Loading up theMarvelRivals beta on PS5, I was expecting some Overwatch comparisons to crop up. Since the game’s reveal, everyone was quick to point out how heavily it borrowed from thebiggest hero shooterout there. After two beta periods, no one can argue that Marvel Rivals wasn’t cheating off of Overwatch’s homework, or outright copying it when it comes to game modes. However, the ways in which Rivals does carve its own path end up making it a weaker experience.
I did have fun while playing the beta, but that fun was sporadic and unpredictable. Marvel Rivals wants to pull you in withname recognitionfor these iconic heroes, but the game itself isn’t up to the task of giving you a reason to stick around. If you’re willing to enjoy Rivals as a more mindless spectacle rather than a deep or balanced competitive game, there’s a good time buried beneath it all. For me, I can’t look past the mess.
Upcoming Marvel Games – from Wolverine to Marvel Rivals
Whether on a PS5, Xbox, or PC, Marvel fans have tons of new games to look forward to in the upcoming years.
I don’t feel like a hero
Great style, poor presentation
Marvel Rivals
If there’s one part of Marvel Rivals I have no complaints, it’s the art style and character design. The art direction has a light comic book edge to the characters mixed with the solid colors and shapes of a Pixar movie. Each design pops, including the alternate costumes, while also feeling cohesive even when looking at Rocket Raccoon standing next to The Hulk.
Marvel Rivals is a visual nightmare that borders on making the game unplayable at times.
Once you start playing, however, all of that work put into designing the characters goes out the window. Marvel Rivals is a visual nightmare that borders on making the game unplayable at times. I understand the strategy of making it 6vs6 to appeal to the scorned Overwatch players, but that many heroes in one space removes all sense of readability from the battlefield. Between standard projectiles, abilities, and ultimates going off from up to 12 heroes polluting the screen with colors and particles, there’s no opportunity to make any intelligent plays. All you can do is spam your own abilities and attacks and hope you get a kill or two before you get eliminated.
There is fun to be found in chaos like that, but only so much. Eventually, I got fed up with feeling like my own performance was out of my control and had no desire to keep coming back. I never felt like I was making any meaningful improvements to my play or understanding the game better. Perhaps a more strategic and intentional meta will emerge over time, but for now there doesn’t seem to be much point in putting any deeper thought into playing than just aiming and blasting off as much damage as you can.
I never felt like I was making any meaningful improvements to my play or understanding the game better.
What takes the wind out of Rivals' sails most is its game feel. I appreciate the mix of melee and ranged characters, but both suffer from terrible feedback. Melee characters are the worst in this regard. Swing a weapon or punching gives me no tactile response. My blows could completely whiff or land dead-on and there would be no difference besides the enemy’s health going down. I’m just watching animations and hoping something is happening. There are precious few abilities or ultimates that gave any sense of satisfaction to land. For a game where I’m supposed to be a superhero, that’s a big problem.
Where Rivals plays it the safest is in the game types, which are carbon copies of Overwatch’s modes. They’re serviceable but feel like a wasted opportunity to bring something new to the table that feels more appropriate for Marvel characters. Maps do have destructible elements, but these pose no strategic advantage and only add to the visual chaos when the action kicks up. Were I looking for an Overwatch alternative, the last thing I would want is to go back to the same exact game modes on slightly different maps.
Marvel Rivals can be a fun enough time if you’re just looking to smash your favorite superheroes against each other like action figures. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t see it having much longevity once the novelty wears off. The reason Overwatch was able to remain appealing for so long was that it grabbed people’s attention with its unique characters and heroes, but was deep enough for a sense of fair competition. Rivals, at this stage, doesn’t seem to have that second element. Combine that with the high visual noise and weak-feeling heroes and the moments of chaotic fun become too few and far between.
How to watch all the Marvel movies and TV shows in chronological order
The Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 and is still going strong. Here’s the entire MCU timeline, shows and movies included.
