Skip To...
I’ll start by saying that hero shooters were never truly a gaming beat for me until now. I tried a few in the past, especially that big one that got a sequel, but I always found them a bit daunting. However, NetEase Games and Marvel Games have created something truly approachable, flashy, and highly addictive, which, in turn, has slowly made me fall in love with this genre. Recently, I had the chance to try an early build of Marvel Rivals, which led to making a review in progress first. However, now that the game’s been out for a while with an established playerbase, it is easier to review it fully.
Initially, other journalists, content creators, and myself had the opportunity to access Marvel Rivals ahead of launch. While many features were disabled, the meat of the game was ready for us to try. Quick matches, custom lobbies, and practice vs AI. Even if the time was short with it, I have to say it was impactful. And more importantly, it hyped me even more for the full release. Speaking of which, now that the full release has happened, there are a few new things I’ve noticed. Some good, some bad, but fortunately, more of the former. All in all, Marvel Rivals is a terrific game for newcomers and veterans of the hero shooter genre.
[Updated on December 11, 2024 – Scored the review and added more information regarding the game’s launch period]
A Roster Like No Other
It should go without saying, but a hero shooter is only as good as its roster. Yes, shooting mechanics and game modes help a lot, too, but without many characters to pick, it will suffer. Fortunately, Marvel Rivals features a whopping 33 characters at launch. If that doesn’t sound appealing, other games of the genre have launched with fewer heroes. Furthermore, this will all be free for players as soon as they fire up the game, so that’s a huge bonus for all.
Since finding matches was a bit difficult due to the number of people in this build, I spent most of my time in custom lobbies and practicing vs AI. I mention this because it isn’t the same to try a hero in a live environment compared to one with limited options. Still, I was able to try the majority of them or at least my favorites, and I’d say my experience was mostly positive. I say ‘mostly’ because I certainly feel there will be a meta as soon as the game launches, and some heroes will just gather dust on the bench.
For instance, almost every match featured Magneto and Groot, which seem to be the go-to Vanguards right now. Vanguards, which features the DPS-oriented heroes, has more variety, but there are many favored ones. Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Iron Fist were some of the most common ones I saw. The latter is an absolute blast to play, by the way.
I don’t think this is bad, but I can already see a few heroes being sidelined due to the lack of survivability or utility. While some team-up moves counter this and make some characters more useful, I feel some need further ability tweaks to keep them relevant throughout the game. Then again, this is what I saw from a limited playtime with a small number of players, so things might change at launch.
Update: Now that the game has fully launched, there were no issues with matchmaking whatsoever. The longest queue I had was five seconds, which should tell you how packed it is. Still, I noticed something, which isn’t bad by any means. Since there isn’t a role queue, players can pick whatever character they want. They can even make a party of pure DPS heroes and villains. I’ve seen this happen, and surprisingly enough, it works. However, I feel this might become a divisive topic in the future. I like the flexibility of team compositions instead of having a set role. Yet, time will tell how the community reacts to this.
Fast-Paced and to the Point
The absolute best thing about Marvel Rivals is how fast-paced it feels. One of the things I noticed that helped with this was the high mobility almost all characters have. Captain America and Black Widow can sprint through the map and jump high distances. Venom and Spider-Man can webswing. Iron Man can fly and attack as he hovers around the arena. This makes the moment-to-moment gameplay faster and adds a welcome degree of vertical gameplay to Rivals.
I always found playing ten matches in a row tedious in other hero shooters. It was not because of the objectives but the actual loop. You become familiar with a map and already know where to position yourself. However, combat in Marvel Rivals is as chaotic as it can get. With enemies flying above you, blasts will start coming from everywhere. In addition, you’ll have foes shooting straight at you and, even better, destroying your cover. Yes, some of the environment is breakable.
And despite feeling that some heroes lack that future-proof element, I feel everyone contributes to the overarching mayhem. Even the character at the lowest tier will create some shenanigans to add more chaos to the mix. For instance, Strange will summon portals to help heroes traverse the map faster. Venom, meanwhile, can launch himself from the air to smash the ground. Elsewhere, Little Jeff will swallow you whole, and Groot can put up as many walls as needed. All of these whacky details give Marvel Rivals a unique feel that we desperately need in the genre.
Update: With the game out now, I still believe most heroes are balanced enough, but there are a few becoming “meta.” Jeff is a tiny powerhouse that can obliterate a team in seconds. Hela has become one of the top DPS characters and feels a bit busted compared to others in the same role. However, things aren’t so bad right now, and a bit of tweaking could fix everything. Also, certain team-up abilities seem extremely useful and even overpowered compared to others. For instance, Hawkeye and Black Widow’s one feels underwhelming compared to the revival ability Hela provides for Thor and Loki. Fortunately, there are only a few cases such as this, so it isn’t something that’ll ruin one’s experience.
Stylish Heroic Antics
One thing I noticed during my review time with Marvel Rivals was how it sets itself apart from other competitors. The main skeleton of the game might be similar in many ways. However, it is the style, the abilities, and the art direction that make Rivals stand out so much. Plus, you have some of Marvel’s best characters already there, so what else can we ask for?
In all seriousness, though, the art style is gorgeous. The cel shading-like models, which you can actually see in a third-person perspective, are impressive. While I have a few gripes with some design choices, mainly Wolverine’s normal outfit, all the others are terrific. Furthermore, each location is a blast to explore and much more memorable than other settings I’ve seen in certain hero shooters. It might also be more impressive because I’m a superhero nerd, but regardless, all locations are a visual treat.
However, the highlight — or highlights in this case — are all the abilities and how they are designed. Both in visual and gameplay terms, all heroes and villains have their own unique antiques that just elevate the already outstanding looks of the game. You have Peni Parker with her Spider-gadgets. Psylocke has butterfly motifs in all her skills. Squirrel Girl flings nuts left and right. Beyond the flashy and distinctive skills, NetEase and Marvel Games understand the audience and, most importantly, the universe that serves as the cornerstone of this game.
A Super(b) Hero Shooter
Update: With a proper review now up, I stand by what I said before: Marvel Rivals is already scoring high in my books. It’s flashy, destructive, chaotic, addictive, and most importantly, engaging. Hero designs are top-notch and the plethora of abilities each character possesses just make things even better. In a way, it seems like Marvel Rivals wants to embrace the chaos that made the genre so well-known during its beginnings. Instead of playing it safe, it throws caution to the wind to create an entertaining experience for everyone.
After playing the full version now, Marvel Rivals shows it has everything it needs to succeed in the genre and even surpass those who’ve ruled the hero shooter landscape for years. Its approach to combat is accessible, the monetization isn’t aggressive, and it had one of the smoothest launches we’ve seen in recent years for multiplayer co-op titles. As long as the high quality remains, Marvel Rivals will become a timeless experience for anyone who wants some fast-paced, bombastic action.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Marvel Rivals (PC Reviewed)
Marvel Rivals takes many things other hero shooters have established but makes them flashier, more engaging, and, most importantly, accessible for everyone. It still has a few weird design choices, and some balance issues are showing, but overall, it's an engaging co-op shooter that will surely take the crown of the genre if it keeps the top-notch quality up.
Pros
- An excellent and extensive roster at launch
- Fast-paced and flashy combat that's accessible for all types of players
- Gorgeous art style
Cons
- Some characters feel a bit overpowered and unbalanced
- The lack of a role queue might be a double-edged sword for some players
