Let’s not beat around the bush:Marvel Rivalsfeels like anOverwatchclone. They’re both team-based 6v6 hero shooters focused on completing objectives. Both, ideally, have a rounded line-up of 1-2 tanks, two healers, and 2-3 DPS.
It’s impossible not to spend this entire review comparing the two games, but I will try it anyway. UnlikeOverwatch 2, which teased destructible environments,Marvel Rivalsactually has them.
WhileOverwatchhinted at the synergy between heroes,Marvel Rivals’s Team-Up skills give certain heroes buffs and bonus abilities when they’re on the same team.
So, while yes, the two games look and feel similar, it’s the same example between a game likeLeague of LegendsandDota 2. Looks can be deceiving, and underneath the surface, there’s a lot to like aboutMarvel Rivals. The game just needs to stick the landing.
Different Right Out The Gate
One of the calling cards ofMarvel Rivals, Team-Up skills, adds a layer of strategy to the game before anyone enters the battlefield.
These Team-Up skills buff select groups of characters if they’re on the same team. For example, Squirrel Girl is a ranged damage dealer who excels at throwing grenade acorns from her slingshot from a distance.
While effective from a range, she suffers if enemies are in close quarters. Thankfully, her Team-Up Skill with Spider-Man allows you to throw a webbed shot that can stun enemies, but Spider-Man needs to be present on your team to unlock this.
The hero roster, combined with their art direction, feels like a love letter to Marvel rather than cashing in on what’s going on in the MCU. It results in an experience that feels more authentic than other hero shooters on the market and makes me more inclined to keep coming back.
There are dozens of other examples of how picking the right team, centered around the hero role and Team-Up Skills, can help turn the tide of battle before a single shot is fired. Team-ups come in both passive and on-use forms, ranging from doing more damage to even providing a health boost.
The days of picking the right classes for a hero shooter and rolling with what a tier list says are over;Marvel Rivalsencourages careful consideration when choosing heroes, and the results are noticeable on the battlefield.
Even better, some heroes gain viability solely due to their Team-Up bonuses. Characters that may be disregarded due to their weaknesses may be thought essential in specific line-ups.
Balanced, As All Things Should Be
As is the case with any competitive online game, there will be cases where certain characters are far better than others.Marvel Rivalshas a tier list of where each hero resides, but things not only feel incredibly balanced, but certain heroes feel gated off by skill level.
Spider-Man, for example, is an incredibly potent Duelist who can swing around the map in the blink of an eye, take out someone on the enemy back line, and escape in the blink of an eye.
To pull this off, though, you have to bereallygood at playing him. Inversely, heroes that seem obviously overpowered, such as Wolverine, take both a certain nuance to fully master, as well as dedicated resources, such as a pocket healer.
Having every hero feel strong in the right hands is key to having the game feel balanced and allowing players to live out their superhero fantasies.
No one feels overly strong due to who they are or their cultural relevance, either. Speaking of that cultural relevance, some nice deep cuts of heroes are here.
Jeff the Land Shark is one that many people won’t recognize, while die-hard Marvel fans will undoubtedly be thrilled with his inclusion.
If anything, the hero roster, combined with their art direction, feels like a love letter to Marvel rather than cashing in on what’s going on in the MCU.
It results in an experience that feels more authentic than other hero shooters on the market and makes me more inclined to keep coming back.
Destructible Environments Make For More Exciting Matches
The other key feature inMarvel Rivalsthat helps it stand out from the crowd is its destructible environments in the maps.
Combined with certain maps' dynamic environments, the game encourages you to constantly move rather than sit back and bide your time.
Marvel Rivals keeps the action going by encouraging proactive gameplay, whether through objectives or the flat-out removal of a sniper ledge.
Yes, it ties into the theme of over-the-top climactic superhero battles, but constantly being aware of my surroundings keeps me more engaged with the game.
I’m already keeping my head on a swivel for heroes flying through the map, now I have to worry about the building I’m perched on possibly tumbling down?
Marvel Rivalshas a tier list of where each hero resides, but things not only feel incredibly balanced, but certain heroes feel gated off by skill level.
As we learned about the MCU Avengers, they don’t make enough money to put up with this.
Sadly, not every piece of the environment can be destroyed. Pressing “B” on the keyboard highlights which parts of the terrain are destructible and will rebuild over time, so it doesn’t permanently change the map. In fact, it’s off-putting when terrain rebuilds itself in the heat of battle.
Still, it’s a nice feature to keep things fresh, especially since there are some clear-cut winners and losers in the maps.
Unsurprisingly, outdoor matches are more enjoyable, allowing every hero to shine, but let’s be honest here. If you’re playing Iron Man in an indoor arena with little room to maneuver, you’re going to have a bad time.
You shouldn’t be punished for wanting to play Iron Man; every map should accommodate every hero, and that’s not the case at launch. For a game that does so many right things about making their entire line-up feel strong and valuable, it’s a misstep.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
With any free-to-play game, we need to discuss its monetization.Marvel Rivalshas some good aspects here.
First, there’s the Battle Pass scenario, where you’ll be able to progress through each season’s Battle Pass at your own leisure. There’s no pressure to complete it before the next season begins, which is incredible.
Second, there’s the promise that any purchasable item is cosmetic only and will not affect actual gameplay. Again, this is great news, but if you’re looking to buy every cosmetic in the game, it will cost you.
Doing some rough math during the closed access review build, it’s estimated that you’ll need to spendat least$1,000 and, most likely, more.
Again, that’s for every skin for over 30 heroes currently in the game, but that’s a lot of money, so it can’t be ignored. Yet, if this is the biggest concern, the cost of skins foreveryoneon the roster, I can live with it.
It Sticks The Landing
A bulk of my time with the game was during a private closed session. The game ran smoothly, but there were only a couple hundred people on the servers, so that’s to be expected.
There have been too many cases of live service games flopping and flatering due to demand once the servers go live. Thankfully,Marvel Rivalsis not one of those games. I wanted to hold this review off until I had a chance to play the game post-launch.
As hard as it was to pull myself away from playing, I have adult responsibilities, unfortunately and I need to give you the scoop. Thus far, the servers have been nothing but stable. Finding a match is a quick and speedy process.
There is one concern about the game’s lack of a role queue, which, while balancing team comp, would increase downtime between matches. However, there have been several matches with an unbalanced team where we’ve been just fine.
This is due to the flexibility of so many heroes. Just because someone’s labeled as a Strategist doesn’t mean they’re not capable of dishing out damages.
While the game encourages you to make sure you have the right amount of tanks, healers, and DPS, it’s not a hard requirement. Of course, things might change if you’re playing against better opponents in ranked play, but that’s the minority of the player base we’re talking about.
Closing Thoughts
In its current state, Marvel Rivals is an absolute blast, no matter what role you play. Yes, it’s hard to deny the similarities to Overwatch, but enough is going on here that helps it stand out on its own. The roster is balanced surprisingly well, especially since three heroes were added very close to public release. Some could get a little more TLC, but no one feels overly strong or game-breaking. I’d love it if the environments didn’t revert after they were destroyed, and NetEase needs to ensure that we’re given a steady flow of content, so the game doesn’t feel stale. This feels like nitpicking, though. Marvel Rivals is a love letter to all things Marvel, and it’s an absolute blast to play. An Overwatch killer? Who knows?
