Marvel Rivals Reviews
NetEase's spin on the hero battler is complex and moreish, but rarely much actual fun. Its biggest impact is a renewed appreciation for the rivals that do it better.
Marvel Rivals is a well-made hero shooter that is easy to enjoy, and while it's managed to distinguish itself from Overwatch 2 in terms of heroes, it's fallen into the same pitfalls.
It may be following closely in the slipstream of the hero shooters that have come before it, but by doing so Marvel Rivals has firmly placed itself in a strong position to take the crown for itself.
Marvel Rivals' deep roster of 33 characters keeps battles fresh and exciting, with enough variety here that I don't know if I'll ever get bored, especially if the new characters and maps come at a regular pace.
Marvel Rivals wants to reinvent the hero shooter genre with its complex characters and special synergies, but it's so preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths. Its oversized roster also needs more balacing – and more differentiation from Blizzard's stable of heroes.
NetEase's take on the hero shooter is unapologetic about its inspirations, but it should learn from Overwatch's mistakes instead of repeating them
Perhaps one the slickest free to play PVP releases of recent times, allowing Marvelheads or laypeople to hero shoot with frightening levels of choice. Perhaps a bit too much choice, for those who take their competitive games seriously.
Marvel Rivals has come out of the gate swinging, delivering a fresh blast of adrenaline to the hero shooter genre.
In its current state, Marvel Rivals is an absolute blast, no matter what role you play. The roster is balanced surprisingly well, especially since three heroes were added very close to public release.
Marvel Rivals is the most entertaining hero shooter since Overwatch.
Visually, the game is striking, in terms of gameplay, the characters feel good for the most part and different from each other, and the games are entertaining even with the balance problems that are detected.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
For now, Marvel Rivals is a fine foray into the realm of hero shooters. It's tough to imagine making a splash in such saturated waters, but NetEase has managed to do it with its diverse hero roster, its monetization model, and its usage of destructible worlds. This will be a fun game to watch develop over time, and I'm excited to see where it is at this time next year, but for what it is now, this is a stellar debut.
Marvel Rivals is fantastic at times, and it does have the makings of a game that could be alive and thriving for years to come. But as it is now, Rivals has so many fatal issues that it’s impossible to fully recommend putting time and effort into getting good at the game. Play now and have fun while you can if the game interests you. Time will be the enemy of Marvel Rivals’ flimsy foundation and flawed game design.
Beyond its very obvious Overwatch comparisons, Marvel Rivals is a competent hero shooter that is fun to play and easy to pick up, full of love for the original characters, and with a free to play model that refreshingly doesn't require you to unlock gameplay elements. Hopefully some technical mishaps can be fixed with future patches.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A must play. That's the word for Marvel Rivals after two weeks. The game is not perfect, far from it, but it has the merit of associating fan service with real content, with a revisit of the hero shooter genre, what the last competitors behind Overwatch had obviously not assimilated well or succeeded. Marvel Rivals has a future ahead of it if the NetEase follow-up remains the same. And the gaming community is listened to. It's free, and playing Iron Man is fun so you'd be wrong to miss out on one of the best Marvel video games today. If it is not the best...
Review in French | Read full review
Marvel Rivals is a damn fun and immediate hero shooter, which boasts among other things a microtransaction management that makes it perfectly playable without spending a penny. If the developers know how to manage the wave of success well and constantly publish new content, it could be an experience capable of staying on the crest of the wave for quite some time.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Marvel Rivals is a rare example of a live service launch done right. Some aspects might feel more derivative, but the promise of future content that'll build on what's already a solid foundation is proof that Marvel Rivals is here to stay.
Going toe-to-toe with Overwatch is a tough ask, but Marvel Rivals brings an impressive roster and its own nuanced action to the table, competing with and even exceeding Blizzard's efforts.
Marvel Rivals is a game that puts fun first. Playing as one of Marvel's huge and not-so-huge characters is a lot of fun, with stupid things like Rocket Raccoon and Jeff the Shark being fun to play. As I'm a Venom main, I love that I don't need to study a meta guide to jump in and have fun. If Marvel Rivals keeps fun at the core of its gameplay, then it'll be a hit for years to come.