still, I experienced a couple of boss battles that were marred by sluggish framerates, skipping audio, and other technical gremlins. Luckily, despite these grievances, exploration remains invigorating throughout. If I was having trouble with a particular boss, there is always plenty of ground to cover elsewhere, where Relics and crafting resources are eventually uncovered. If only I could consistently find the blacksmith.

And exploration, again, speaks to The Relic: First Guardian’s great strength, where every village, rampart, or cave has a story to tell. Its world is often a miserable place to traverse, but through its inclement atmosphere shines pockets of humanity.

The Relic: First Guardian may never escape its technical shortcomings, but its melancholy world is well worth saving.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

But is that really the case? Sekiro was a one-man battle against Ashina’s worst, with the Wolf’s mastery of his craft and determination to bring an end to Kuro’s torment forcing him to go beyond even death to achieve his goals. Emma, on the other hand, doesn’t fight alone and Koo might just be a companion worth taking along on a mission as deadly as hers. We think that the similarities between the two games end with its basic foundations and visual language.

Of course, we come armed with valid points about why that’s the case, so let’s get right into it.

1. The Posture and Down Gauges

Staggering your enemy by breaking down their Posture was the surest way to end a fight on your terms in Sekiro, and the entire mechanic formed the central pillars of a fast-paced, fluid combat system built around aggression and well-timed parries. Chipping away at your enemy’s health was only a way to ensure they weren’t recovering their Posture fast enough to withstand your onslaught, eventually breaking through their difference for some serious damage.

While that might seem like it’s the case in Beast too, there is a crucial difference. Those executions you get to pull off might not be as crucial to the outcome of a fight as we’ve been led to believe, instead being ways to dish out major damage safely and quickly while your parries feed into Koo’s abilities, health, and perhaps even influence the recovery of your own Down gauge. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Down Gauge plays out in the final game, but we’re quite certain it’s going to service the companion and ability systems over favoring only an aggressive combat loop.

2. The Rewards For Parries

One of the best things about parrying attacks in Sekiro was that the reward was tangible and immediate. Cool visuals and audio effects aside, every successful parry was the Wolf’s way of according momentum in a fight. Parries let you avoid damage, set up counterattacks, break enemy Posture, and essentially convert your enemy’s aggression into advantages that you surely needed even against grunts.

Well, parrying in Beast does help keep your foes off balance, but it’s looking like it could be more than that. You see, parries feed your FP bar, which is what you need to allow Koo to use abilities that supplement your own when a fight is underway. That means getting up close and personal with your foes powers another tactical layer instead of simply building up to an opportunity for some major damage.

3. A Matter Of Managing Rhythms

Sekiro almost felt like an almost continuous assault on everything the Wolf held dear in the way its story was paced, and in the way levels were designed to make combat as relentless as possible. We’re not going to forget the climb into Ashina castle for the first time, or the fight against a field boss and subsequently Genichiro that ensued. It was a game whose rhythm revolved around sustaining pressure, and using the right responses to enemy actions.

Beast might share that foundation, but we don’t think each fight is going to be as relentless and fuelled by implicit desperation since pulling up Koo’s ability menu slows down time, allowing for a nice tactical pause to punctuate the intensity of katana-based combat. It could be a better balance between immediate execution of your best moves and a more deliberate, tactical approach to deadly threats that we’re quite liking.

4. Superior Numbers In Battle

Part of Sekiro’s charm was the fact that Wolf stared down the rest of the world in his efforts to rescue Lord Kuro from those who cared more about the Dragon’s Blood than his well-being. That narrative premise lent itself quite well to a combat system that aimed to give one man everything he needed to succeed before placing tremendous challenges on the path to his goals. His sword, prosthetic arm, combat arts, and Ninjutsu all extended his own abilities.

Emma and Koo, however, fight as a unit, and that immediately opens up options in battle that a single-combatant-system simply cannot hope to match. From what we’ve seen, neither of them are decorative, and learning to weave their abilities together seems like the crux of combat in Beast of Reincarnation, making their partnership a fundamental part of the combat economy on offer.

5. Prosthetics Versus Bloom Arts

In Sekiro, Wolf’s prosthetic arm was not just a story beat, but a specialized tool tailored to support your playstyle with a variety of switchable attachments. It was a way to disrupt enemy attacks, break their shields, absorb and redirect magical attacks, or even apply poison to particularly bothersome foes. It was a tool like no other, working as a direct extension of your shinobi moveset to give you more options in battle.

The Bloom Arts that Emma uses, however, aren’t just offensive, but could be used to control the space around her and Koo in situations that demand it. Combined with Koo, it adds on to the tactical layer that comes from accessing your companion’s abilities, deepening a system that we believe could set Beast of Reincarnation apart from a title that seems like it was quite an inspiration.

6. Combat Arts Versus Combos

Combat Arts in Sekiro were always meant to extend Wolf’s mobility, attack potential, or perform specialized counters. They enriched what he could do, with their utility serving specific functions that your playstyle was otherwise lacking in. The Ichimonji Double is probably a good example, serving as a free posture-damaging tool once you figured out how to best use it against a foe you were facing.

However, Emma and Koo work a little differently, using their respective abilities to keep a combo going, and an enemy on the backfoot against the onslaught. For instance, we saw Koo launch a line of javelin that lodged itself into a towering foe’s body, allowing Emma to use her Bloom abilities to grapple up to it and dish out some damage to a massive health bar. Abilities like that showcase a combat system built around duality, and applying pressure by efficiently using two distinct sets of abilities instead of just one.

7. Deathblows and Executions

Personally, the Deathblows were my favorite part of Sekiro, and for good reason. They were ways to signal a major shift in the balance of a fight, and were often what triggered phase transitions as bosses got increasingly desperate against Wolf’s unbreakable resolve and unerring precision in a fight.

We’re not entirely certain that executions in Beast are going for the same kind of vibe considering how the combat’s more centered around continuing combos and keeping your foes on the backfoot by being clever about your own abilities. Yes, depleting an enemy’s Down Gauge does put them down for an execution opportunity, but we think those moments might not be as defining to the course of a fight as the promos have made them seem. Of course, we could be proved wrong once the game is out, but it does seem like Executions in Beast might not have the same role as Deathblows.

8. From Single Combat To The Battlefield

Taking on multiple enemies wasn’t always the best approach in Sekiro. You could still tear through them if you were good enough, but the Wolf’s odds at a victory were often vastly improved when you could overwhelm single opponents with lightning fast attacks to break their defenses. Multiple opponents could mess with that carefully constructed rhythm, and turn the dance into one where a single mistake could mean a trip back to the nearest checkpoint.

Emma, however, seems to have no choice but to manipulate the battlefield by feeding Koo’s abilities through her own combat prowess. It’s a combat loop that moves away from a lone Wolf into a duo that synergizes shared abilities to make controlling the battlefield an art. Or that’s what it looks like so far, at least.

9. Linear Progression Versus Build Flexibility

Wolf was a swordsman for the most part, his skills and shinobi abilities serving as supplements to mastery with his blade. Yes, you could beef up his base stats by taking on side content and hunting down upgrades, but Sekiro wasn’t a conventional RPG where you could put together different builds.

However, Beast of Reincarnation is aiming to make switching things up a part of an intelligent approach to its world. Narratively, Emma is going to have to stay versatile enough to be one step ahead of the Bloom and the titular beast, while that need translates to exploiting varying enemy weaknesses as she progresses through the story. Of course, the full range of equipment and gear she’s going to find out in the world is yet to be seen, but we’re expecting ways to change how Emma and Koo take on varying situations.

10. A Singular Challenge For Those Who Want It

FromSoftware is famous for reminding uncompromising on the experiences it aims to deliver, and Sekiro’s lack of difficulty options has deterred a few players from taking it on. The default experience is one that’s going to send you packing more times than you’d like to count, and for good reason. It’s a part of the game’s charm, after all.

But as its developer’s debut in a new genre, Beast of Reincarnation is bringing three modes: Story, Normal, and Hard in an effort to be accessible to a wider audience. It’s a smart move, as Hard mode is still there for those of us thinking about playing it like Sekiro while other players could dive right into its story and maybe turn it up a notch from there. That it provides you with a choice is a welcome difference from Sekiro, though.

Well, you’ve probably guessed that the two games we’ve been comparing share many structural foundations, but utilize them to deliver vastly different experiences. It’s clear that Game Freak isn’t trying to make the next Sekiro, and Beast of Reincarnation merely attempts to take some of its best features and weave them into a combat loop where two characters fight as one in battles where they must prevail, for the sake of everything that’s good in their world.

The stakes are high, and our warriors are capable enough. Are they going to be as compelling as Wolf, though? That remains to be seen. We’re liking this one’s chances, though!