Since it was announced in March of last year, I have had a lingering curiosity about Marvel Rivals. As Moravian’s resident superhero nerd, I felt a primordial obligation to follow the game, especially after the disappointing catalog of recent superhero games. Despite comic fans eagerly anticipating this game, I was relatively cautious, especially after seeing that it was going to be a hero-shooter similar to Overwatch.

Recent failures in the genre didn’t help with my excitement either. Concord was an unmitigated disaster for Sony and Overwatch 2 has become notorious for its fall from grace when compared to the original release back in 2016. No way, then, could a game from a relatively unknown studio, NetEase, be successful in the highly volatile and competitive market of live-service games.

Despite my suspicions, this game has blown any and all expectations out of the water. Marvel Rivals is a rare gem in a market so dominated by corporate garbage that not only is it incredibly fun to play but also is a loving tribute to the Marvel Universe and its characters.

When I launched the game for the first time, I instantly thought: “Yeah this game has the sauce.” The opening cutscene was beautiful and I was simply blown away by the art style and character designs that felt both unique and familiar at the same time. 

I worried that the hero shooter genre would weaken the power fantasy that comes with playing as these larger-than-life characters, but I was proven wrong immediately. These characters look Amazing and more importantly, they feel Spectacular to play.

While I have some small qualms with some characters and their balancing (seriously, Black Widow is useless), every character feels unique and fitting to their comic counterparts. Captain America is a tank character that can use his shield to absorb damage and is highly mobile, which allows him to jump in and out of skirmishes to distract enemy forces. Rocket Raccoon uses his extensive range of gadgets to provide support and healing to his allies. Hawkeye and Black Widow use their respective bow and snipers for long-range damage. 

Is there some liberal use of characters’ powers and abilities? Sure, but each character feels authentic to their original comic counterparts. 

This game also is exciting because it’s not just about Marvel’s heaviest hitters. Of course, there’s a plethora of well-known characters but NetEase is also adding a variety of niche and deep-cut characters from Marvel history such as Jeff The Land Shark, Luna Snow, Paste Pot Pete, Locus, and more.

These deep-cut characters show the developers’ passion and care for the Marvel brand as it aims to celebrate every aspect of the Marvel Universe and not just the limited sides shown in the movies. 

The game also feels Incredible to play. Many accuse Marvel Rivals of being an Overwatch clone, and in many ways, it is. However, the game does enough to forge its own unique identity while remaining fun and engaging. 

Matches revolve around two teams of six heroes competing to capture some kind of objective. Three core modes alternate randomly every match. Domination tasks both teams with securing a single point and whoever’s bar reaches 100% first wins the round. Convoy tasks players with escorting a vehicle across the map within a certain amount of time. Conquest is like a mix between the two where players must capture a single point first and then they will escort a vehicle for the rest of the match.

These modes are pretty much exactly what can be found in Overwatch, but I’d argue that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. These modes are all fun to play and they offer enough variety to keep each match from feeling the same. 

The maps, however, are somewhat hit or miss. Some like Tokyo 2099 and Midtown are Fantastic while others are not quite as Mighty. In particular, the Asguard and Hydra maps are just simply not that fun to play on. They have constricting pathways and often have long distances between spawn and objective which is especially painful for characters like Magneto who have limited movement abilities.

At first, the game can be overwhelming and, frankly, a bit frustrating as it can be hard to get a grasp of the game and its mechanics because most other players are going to be just as lost and awful at the game as you are. 

More than most other games I have played, however, I have found it to be incredibly rewarding to learn the game’s mechanics. I am a Spider-Man main for the sole reason that he’s my second favorite Marvel character, but he is also the hardest character to play in the game. He has low health and relatively low damage when compared to other heroes so you really have to take time to learn and understand the character.

At first, I was annoyed with how weak he felt and thought that he was just unfairly easy to kill, but once I started learning how to properly use him, I gradually started staying alive longer and longer and more and more KO’s. I stuck with him and that effort eventually paid off as I am now able to effectively contribute to my team by distracting enemies like a fly (or spider) on the wall and picking off their healers. 

While I am far from the Ultimate Spider-Man player, I have found a ton of enjoyment in learning his abilities, and going from not being able to hit a target to mopping the floor with entire teams has made the game a gratifying experience. 

Marvel Rivals more than anything rewards engagement and patience as you climb your way up the skill ladder. Are there balancing issues? Of course, but this game feels consistently rewarding to play despite how many truly awful teammates you will get in Quick Match and lower ranks.

One big thing that annoyed me, though, was how elo (points you get to rank up) is distributed in ranked. You could have twice as many KO’s as anyone else on your and the other team but will still lose your rank if your team lost. It’s incredibly annoying when by every objective metric you have done well, you are punished for your teammates’ failures.

I understand that the key to this game is coordination with teammates, but some are just simply not good at the game and there is no curing that in the middle of the match. To me, it feels unfair that I am forced to pay for the mistakes that some random other person made, especially when I was carrying the team otherwise.

Additionally, despite the obvious similarities to Overwatch, there are some key differences that separate Marvel Rivals from the competition. For one, the game is in the third person which significantly alters the way you play. Because of the Marvel brand, there is a higher emphasis on melee combat with characters like Hulk and Captain America.

Furthermore, Marvel Rivals introduces a new team-up mechanic that gives characters new abilities and buffs, which adds an extra layer of strategy to team composition. This system is a genuine game changer that significantly alters the way you pick your heroes. 

It’s Uncanny just how large this game has become since it came out. Nowadays, it’s rare to see a new live-service game come out and succeed but Marvel Rivals has surpassed any and all expectations and has become one of the most popular and relevant games of the past few years.

Marvel Rivals truly feels like a game without fear as it boldly and unapologetically splashed onto the hero shooter scene and has shot for the moon (knight) since then. Marvel Rivals is fun, rewarding, and respectful of its player base and community. With some of the best monetization practices and community support that I’ve seen in a long time, I sincerely hope this game has an Immortal legacy that shows the power of prioritizing players over profits and the value of being unique rather than following the herd.

I never thought any game could capture the same lightning in a bottle that Overwatch did at launch, but Marvel Rivals has seemingly recaptured that lightning while also filling up a second bottle to boot. This game feels so fresh and fun, and more than anything else, it feels like a loving tribute to the Marvel brand that has seemingly gotten hundreds of thousands of people interested in these characters and stories which has warmed my heart as a comic fan.

Score: 9/10