Review: Marvel Rivals unleashes true chaos magic

Let's address the giant elephant, or Wolverine, in the room. Marvel Rivals doesn't just borrow from Overwatch, it mimics in a manner that even Loki would be proud of. For example, it's Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda map will instantly invoke images of Numbani for anyone who has played Blizzard's shooter.

Across the Multiverse

But not unlike the massive network of parallel universes we've seen in comic books, a number of small changes eventually create an entirely new setting. Overwatch's master of teleportation is Symmetra, who has moved between support and DPS throughout her career. Obviously some of her kit was going to end up in the injured hands of Doctor Strange.

Strange is a Vanguard, or "tank" in typical shooter/MOBA terms. Along with his teleporter, he casts a big magical shield that can soak up insane amounts of damage. This game had enough hype that NetEase Games could have gotten away with a palette swap for Symmetra. Instead, they gave Marvel fans part of what we expect but so much more. Strange is a unique tank that enables all manner of incredible plays.

The Winter Soldier is another character that builds on what Blizzard has done, but ends up doing his own thing. Bucky has the precision aiming of Cassidy, the pull mechanic of Roadhog, and the rising uppercut Doomfist used to have. These all make perfect sense for an assassin with a bionic arm.

Hulk Smash - Everything

Competition makes everything better. Remember when Overwatch 2 was supposed to have destructible environments. That was one of the many reasons Blizzard gave that it had to make Overwatch 2, then it never happened. Marvel Rivals has delivered on this promise, and it ups the fun factor tremendously.

First of all, it's just fun to make Hulk-shaped holes in nearby doors as superheroes often do. But it is also a huge part of the game's strategy. Taking down parts of bulidings can yield brand new sniper perches to shoot from. Also, if an Iron Man is peeking from behind cover to launch missiles, you may need to destroy that part of the structure to get a shot at him.

Let Our Powers Combine

Comic books, and the movies/TV shows based on them often throw as many superheroes as possible in there for epic confrontations. NetEase celebrates some of the best ones with team-up abilities that allow characters to boost each other in various ways. The Hulk can lend some of his gamma energy to Iron Man and Doctor Strange to increase their power. Hela is a DPS character, but she can resurrect her siblings, Thor and Loki, since she is a goddess of death. The benefits are often well worth it. If two squads are equal, the one that makes better use of team-ups can emerge the winner.

Know Your Role

One of the biggest controversies that has emerged in the early stages of Rivals has been the lack of a role queue in competitive play. This inevitably leads to the 4-5 DPS lock. But because of the unique skillsets these characters have, things can work in non traditional ways.

The Punisher is a damage dealer ranked at one star difficulty, or extremely beginner friendly. In one of my matches I was shocked to see an opposing Punisher block more than 20,000 damage. After looking through the kit of a character I thought I knew how to play, I learned that his deployable turret actually blocks damage. Am I saying you should use the Punisher as a tank? No, but I am saying that a good enough Punisher apparently can.

As I have written about, some people are already finding success with a new form of Overwatch's infamous GOATS comp, mixing three tanks and three supports. So far NetEase is saying no role queue is planned.

That's probably the right decision until metas have more time to shake out. Right now, no Dualist can wipe the map as quickly as the strategist Jeff the Land Shark, who can swallow an entire enemy team and leap off the map.

Even if you have never cared for hero shooters, I urge you to give this one a try. It's free-to-play, and if you have any love for superhero properties you'll find a character you love among this motley bunch. It is certainly inspired by games that came before, but its fast, frenetic pace and secret strategic weight make it something completely different. Like a sidekick growing into his mentor's mantle, this one is ready to fight crime in the mean streets of Marvel Manhattan.

Score: 8/10