Marvel is unquestionably one of the largest entertainment franchises out there. With dozens of movies, comics, and games already under its belt, it is tough to add something to it that could possibly top all of that. However, their newest game, Marvel Rivals, was just released and it’s looking like the biggest boon the Marvel Franchise since the release of their most successful movie, Infinity War. This post will go over all the things there is to be excited about with Marvel Rivals.
There is truly a lot to be excited about with the release of Marvel Rivals on December 6th, 2024. From some of the best graphics in the gaming industry using Unreal Engine 5, to interesting new mechanics with a Marvel lore flare to it, fans of the franchise will have a ton of fun with this new release. To top this all off, Marvel Rivals is cross-play compatible, meaning that players on PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and even Steam Deck play together so there are no limitations on who people can play with. The final cherry on top though, Marvel Rivals is free-to-play and easily downloadable from Steam, the Xbox shop, or PlayStation 5 shop – with microtransactions of course.
Moving into the important part, the gameplay is surprisingly great. If Marvel Rivals had to be compared to another game, it could be considered like the release version of Overwatch back in 2016. It is 6 versus 6 shooter with most of the fan-favorite heroes and villains from the Marvel franchise for a total of 33 characters. There are tank, damage, and healer roles with a variety of maps with different objectives, including payload and king of the hill.
That being said, there are some key differences that make Marvel Rivals unique from Overwatch and other similar games. First, it is a third-person 6v6 shooter instead of the usual first-person shooter, which gives it a very interesting playstyle. Second, there are synergy mechanics built in that the heroes and villains can use to their advantage. For example, Groot and Rocket Racoon from Guardians of the Galaxy make it so when played together, Rocket Racoon can sit on Groot’s shoulders so that both gain damage reduction. Another, lesser-known duo from Marvel comics is Cloak and Dagger and Moon Knight – their synergy is they can create a field at a location that allows them both to become invisible. There are many more synergies that have other effects as well, making certain characters combinations an advantageous strategy to win games. Some competitive players are even looking into Marvel Rivals boosting as a great way to climb in Marvel Rivals, while experimenting with different team comps and playstyles.
Outside of these two key differences, Marvel Rivals is not much different from Overwatch on its release. Despite this potentially seeming like a bad thing since Overwatch is effectively a dead game, the release of Overwatch was absolutely fantastic, and Marvel Rivals seems to be mirroring that same successful trajectory. There are hundreds of thousands of players playing at any given time and there is the entire Marvel Universe worth of new heroes/villains and/or map locations that can be added to game added to the game at any time. The only thing that it’s lacking is a bustling esports scene, but that comes with time. With all that in mind, the future of Marvel Rivals is looking bright as the premiere team shooter esports game.
If you are even remotely interested in the Marvel Universe or just looking for a generally good-all-around game, I would highly recommend at least trying out Marvel Rivals; it is free-to-play after all. Playing with friends also makes this game a lot more fun, so getting friends to try it with you is highly recommended way to thoroughly enjoy Marvel Rivals.
