Marvel Rivals Review

Marvel Rivals blasted into the hero shooter genre with lots of promise. With iconic characters, a massive fanbase, and successful betas, players were itching to get their hands on the game. And Marvel Rivals doesn’t disappoint—with incredible game mechanics, well-designed characters, and very few flaws, it’s a hero shooter that’s not going away anytime soon. 

The game is a six-versus-six competitive hero shooter. Currently, there are 33 characters to choose from that are all in the Marvel Universe. The characters themselves are pulled from comics, games, and movies, and they’re sorted into three different categories. There are Strategists (healer and support-type characters), Vanguards (the standard tank characters), and Duelists (DPS offensive characters).

Players don’t have set roles when they enter lobbies. For the most part, this works out well. There’s a lot of freedom in team compositions, which makes each game feel more unique and dynamic. The maps add to this, too. Some maps feel long and are perfect for ranged fights, while others have corners at every angle. They each feel complete and well done, balancing map mechanics with character skills to distinguish themselves.

Speaking of characters, the 33 different ones all feel completely different to each other and viable to play. Each character has a kit that looks overpowered, yet somehow they interact well together. Very few feel better than others, and none feel so weak that they’re lost to other characters. Each option in Marvel Rivals is unique to play and feels distinct from one another.

With that being said, there are a few characters that will more than likely be tuned. However, everyone will have a different opinion on who needs that balancing—a good sign that no one is really too overpowered.

Marvel Rivals doesn’t disappoint—with incredible game mechanics, well-designed characters, and very few flaws, it’s a hero shooter that’s not going away anytime soon.

The mix of characters is also done well. There are characters from every form of the Marvel Universe. With choices like Cloak and Dagger, Jeff the Land Shark, Spider-Man, Psylocke, and even Luna Snow, there’s a character for everyone. Plus, more are set to come out in the near future. While there aren’t dates yet, it’s clear that NetEase plans to invest more into the game (which is understandable considering it hit 20 million players in just two weeks). 

Not only that, but the characters each have several skins available. Some are based on the characters’ different looks throughout time, while others are brand-new to the game. Plus, an extensive biography lets players learn about where each character comes from. 

And the best part? All the characters are free. There’s no grinding a battle pass or swiping your card to play who you want. It’s very player-forward, and it doesn’t just stop with the characters.

The battle pass lets players complete it at their own speed. While new battle passes will be released over time, the previous ones will still be available. This lets people play the game at their own pace instead of being forced to grind for rewards. Plus, the battle passes spell out stories for the Marvel lore lovers to enjoy. 

The only problem I’ve run into with the game surrounds glitches. Occasionally, there are audio glitches and places for things to get stuck in the map—at one point, I was launched off the map (by Jeff the Land Shark, of course) and got stuck on the terrain. It took about a minute to actually fall down and respawn, which is quite a long time in a Marvel Rivals game. 

Of course, there are always going to be some problems when you’re teaming up with random players. Things can feel incredibly one-sided if the other team is just better than you (or your teammates), especially since it’s tough for people to solo-carry. However, it’s hard to fault Marvel Rivals for it since it’s just the reality of playing an online, competitive, team-based game. 

Marvel Rivals is also getting great support. New skins have already dropped, and events are already coming soon. The upcoming event, which plays like a turf war where players will spray maps with Jeff’s attacks, is pretty different from the regular modes, giving players even more ways to experience the game. 

Overall, Marvel Rivals is a very solid and fun experience. There are a few glitches that can be frustrating, but NetEase has already patched many of them. The hero shooter genre was struggling, with games like Overwatch 2 leaving players frustrated, and Marvel Rivals fills the gap nicely. With great gameplay mechanics and interesting and unique characters, there’s little left on the table for the new Marvel game.