Marvel Rivals is just a dull Overwatch-like game in eye-catching costumes – hands-on preview

I played a few games of Marvel Destiny at the Summer Game Fest 2024 earlier this month and came away greatly disappointed. It’s a pretty good team-based third-person shooter that will appeal to Marvel fans, but it’s a shadow of its fellow competitors in the genre.

Let’s break down how and why it left me so disappointed. First, I’ll address the obvious. Marvel Rivals, made by NetEase Games, is a game similar to Overwatch. It has various differences that help to distinguish it; the setting and characters are clearly different, and there are obvious differences in the gameplay, such as its third-person perspective.

But for the vast majority of gamers who actually get to play the game, it feels like the skeleton of Overwatch wrapped in a comic book shell, which is either a boon for gamers who can’t get enough of this particular genre, or a gross slur for those who’ve grown tired of the product.

Let’s start with one big plus: at least the presentation here is fantastic. All of the Marvel characters are instantly recognizable and not just boring clips from the MCU movies. This game is clearly based on the comics, and you can feel that in the design. They’ve made an interesting take on the characters, and all of the depictions are faithful to the originals, but very different from the millions of other Marvel games you can play right now. If you take your hands off the keyboard and just look at the game, it’s pretty awesome. However, getting up close and actually interacting with it is another story.

That’s because this game is Overwatch, and you’re in control. The characters may be different (and do have unique and original abilities), but the game itself is likely one you’ve played before. Some characters are genuinely new, like Penny Parker, a tank that can fire webs for crowd control and increased mobility. Others, like the Punisher, are a cross between Soldier 76 and Bastion, half compromise. Characters like Storm are pretty obvious where the inspiration came from—playing like Lucio, to the point where I knew how the outfit was supposed to work the moment I picked her.

There’s nothing wrong with copying someone else’s work, and it’s often done in games. But the main problem with Marvel Comics is that it doesn’t have Feel It’s as good as any of its contemporaries. The action feels slow, and while the presentation is A+, it lacks the punch that other games have. This is crucial – any game that lets you play as Iron Man or an equally legendary hero has to make you feel as heroic and powerful as they are. But in my opinion, this game lacks some oomph.

Take Namor, for example. He can throw spears and summon automatic octopus cannons. While the spears do a lot of damage, you don’t feel like you’re piercing other players with these slow, heavy throws. And those automatic octopus turrets, while powerful, don’t exactly knock back enemies. I tried a lot of characters over the course of the game, but I couldn’t find one that really wowed me.

It’s an epic game without the epic feel, and it’s only for those with a strong affinity for the original. Luckily, there are a lot of those people. Marvel is still a massive franchise, but if playing Loki or Rocket Raccoon isn’t enough to win you over, you won’t be too surprised by what NetEase has to offer here.

I thought the game mode itself and the various maps I played on were good. Very good. Not bad. You’re probably seeing a bit of a theme here, right? I liked pretty much everything Beside Playing the game itself doesn’t really make me understand. If I could give Marvel Versus a favor, it would be that if the developers could tweak the gameplay A little bitI’m sure a lot of people will like it.

Make it a little faster, make things a little more exciting. I’ve only played regular matches with other players and developers. I have no idea how ranking will work, how hard it will be to unlock new characters, what the monetization will look like… All I’ve seen are the bare bones of the game, and while they do have a pearly white sheen, there are still cracks that I can’t really ignore. Especially if the monetization strategy is particularly egregious, swallowing up such an aggressive game might be a bit too much.

Now, while I’m obviously not a huge fan of Marvel Rivals, I do think it’s good that another competitor in the genre is here. Overwatch 2 wasn’t the blockbuster that many thought it would be, and games competing for players’ attention can only be good for the genre as a whole. I just worry that it doesn’t have enough real value to attract players who have already invested a billion hours in other games.

As it stands, Marvel Versus isn’t a game I’m particularly looking forward to. But hey, this is a game tailor-made to appeal to as many people as possible. So maybe it’s for you. One good thing about this game is that it’s free, so it can’t hurt to give it a try when it finally releases.

There’s no release date yet, though, so you’ll have to sit back and wait for a while to see if the development team can iron out these gameplay issues.