Marvel Rivals review: We need to face the truth

It's been a little over a week since the release of Marvel Rivals. That means players have had the chance to fully dive into NetEase's latest title to grasp everything it has to offer. I tried playing as multiple characters, got to explore many different maps, and lost more ranked matches than I care to admit. So now, more than ever, feels like the perfect time to answer the question: Is the game even worth it?

Marvel Rivals is a free PvP shooter set in the Marvel Universe. It currently has 33 playable characters (with developers claiming they all control differently) and more will be added as new seasons are launched. There are paid cosmetic skins in-game, but no gameplay mechanics are locked behind a paywall. Iconic landmarks such as Asgard and Klyntar make an appearance, and the game is available on major consoles with crossplay enabled. I know it all sounds too good to be true, but it's time to face the truth...

The game is even better than what we could've wished for.

The magic of Marvel Rivals is here

Marvel RIvals does many things so well that it's a bit hard to know where to begin. But I'll give it the biggest compliment I can: Every time that I try out a new character, I think to myself "Okay, this is definitely my new main" until I try someone else, and repeat the process once again. Almost every single character has fun and amazing abilities that could aid you in different ways on the battlefield. But the best part? They all feel different to play as. Marvel's Avengers was a AAA game featuring Earth's Mightiest Heroes and yet they all controlled very similarly which was an absolute disappointment. However, Marvel Rivals doesn't repeat that mistake and gives each hero its unique identity in-game.

Granted, some characters feel broken at times. Try to play as Jeff the Land Shark and defeat an Iron Fist who won't stop spamming the attack button — it's simply impossible. That being said, 80% of the time the game feels well-balanced. Can the enemy team chain together a lot of "broken" attacks? Yes, but chances are so can you and your teammates. And that's most of the fun in this superhero fantasy: you get to experience what these huge comic book battles would be like in a video game with no limits or restrictions at hand.

We also need to compliment Marvel Rivals for being an extremely stable experience at launch. While most games go through a rough patch trying to accommodate many players at the same time, this time was the exception. There are no huge queue times, there are no random disconnects, and there's no lag — if I'm being honest, the online experience has been mostly flawless. I do have to say the game crashed out on me once, and I've noticed some textures take way too long to load. But aside from these minor nitpicks? Yeah, no complaints here.

Destructible environments add an extra layer to the gameplay experience. It's nice to see how entire buildings get torn down as you shoot them with Punisher's guns. Besides, maps themselves are breathtaking even if they can have confusing layouts that will have you wondering where exactly to go to arrive at the objective. However, getting lost won't be a problem anymore once you get yourself familiarized with these iconic Marvel landmarks.

Maybe there's not too much variety right now in terms of game modes yet, but the game is so fun to play you'll rarely be thinking about that. Besides — regardless of what mode are you playing in — each match is long enough to allow any team to make a comeback even at the last second but short enough to make you think "Okay, I'll play just one more game before going to sleep". It truly seems like NetEase cracked the code behind making an engaging gameplay loop that could keep you hooked for hours. Furthermore, it's worth highlighting that the next Season will be released in January, so with new content there will be no worries about the game getting repetitive any time soon.

The game is also very consumer-friendly, as it doesn't lock out any gameplay mechanic, character, or map behind a paywall. Instead, monetization is only applied to completely optional costumes that — most of the time — look very awesome. Even then, players can unlock certain types of currencies by simply playing the game and completing challenges. Finally, battle passes have no expiration time which means you can take as long as you want to complete them without risking not getting any rewards.

Verdict: a must play for superhero and competitive fans

We could nitpick Marvel Rivals for a few different things. While it had mostly a flawless launch, the game can crash and PC players can experience a few problems with their graphic cards. Level design can be confusing at times, maybe there aren't too many game modes at launch, and a few textures take a lot of time to load. That being said, the game over-delivered when it came to creating a smooth online superhero experience where every character feels different, monetization is very consumer-friendly, and the gameplay loop is extremely addictive. Destructible environments make for a pretty unique experience, and you'll find almost no technical problems plague the game once you boot into it. NetEase's passion for the IP is visible from a mile away, and we can't wait to see where the game heads next.

Marvel Rivals is available to play right now on all major platforms.