What is CAPCOM vs SQUARE?
An unlikely crossover
The late 90s leading into the early 2000s were filled with crossover fighting games, especially with Capcom, as Marvel vs Capcom and Capcom vs SNK both went on to become some of the most beloved fighting game franchises of all time. I may not have grown up in the era of these fighters, but I hold a lot of respect for them as a crossover game in many other cases can often lead to laziness. Instead, Capcom used it as a chance to push the boundaries of what fighting games could be, and create unique experiences still worth going back to no matter what year it is. Today though, we aren't talking about a crossover fighter made in the late 90s, and it's one not even made by Capcom. Sometimes fans can deliver experiences that are on par with the greats, and in my eyes, Capcom vs Square is one of those games.
A roster of weirdos
The first thing that may come to your head when thinking of what a Capcom vs Square fighter might look like is probably those big well known characters, the Cloud Strifes and Mega Mans and such. However, this roster constantly surprises and excites me, skipping over those more obvious characters who, by nature of fame, already have plenty of fanmade adaptations, and instead, goes for more weirdo picks that really help make the game feel unique. From Agrias and Sundown Kid, to weirdo picks like Hugo and Ershin, the roster feels inspired in a way I feel is often missing from other crossover games. It feels authentic in the same way some of those initial crossover games in the 90s did, with characters clearly added because of dev bias. I think this alone makes Capcom vs Square worth the price of admission, but of course there's more to the game then just the cast of characters.
The current planned roster for CAPCOM vs SQUARE.
Engage the battle
It's hard to overstate how much depth the battle system has in Capcom vs Square. Honestly, I had to rewrite this paragraph a few times as I realized, I was just writing a guide to game mechanics. Attempting to not do that here, the biggest draw of Capcom vs Square is its unique "Engage" mechanic. Before I explain the mechanic, I want to shout out jay, who is the lead battle director on the project currently. You may know him from his own game, Battle Dudes, and if you do, you probably understand how much he cares about game depth. The "Engage" mechanic essentially operates as a multi-use cancel mechanic, offering a plethora of different options for different amounts of its own meter. I won't go too in depth on the mechanic itself this time, as I think playing the game for yourself is the best way to figure it out, but the effect the mechanic has on gameplay is massive. It leads to the game having a fluid but also methodical rhythm to it, where both players practice good meter management in an effort to get in and do their combos. Without Engage, most combos tend to be shorter and simpler, creating more interaction points in a game, but once Engage enters the picture, combos get longer and more convoluted, and some really crazy stuff can happen as a result. This leads to swings in battle that feel earned, and I never felt robbed in a way that didn't feel deserved. Accomplishing the balance of a game that feels like you can pull off some insane stuff, while also making it fun for both players, continues to prove to be one of the hardest aspects of fighting game development, but jay absolutely nailed it here.
A Zero combo in CAPCOM vs SQUARE, credit to Daigo Ken for the footage.
The exaggerated swagger of a 90s crossover fighter
yahyadrawzzz is the lead developer on Capcom vs Square, and he is responsible for one of the most cohesive packages I've seen for a fighting game. Everthing, from the gorgeous custom spritework, to the stylized backgrounds, to the UI design, evokes a very specific style of 90s fighter in a way that feels more authentic to the art than just to evoke nostalgia. When designing a fanmade fighting game, it's easy to fall back on tired nostalgia traps and lazy repackaging of old assets. Even some of the most popular official crossover fighters of all time have fallen into this trap before. But the clear care and intention behind all of the art direction in Capcom vs Square makes it a game that I could easily pick out in a crowd. Nothing about it feels lazy or half assed, and as someone who understands how difficult it is to develop the art of a fighting game, I have infinite respect for a fighting game that successfully pulls off an artstyle that's this unique and expressive, while still referencing its source material and inspirations.
So much to talk about
To be completely honest, this game is one where an active dialogue on it would be more of a service than my glorified rambles. There's so much I feel like I can't even confidently cover here. So many character specific unique mechanics caught me off guard, like a hit of armor when a certain mechanical limb is used, or an entire RPG style leveling system baked into a moveset, mechanics that made me grin at how inspired and fun they were. Not to mention some of the system wide stuff going on, like the incredibly unique super jump movement that is unlike anything else I've played, and of course the soundtrack done by GenesisKeys, which lends a very unique feel to the game.
So what’s the verdict?
This is, in my opinion, one of the most unique and well thought out fighting games I have ever played. If you're a fan of those 90s style crossover fighting games, you are doing yourself a disservice by not checking this one out. A lot of fangames can get caught in the trap of only referencing what has been without offering anything of its own, but Capcom vs Square offers you a robust combat system, an interesting cast of characters, and a stunning sense of style. This is the gold standard of fangames, and is right at home next to other greats of the crossover fighter subgenre. This is an easy recommendation from me, go play it right now, and if you tried it previously, try it again!
Thank you for reading this far. I'm honestly not sure if anyone reads outside of a few people, so if you do read and enjoy this, I would love to stroke my ego just a little bit. On a more serious note, I am trying to get back into the swing of things, although with art school finals rapidly approaching, we'll see how it goes. I'm either going to cover Chaos Code next week, or talk about BBBR rollback (which is happening!!), or I'll just write about my general feelings on the genre, as I have seen a lot of takes on old and new fighting games that I find... interesting. Until next time!
-Syrkle