"Marvel Rivals," Early Impressions

"Marvel Rivals," was announced back in March and looked like it could be fun. The developer behind it, Netease, got roasted online for requiring people testing the game to say only positive things, and that was embarrassing. The thing is, the game is actually quite fun and turning into a hit, so in retrospect that rule wasn't even needed. Yes, "Marvel Rivals," is a bit of a knock-off of, "Overwatch," in the third-person instead of first but it is also quite entertaining from the bit I've had a chance to play so far.

Essentially, a bunch of characters who all play pretty differently yet somehow manage to (mostly) balance each other out and compete in arenas (which are somewhat destructible as a nice touch) to win a match. The rules can involve escorting an item/device to a new location or claiming a spot for your team in a best-out-of-three situation, to name some scenarios. The game is completely free with every single character playable from the start. You see, in a manner similar to a game like, "Fortnite," the money comes from folks buying cosmetic upgrades and customizations--you don't pay to gain any actual in-game advantage. The, "Cast," is insanely stacked with 33--yes you read that right--different options. One character is even kind of two as it is Cloak and Dagger. More are somehow on the way as well.

I haven't played every character yet but I did (obviously) sample Moon Knight and immediately enjoyed gliding around with my crescent moon cape. I also had a pretty good time playing the up-close-brawler of Captain America as having the shield to block projectile fire from other foes generally gave me a few much-needed seconds to figure out the best way to close some distance and smack them around. One especially interesting little touch is some characters can synergize with each other a bit if they're on the same team and unlock little extra boosts or moves (Hulk throwing Wolverine via a Fastball Special to give one example).

"Marvel Rivals," has been out barely a couple weeks but already is garnering a lot of attention due to being fun, fast, and (essentially) free. It has also helped some lesser-known characters from the comics who are on the roster get a lot of sudden attention (I'm all for folks loving Jeff the Landshark). With such a huge assortment of characters some can feel a little overpowered or underpowered against too many other options, but Netease is making constant tweaks to balance things out. Plus, as the game is out longer I'm sure more teams will form that take advantage of those synergistic powers. I haven't played a ton of Marvel Rivals yet on my PS5, but from what I have this is a darn good time.

5 out of 5 Stars (as an early impression).