I love almost everything about Marvel Rivals, so I'm not at all shocked that its latest vanguard (what Rivals calls tank classes) just feels right. The current storyline has the heroes fighting two separate versions of Doctor Doom, so it was a matter of time before the Fantastic Four showed up.
With the February 21 update giving us The Thing and The Human Torch, all four members of Marvel's First Family are here. For what it's worth, so is Herbie The Robot. I play a whole lot of tank so my first few hours with the new update, I've been maining Aunt Petunia's ever-loving blue-eyed Thing.
Everything summons Ben Grimm perfectly, starting with actor Andrew Morgado's rendition of The Thing's gravelly (sorry I had to) voice. You may recognize him from other games including Diablo IV, Fortnite, and Starfield. He captures the lovable lug I remember from countless Saturday morning cartoons. Yes, even the one where Ben is a teenager and transforms by hollering "Thing Ring, Do Your Thing!" I'm not making that up.
While The Thing is always grousing about having to save the universe again, he clearly loves punching evil in the face. His Marvel Rivals kit is perfectly suited for it, including a powerful haymaker that grants 50 health when it lands. His in game fighting stance is not unlike that of a heavyweight fighter, bouncing eagerly on his feet ready to land the crucial blow.
Playing him feels not unlike a fighting game character in the best possible way. I'm constantly judging whether one more Stone Haymaker can finish an opponent, or if I should use his leap to find a healer or health pack. The right decision can stack up kills very quickly. It's not going to surprise me if Thing gets a couple of nerfs in the near future.
It is so much fun to play, and exactly how I would imagine The Thing fighting in a gigantic superhero melee. I've had the classic comic book battle against The Hulk countless times, and it's always a white-knuckle thrill ride. Combining him or any other Fantastic Four member with Invisible Woman grants extra shield and health regeneration. The unbridled childhood joy from hearing Torch and Thing bicker back and forth is a bonus.