Marvel Rivals Stands Tall in Overwatch's Shadow

My Steam review headline was "ARMED AND DANGEROUS! AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN!" and so on, several more times. If you've played Marvel Rivals, you've heard that line more than you'd like. I've got 78 hours in it.

It's a surprisingly polished hero shooter that stands tall in Overwatch's shadow. It launched into a crowded genre and still stood out.

What it is

Six-versus-six, third-person, with Marvel heroes and villains pulled together from different timelines. Heroes fall into three roles: Vanguard, Duelist and Strategist. Matches are built around objectives: escort a convoy, capture and push, hold the point.

What worked

The roster. 33 heroes at launch, each with a distinct style. There are simpler heroes for new players and deep, fiddly ones for people who want to master something. The comic book feel shows up everywhere, in the character interactions and the map design, and even people who don't follow Marvel can just enjoy the gameplay.

Team-ups. This is the new trick. Certain heroes power each other up when they're on the same team, which adds a strategic layer to team composition that other games don't have.

Destructible maps. Parts of the maps break during a match, which changes routes and cover as it goes.

The polish. Gorgeous comic-inspired visuals, strong sound design where you can tell abilities apart by ear, and a slick UI. It launched stable, matchmaking was quick, and cross-play works well.

Tip

Once you have a main, look at which team-ups include them. Picking a hero that pairs with a teammate can matter as much as picking the "best" one.

What didn't

Visual clarity. Big fights get very busy, and it can be hard to tell what's happening through all the effects.

Balance. When I reviewed it, a few heroes, like Iron Fist and Hela, clearly needed tuning. That changes season to season.

Not many modes. Convoy, Convergence and Domination on a handful of maps. More variety would help.

The tutorial is basic. New players could use better onboarding.

Small bugs. Occasional physics weirdness with mobile heroes, and abilities like Doctor Strange's portal sometimes misfire. Most of it is minor and gets patched regularly.

Worth it?

Yes. It doesn't revolutionize the genre, but it executes with confidence and polish, and the free-to-play model is generous. Easy recommendation for Marvel fans and hero shooter fans alike.

If you came here from Apex Legends, you'll find Rivals a lot less stressful about your wallet. And if it leaves you wanting a single-player Marvel game, Miles Morales is short and worth it.