Accessibility Review: MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls – PlayStation 5 Pro
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a new 4v4 tag-team fighting game from Arc System Works, developed in collaboration with PlayStation Studios and Marvel Games. It is available on PlayStation 5 and PC.
I received a review copy from PlayStation Norway and that allowed me to prepare this written review and some videos for you. I think that I should also mention that the game is also PS5 Pro Enhanced. I previously covered the Open Beta, and now that I have spent some time with the final version I have to admit that I was not particularly interested in Tōkon when it was first announced, but the game grew on me as I started playing. With its Marvel characters, fast-paced combat and different game modes, it has turned into a very fun experience.
Story
The story opens with the Emissary of the Champion of the Universe arriving on Earth after obliterating another planet. She announces that Earth will face the same fate unless its heroes can prove themselves worthy by taking part in a tournament organized by the Champion’s Promoter. The Episode Mode follows one of five teams as they fight their way through the tournament, with the survival of Earth itself at stake.
I have played the story alongside Alina, and she has also played through her own campaign. The story is told through beautifully animated comic strips, with drawings brought to life using special effects and animation. Although the story itself is fairly straightforward, the way it is presented is very funny and entertaining, and we both enjoyed it more than we were expecting. The combination of the comic-style presentation and the battles makes the Episode Mode a good way to get to know the characters and their teams while playing through the story.
The game also has additional characters planned as part of its Year 1 Character Pass.
Gameplay
Tōkon is built around 4v4 battles, where we can switch between our characters and call teammates in to assist. The combat is fast, with normal attacks, special moves, combos and powerful finishing attacks.
We can use traditional fighting-game commands or Quick Skills for simpler inputs, while the Link Attack system makes it possible to perform combos by repeatedly pressing the same attack button. This makes the game easy to pick up while still giving players plenty of room to learn more advanced techniques.
There are several game modes available, including Episode Mode, Training, Versus, Casual Match, Ranked Match, Room Match and the Open Lobby. Start-Up Battle also provides an introduction to the game’s controls and team mechanics. The Open Lobby allows us to meet other players, use avatars, communicate and challenge people to matches. From what I have tested, the different game modes work very well.
Presentation
Arc System Works has given the Marvel universe its own anime-inspired look. The characters, stages and attacks are full of energy, and the different Marvel locations fit the game very well.
The sound design is also very good. The characters shout out the names of the attacks they are performing, which makes it easier for me to remember their different moves and notice when I successfully perform a special attack.
Accessibility
For a blind player, the accessibility works very well. The text-to-speech allows me to navigate the menus and start whichever game mode I want without needing assistance. This gives me the freedom to choose what I want to play and compete with sighted players on equal terms.
The text-to-speech engine is one of the most enjoyable I have experienced in a game. It makes navigating the menus and settings a much smoother experience and gives me the independence to get around the game by myself.
During fights, the excellent stereo separation is extremely useful, allowing me to tell where sounds are coming from and making it much easier to follow what is happening around me. It also allows me to tell which part of the stage I am in during a fight. Combined with the characters calling out their attacks, this gives me useful information that would otherwise be communicated visually.
The game does not include audio descriptions or character proximity geigers. These would have made the experience even better, especially by giving us more information about where opponents are in relation to our character. Even without them, the accessibility features that are included should make Tōkon more than accessible for blind players.
The developers have also said that they will continue updating the game with new features and bug fixes and plan to support it for the foreseeable future. It will be interesting to see how Tōkon develops over time.
Conclusion
I started playing MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls without being particularly interested in it, but it definitely grew on me. After spending time with the final version, I found it to be a very fun fighting game with enjoyable combat, a good selection of modes, strong presentation and excellent sound design.
For blind and low-vision players, being able to navigate the menus independently and start the game mode we want makes a big difference. Fighting games have often been approachable for blind players because of their reliance on sound, timing and controller inputs, but adding screen narration takes things a step further.
It is always good to see developers listening to the blind and low-vision community and making that extra effort to include accessibility from the start. Arc System Works has done that with Tōkon, and it shows that the developer understands the importance of giving visually impaired players the same freedom to navigate the game and take part in its different modes.
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a very fun experience for both regular and visually impaired players, and I am happy to recommend it.
Victor Dima
