Marvel Rivals review: a superheroic showdown

Superheroic Showdown
Superheroic Showdown

Marvel Rivals has taken the gaming world by storm, attracting an impressive 10 million players within just three days of its launch on December 6. The free-to-play superhero team-based PvP shooter was released across multiple platforms, including PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Steam’s stats highlight the game’s extraordinary success, with Marvel Rivals peaking at 480,990 concurrent players over its launch weekend.

This places it among Steam’s top five most-played games and marks the 20th highest concurrent player number ever recorded on the platform, surpassing popular titles such as Helldivers 2, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Destiny 2. NetEase, the game’s developer, faces the challenge of maintaining Marvel Rivals’ player count, especially given the difficulties live-service games encounter in retaining long-term engagement. The game employs a monetization strategy that includes selling a battle pass and premium skins, which seems to be resonating well with players so far.

Marvel Rivals launched alongside its first season, “Dooms’ Rise,” which includes 33 heroes available for free play, eight maps for Quick Match and Competitive modes, a Conquest map, and a Practice Range. The season sets the stage for an ongoing narrative involving Doctor Doom’s time experiments and the resultant chaos from the Timestream Entanglement. To further engage its player base, a Twitch Drops event is running for Season 0, offering unique in-game rewards for completing specific tasks.

Additionally, a global launch gift includes a special code for a free Iron Man costume.

The game’s meteoric rise underscores its strong launch performance and player engagement, setting a robust foundation for its future in the competitive landscape of live service games. However, it remains to be seen whether Marvel Rivals will find a fervent fanbase like those of Blizzard and Marvel, a challenge most hero shooters have struggled with recently.

The impact of Overwatch is evident in Marvel Rivals, with its 6v6 ensembles of tank, damage, and support equivalent classes clashing in familiar escort and point capture modes. The roster at launch includes 33 heroes, many of whom display parallels to characters in Overwatch. Yet, Rivals brings new elements to the table, such as Bruce Banner and his Hulk alter ego, as well as Penni Parker’s spider-mech.

Marvel Rivals amasses millions in players

Melee fighters can get lost in the high-action battles, making it challenging to fully enjoy them, while tanky Vanguard heroes currently seem to play more like DPS characters with bigger health bars. Venom stands out as a powerful tank, but his symbiote-swinging feels clunky, which is also true for Spider-Man.

On the other hand, characters like Winter Soldier and Storm offer satisfying gameplay experiences with hard-hitting abilities and powerful ultimate moves. Marvel Rivals differentiates itself with team-up abilities that offer passive and active combos, which can shift the momentum of a match without feeling overpowering. The game promotes dynamic use of powers and places a premium on quick, fluid gameplay.

The third-person gunplay, while initially concerning for those who prefer first-person shooters, distinguishes weapons nicely and keeps the action engaging. Marvel Rivals is off to a strong start, with high-speed action, clever character abilities, and a roster that pays homage to beloved hero shooter archetypes while adding its unique twists. The game’s aesthetic is one of the best for the hero shooter genre and for Marvel heroes and villains.

The full list of characters includes a mix of big heroes like Wolverine and smaller ones like Squirrel Girl, voiced again by Milana Vayntrub. One fun aspect is the inclusion of Hulk and Wolverine’s “fastball special” combo move, where Hulk hurls Wolverine at enemies. The game now features six mutants on the roster, with several prominent names still missing from this group.

On The Avengers’ side, most of the heavy hitters are included, such as the entire “core six” from the movies, and later additions like Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man. The most unique characters in this roster are probably Luna Snow, Peni Parker, Squirrel Girl, and Jeff the Land Shark, reflecting the developers’ desire to go beyond just the “main” Marvel characters. With only a few more days until the December 6 launch, excitement is building for what promises to be a big game.

Further balance and community engagement will be crucial to its success in the competitive landscape of live service games.

Adria Woodman

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