If teaming up with a bunch of Marvel superheroes to fight another team of superheroes in a competitive shooter sounds like a good time — boy do I have the game for you. Marvel Rivals is what every comic book fan has been dreaming of for years, a stunning multiplayer game that celebrates the rich history of the superhero empire, but is also just an incredibly good hero shooter in its own right. There’s so much to love in Marvel Rivals, whether you love superheroes or not — and it feels like one of the few games that might be able to unthrone the likes of Overwatch. It’s absolutely free-to-play as well, so there’s no excuse not to jump in for a few rounds.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “hero shooter,” it’s a classification applied to a specific style of multiplayer games. In hero shooters, every single character is a highly unique hero that has their own combat style, abilities, weapons, etc. The differences between characters are the key to any good hero shooter — with the synergy it allows teams, on top of counters you can use against other teams. In that regard, Marvel Rivals is a pretty stellar entry into the genre right out of the gate. I’d even argue, this game has the best starting roster a hero shooter has ever seen at launch.
There are 33 heroes available at launch, and those fall into the categories of Strategist (Healer), Duelist (Damager), and Vanguard (Tank). Now the categories are a bit skewed, as we’re getting a whopping 17 Duelists to start with — but the way the roster represents the wide breadth of Marvel’s history is staggering.
You have your obvious mainstays like Wolverine, Captain America, and The Punisher — but there are some incredibly deep and obscure cuts too. The adorable Jeff the Landshark waddles around on his stumpy legs shooting bubbles to heal allies. Squirrel Girl sends a stampede of Squirreles to trample her enemies. And you can turn the corner only to be met by Peni Parker and the terrifying hulking Spider-mech she rides.
The game isn’t afraid to revel in the weirder side of Marvel, and it’s absolutely better for it. Its roster is an eclectic bunch that really provides something for everyone, whether you want to play that strapping hero who saves the day or the bizarre gremlin.
But that’s just the foundation, and what rockets Marvel Rivals to success is its enthralling gameplay. It manages to strike that incredibly hard-to-reach sweet spot of being easy to pick up and play, but challenging to master. Part of that is the brilliance of how its roster is designed, as players of all skill levels will find a character that they can grasp, or even a handful that they really dig.
But Marvel Rivals’ biggest strength is that the game is simply focused on one thing: fun. It’s not overly concerned with the balancing or meta of characters, it doesn’t loop in needlessly complex stat or equipment systems, or some convoluted battle pass. What you see is what you get, there’s a simplicity to Marvel Rivals that’s undeniably charming. The core shooting and movement feel great, but it’s the rich differences in characters that make the game so fun. Some hero shooters suffered from the cast feeling too similar or homogenized, but Marvel Rivals wants each character to feel drastically different, wants you to find your favorites and perfect playing as them.
I know it might sound overly simple, but the idea that you can really boot up the game, jump into a match, pick a character you love, and be done in five or ten minutes is fantastic. That means you can pick up and play Marvel Rivals whenever you want, and sink as much time in as you want. Matches are designed to be short and snappy, but just long enough to still make things competitive.
At the same time, the game has made some really smart choices to encourage that kind of play. All 33 launch characters will be entirely free for all players, meaning you don’t need to worry about grinding resources, or paying, to unlock anyone. Marvel Rivals has a battle pass for cosmetics and rewards, but it’s a single purchase that never expires — meaning you don’t have to worry about completing it in one season, or a set amount of time.
Between the core gameplay design and choices for monetization, Marvel Rivals makes it clear that the game is respecting your time and wants you to have fun — and as simple as that sounds, it’s honestly not a given with every multiplayer game these days. Marvel Rivals is one of the most approachable hero shooters that’s out there right now, and in all regards, it feels like a game that could have serious legs and longevity. If you’re even remotely interested, get in while the game is new and fresh and you’ll be able to see how it grows, and if you don’t stick with it you’ll be able to have a good time for however long you want.
