Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite Beginner's Tips

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is one of the most accessible fighting games to come out in recent memory. Capcom has implemented several gameplay mechanics for players to feel comfortable from the first time they pick up the controller and select a character. We've compiled some beginner's tips to help players form a game plan as they face off in the online arena, as well some basic gameplay mechanics and terms to be aware of. But these will only take a player so far. Be sure to hit the training arena with the character of your choice and study character command lists and combos so they become ingrained in your muscle memory. For more high-level advice, check out our Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite tips for experts guide.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more thoughts on the game, check out our MvC review, and be sure to check back soon for our final review. And if you're curious what others thought about the game, read our review roundup.

For more on how to better play Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, check out our in-depth guides below:

• Character Tips
• Glossary Of Terms For Newbies
• Expert Tips
• Which Infinity Stone Is Right For You?
• How To Beat Ultron Omega

Quickly double tap forward or backward on the d-pad or joystick to dash. You can also do so by pressing heavy punch and light punch together. Hold the direction you want to travel.

Double tap forward or backward in the air to perform an air dash. If the character can fly, chances are they can also air dash. Not all characters have the ability to dash in the air, but do have a special move that aids in their air movement. Be sure to study your character's command list to find out what you have at your disposal.

Tap down and then up for a Super Jump. This is a good tool to get out of the way of projectiles, even for characters who don't have a great jump.

Throws are unblockable (but cancelable), so it's a good way to mix up the action if your opponent is blocking everything. Heavy punch when close to your opponent to throw them. All characters can also air throw.

Pressing the throw button as soon as you are being thrown will cancel the throw.

Like nearly all fighting games, Infinite has high, mid, and low attacks. A standing block will guard high and mid attacks, but leaves you vulnerable to low attacks. A low block will block low attacks, but leaves you vulnerable to mid and high attacks. Don't judge an attack by what it looks like. For instance, Spider-Man has a ducking attack that looks like it hits at the feet, but it's considered high. Check the training stage if you're curious about your moves to see how they hit.

Hit any combination of the two attack buttons simultaneously (or the shoulder buttons) while blocking to knock your opponent slightly back. If this is timed perfectly with a projectile, it will send the projectile back at your opponent.

R1 or RB switches places with your partner character. You can do this in the air or on the ground.

Combos are made easy in Infinite. Every character has the same standard combo, going from weak to strong: light punch, light kick, heavy punch, heavy kick. The same combo can also be used to air juggle. Just start with a launch attack (crouching heavy punch) while on the ground and then go to work. The best part is that you don't even need to jump: A launch attack that connects automatically carries your character into the air to complete the combo.

The beauty of the standing combo and aerial combo is that they can be strung together. Start and complete the standing combo, add on a launch attack (crouching heavy punch) and complete the aerial combo to tack on some extra damage.

The challenge becomes stringing together those combos with your character's special moves to make the most out of your combos.

You can also just mash light attack, which carries into an air attack. The Auto Combo is a quick and easy chain of attacks that activates when continuously mashing the light punch button, which will follow up into an air combo. An auto combo doesn't do as much damage as a light to heavy combo from the ground to the air, but can be handy when you need to get a quick series of hits in.

Press heavy punch and heavy kick to expend one bar of the HC gauge and perform a hyper combo. This makes the game more accessible so anybody can pull off a Hyper Combo, even if you've never used a particular character before.

There are three meters to keep an eye on in Infinite. The Vitality Gauge, Infinity Stone Gauge, and Hyper Combo Gauge. Vitality, of course, is you life bar that is the staple of any fighting game. The Infinity Stone Gauge is the rounded gauge in the corner of the screen. This fills by taking damage or using Infinity Surge. The Infinity Storm ability uses all of it, unleashing a more powerful Infinity ability unique to each Stone. The Hyper Combo Gauge fills by landing hits and taking damage. There are four stages to the Hyper Combo Bar. You can use those bars with your character's Hyper Combo attacks. Each character has three Hyper Combos. The lowest uses one Hyper Combo bar, the second uses two, and the most powerful uses three.

One thing to be mindful of are the opportunities to use your Infinity Surge abilities. Essentially sub-abilities tied to each Infinity Stone, these moves can help you out quickly and should be used whenever possible--as it fills your Infinity Meter rather than draining it. For instance, the Time Stone allows fighters to teleport to close the gap between you and your opponent. The Infinity Meter is designed to make matches closer; which gradually fills when taking damage. Use the Infinity Storm when you're in a pinch, but don't wait until you're down to your last character. Both characters can utilize its power, so it's best to have your two teammates take advantage of it rather than one.

The Mission Area is the best place for newbies to get their feet wet in Infinite. It shows off all the basics of the game, but it also has missions for every character in the game. Those character-specific missions lay out each character's special moves and how they can be utilized in their best combos. It can be frustrating, since some of the combos call for expert-level timing, but building that muscle memory in the lab is what separates the pros from the noobs.