Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Review (PC)

Capcom has recently released the second entry in their Fighting Collection series, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, and it’s got many people talking. The fighting game community has been eagerly waiting for this game’s release, and now it’s finally here. I’ve been very excited about this game, but does it hold up to the hype?

This game definitely has its flaws, but there is a lot to appreciate with this game. From the fluid controls to the lineup of games, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection has a lot going for it. Even with all of this, the problems in this game cannot be overlooked. So should you pick it up? To answer this question, we will look over this game’s good and bad aspects to see if the pros outweigh the cons.

The Good

I’ll start by talking about the positives. Firstly, this game controls very well. The gameplay is very smooth with little input lag. The basic control layout is also tight and intuitive. It feels good to control the games in this collection. The controls are also standard across each game, which is nice. Having the controls change based on what game you’re playing would have been quite annoying. The basic controls are also simple. The complex attacks are still as complicated as ever, but the basic control layout remains simple. The controls make sense, letting the game play smoothly, and for a collection like this, that’s all you really need. 

While this is a minor point, I liked each game’s graphics. The game recreates the arcade graphics for each title included, making the experience more authentic. Not only that, but the graphics themselves are nice and clear, making every game easy to see. It may not be a major pro, but being able to play these games with high-quality graphics on modern hardware is very nice.

One major point in this game’s favor is the online play with rollback netcode. Being able to play all of these games online for the first time is amazing. The rollback netcode making the game run smoothly online is just the cherry on top. I’m happy to see these games implement this so early on, especially when other modern fighting games, such as Dragon Ball Fighterz, have taken years to implement it. I hope that more fighting games in the future implement rollback netcode sooner. It would help the online communities for these games thrive even longer.

Another small thing that I really like is all the extras included in the MvC Collection. A lot of different artwork from each of the games present in the collection has a variety of artwork viewable in the game’s gallery. Different unlockables in the game can be obtained by completing certain achievements. This is also how the original Capcom Fighting Collection handled its extras, but it’s nice to see them make a return here.

Scattered throughout the menus as well, the original control guides for each game’s arcade release can be seen. It’s pretty nostalgic to look at the old artwork used for games like MvC 2. Capcom didn’t have to add any of this, but I’m glad they did. It’s nice to be able to look at some of the old artwork for these games, it adds a lot of that arcade charm.

There are a few other extras that I’m also a big fan of. First is the ability to switch between the English and Japanese versions of each game. It’s not a feature I plan to use too often, but it’s nice that the option is there. Second is the Training Mode, which is an extremely useful feature. Being able to go in and test out different combos at your own pace is great. I’m not that technical of a fighting game player, but having the hitboxes there is also especially appreciated. It allows me to visualize the hitbox of each character and is a good tool to have when practicing for real matches. Finally, my favorite extras have to be the secret characters. Several secret characters have been added to most of the games in the collection. Most of them are just reskins of other characters, but some bosses have been turned into playable characters as well. This is an incredible addition to the game and I’m very glad that these characters have been included.

Finally, the most important pro of this game is the game lineup. The lineup itself isn’t the best and definitely has some weird choices, but being able to play these games on modern consoles is fantastic. Looking at the bigger picture, though, this game not only makes these games accessible in the modern age but also helps to preserve them for future generations. One of the main worries with many video games is losing them to time, and for a while, it looked like it was going to be the case for these games as well. But now, with the release of the MvC Collection, these games can be preserved in high quality for gamers to play for years to come. 

The Bad

While there was quite a lot I liked about this game, there are still some things that I’m not too keen on. For starters, I think the game is a little too overpriced. I think $50 for this game is just too much. It isn’t that big of a problem, especially compared to other recent games, but I still wish they had priced this game the same as the original Capcom Fighting Collection. It would’ve made this collection much more worth it in my opinion.

While I praised the online earlier, there are several issues with online play in this game. The first issue is the matchmaking. Matchmaking in this game sucks, especially on PC. Finding a match can take several minutes, which can be quite frustrating. The worst part is that the only game you’re likely to find a match in is MvC 2. Trying to look for a match in any of the other games usually turns up with nothing. All of that combined with occasional connection issues makes this game pretty difficult to play online.

What really hurts the online, however, is the lack of crossplay. Not letting players on different consoles play together makes matchmaking even harder. Along with that, not being able to play with friends on different platforms is very disappointing. Adding crossplay would greatly improve matchmaking and would connect players of all consoles. In this day and age, crossplay should be the standard across all multiplayer games, and I hope that Capcom will start to implement crossplay into their games at launch in the future.

Final Thoughts

I have my issues with this collection. The price, the matchmaking, and the lack of crossplay hold this game back for me. With that being said, though, I still think that Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection is a fantastic game. Bringing back all of these classics into the modern era is great to see, and I really hope that Capcom will continue its Fighting Collection series for years to come.

This game definitely isn’t for everyone. If you’re not interested in Capcom’s fighting game past, this is probably not the game for you. But if you’re a big fan of the Marvel vs. Capcom series or have any remote interest in fighting games, this game is right up your alley. From the controls to the variety of games to all the extras, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection has a lot for fans to enjoy. If you’re keen to try out some of Capcom’s older Marvel crossover titles, then consider giving this game a try.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection is available now digitally on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. The title is also slated to release on Xbox One in 2025.