Marvel Rivals Review

Marvel Rivals is a new hero shooter game that has been making waves in the gaming community. With its approachable gameplay and high skill ceiling, it's a great time for players of all skill levels. The game has a chunky roster of varied heroes, solid maps, and modes that have become hero shooter staples.

Introduction to Marvel Rivals

The game's reviewer, Simon Cardy, has spent over 1,000 hours playing Overwatch since its release in 2016. He notes that Marvel Rivals feels like it was meant to be released in 2016, but the game is still a lot of fun to play. This is a screenshot of the gameplay.

Gameplay and Modes

The game features 6v6 ensembles of tank, damage, and support classes, which are equivalent to the classes found in Overwatch. The game modes include escort and point capture modes, which are familiar to fans of the hero shooter genre. This is a screenshot of the game modes.

Hero Designs and Abilities

The game's hero designs are inspired by their comic book origins, rather than the movies. The reviewer notes that it's nice to see superhero character designs that understand and embrace their comic book roots. Each hero has unique abilities and playstyles, which are a lot of fun to play. This is a screenshot of the heroes.

Team Up Abilities and Synergies

The game features team-up abilities that allow heroes to work together and create powerful synergies. For example, when Star-Lord is paired with Adam Warlock, he's granted a self-revive on a long cooldown. These passive and active combos are a clever twist on the traditional hero shooter formula. This is a screenshot of the team-up abilities.

Map Design and Destructible Environments

The game's maps are visually distinct and feature destructible environments. The reviewer notes that the destruction is really needed at times, as some maps can feel a little claustrophobic due to an overabundance of interior corridors and choke points. This is a screenshot of the map design.

Conclusion

Marvel Rivals is a fun hero shooter that is approachable yet has a high skill ceiling. The game's chunky roster of varied heroes, solid maps, and modes make it a great time for players of all skill levels. While the game may not be the most original, it's hard to bemoan some of the hero designs, as many are simply following fun archetypes with roots stretching all the way back to Team Fortress 2. With a high level of care in each of its comic book characters, exciting combat for all skill levels, and a relatively generous free-to-play model, Rivals is doing all it can to buck the trend of hero shooters struggling to find a fervent fan base.