Marvel Rivals: The Very Definition Of A Hero Shooter

Let me preface this by saying I am no longer much of a multiplayer fan. With limited time nowadays with a job, a personal life, gaming, and now starting to do video game reviews, I don’t have a whole lot of time - or frankly interest - in multiplayer gaming. Not when my backlog across all platforms is nearing a thousand games.

It also doesn’t help that years of playing Call of Duty multiplayer has burned me right out. Without the constant chase of unlocking something new every single level, I didn’t find new shooters to be very enjoyable, especially if I was joining late into a popular game. The same goes for battle royales such as Apex Legends.

Yet there’s something undeniably addicting about Marvel Rivals. And I’m not the only one who thinks that! At time of writing, there have been over 10 million players battling it out as some of Marvel’s finest (and most obscure) characters. So what is it that makes Marvel Rivals so fun?

I was eager to jump in and play as some of my favourite Heroes from the Marvel Universe. And there’s a large roster to choose from at launch, 33 playable Heroes (and Villains!), all free of charge. It’s also been confirmed that every upcoming Hero and map will also be free. I haven’t checked every cosmetic or even the full Battle Pass, but I feel like this is definitely a game I will support over time. There’s something for everybody from stalwarts like Captain America to lesser-known characters like Jeff the Land Shark - yup, that’s really a choice! And each character has a multitude of costumes to choose from in Season 0.

I think I was too excited to hop into a match, but it was worth it. I locked in Captain America and pressed Find Match. The beauty of it? I found a match instantly! Not a match in progress, but a brand new match. I loaded into a game of Escort on the stunning Spider-Islands Tokyo 2099 map. Its vibrant colours and its retro-futuristic setting are a joy to experience.

Games of Convoy start with a sudden rush to the escort objective, followed by a sudden stop when everyone is nearby. No one wants to be the first one to die, but everyone wants to push the objective and win. And that’s where the beauty of the game comes in - the co-op play. If you are playing with a group of friends, or even solo, it’s important to stick together. And the developers over at NetEase Games made sure to reward that style of gameplay. Heroes have team-up abilities, where certain combinations of Heroes and Villains get power-ups or stronger attacks when paired together and pressing a combo button.

I played my first five matches as Captain America, and when I got paired up with another player who was playing as Thor, I got the Voltaic Union power-up, granting me an increased movement speed and an electrified shield that would damage nearby enemies. And that’s just one of over a dozen team-ups! While that’s a classic team-up, there are some crazier combos to experience. Did you ever expect to have Squirrel Girl and Hela to team up in a video game any time soon? I sure didn’t. But there’s something about watching Black Panther and Magneto charging into battle together, dreaming of a win.

Every character has a difficulty level ranging from one to five stars. Maybe jumping straight in as Cap wasn’t the best idea, as he is a 3-star Hero, but that’s half the fun of learning a new game - trying what you like. The gameplay is fast, snappy, and responsive. Every character feels unique to play, but they also all feel like powerhouses in their own right. Swapping from Captain America to Squirrel Girl resulted in my first MVP, something I didn’t expect for my first match with a new Hero. But she’s a ton of fun to play as. Sure, you can play as your favourite Heroes and Villains, but picking up a character you wouldn't normally consider playing may lead you to find a new favourite character.

As for progression, you are always unlocking something. The Battle Pass feels a little different from other live service games, and it’s honestly my least favourite part of the game. It’s not predatory - far from it - but you don’t earn progress just by playing. Rather, you progress through the game by beating Daily Missions, timed Challenges, and timed Seasonal Events that grant you Chrono Tokens. This is the in-game currency you use to unlock the Battle Pass rewards. This means if you want to complete the Battle Pass, you don’t just play the game. But even with that minor gripe, the developers have handled it extremely well. While the Dailies may seem like your average requests, the Challenges and Seasonal Events require you to play as other characters. This actively encourages you to try every Hero in the game at some point, which is reinforced by the game’s Achievements/Trophies. Just 7 of the game’s 40 achievements are miscellaneous. The other 33 are based on the various playable Heroes and Villains - one achievement for each of the characters. The average player will probably unlock a handful of achievements over the course of gameplay. Completionists and those who want to experience all the game has to offer will most likely unlock every achievement and unlockable as they chase that rush of finishing something.

Even in-game, there are a number of achievements under the Career tab in the upper right corner. I unlocked a few of these merely by playing the game. Some are very vague with how they are worded. I had a few show up being listed as “Listen to X in Y”, which I’m not entirely sure how I completed the requirements, because I was constantly running into battle. But they grant achievement points, which in turn grant in-game rewards and collectibles.

So far, I have only played for 8 hours, trying out a number of the Heroes to try and complete as many Dailies, Challenges, and Event missions. I plan to jump into it more over the next few weeks to complete the Battle Pass before Season One launches and to see how much more fun I can have.

For many reasons, I can highly recommend playing this game. It’s free to play and has a large roster of playable characters with more on the way. Download it and give it a chance if you haven’t already!

I rate Marvel Rivals: 4.5 Stars

Marvel Rivals is out now for Xbox Series consoles, PlayStation 5, and Steam.