Marvel Rivals is noisy, unbalanced, and surprisingly fun.

NetEase Games’ Marvel Rivals will rightfully live in the shadows Overwatch. Marvel’s new free-to-play hero-based team shooter has many parallels with Blizzard Entertainment’s game released 8 years ago, thanks to similar game rules and a cast of superheroes that sometimes seem like legally distinct versions of Overwatch characters. Game experience Marvel Rivals on startup it looks a lot like OverwatchSalad days: fun, fresh and wildly unbalanced.

How Overwatch 2The recent Classic Mode reminded us that this is what some players want.

Marvel Rivals does have several features that set it apart from hero shooter competitions. The game is played from a third person perspective, allowing you to see the characters you are playing as; maps have destructible elements that open up new routes and views; characters have built-in synergies that reward certain team compositions and hero pairings; and it features a long list of instantly recognizable Marvel heroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor.

On startup Marvel Rivals has a staggering 33 heroes to choose from, which may seem overwhelming at first. But if you’re a Marvel fan or just know about these characters through cultural analysis, you most likely have a built-in idea of ​​what each hero and villain is capable of in battle (to a certain extent).

In addition to the various playable heroes of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel RivalsThe roster includes some deeper pieces from Marvel history, such as Jeff Land Shark, Luna Snow, and Peni Parker, all of which help diversify the lineup in interesting ways. Jeff especially feels like a larger-than-life character; he can heal his team with bubbles and streams of water, and also hide from enemies by floating underground. But his ultimate ability seems entirely original: diminutive Jeff can swallow multiple teammates and enemies and then spit them out wherever the player sees fit. It’s not only a fun superpower – it’s an incredibly fun tool that allows you to take advantage of your opponents’ well-oiled strategies.

Some Marvel Rivals the heroes feel directly ripped off from Overwatch, at least in part. Scarlet Witch is essentially Moira from this game, minus the healing. Hawkeye (understandably) feels like a cross between Overwatch’s gunslinger Hanzo and his ninja brother Genji. Star-Lord borrows some moves from Tracer and Reaper. Black Widow is so similar to Widowmaker that it’s especially egregious.

But unlike Overwatch’s simpler ability sets, Marvel Rivals The heroes have a much more complex set of abilities, and seem to take inspiration from characters from MOBAs like League of Legends And Dota 2. Adding to the complexity is an ambitious gameplay idea called “Teams”, which gives certain hero pairs and trios extra abilities. Hela, for example, can heal or resurrect her brothers Thor and Loki if all of these characters are on the same team. Rocket Raccoon and Punisher can team up to unlock infinite ammo. The Hulk and Wolverine could team up for a variation on the old Fastball Special from the X-Men comics. These are all cool ideas, but to implement them you will need a thoughtful team that communicates openly. Most of the time I spent in line alone Marvel RivalsI haven’t seen team games really used. For the most part it was barely controlled chaos.

Nevertheless, Marvel RivalsThe skill ceiling is high, and getting to grips with the roster’s abilities and quirks requires a lot of work. It can be incredibly satisfying when they click and you discover a few heroes that you like.

During the launch weekend, it seemed like my fellow players were also struggling to cope Marvel Rivalscomplexity and overloaded composition. Players largely favored one-on-one skirmishes and damage dealing tactical team play. It led to some exciting action and a few surprise victories, but nothing that lived up to the gameplay ambitions that NetEase and Marvel Games seem to be going for. Marvel Rivals. Let’s hope the game and its player base matures over time, while maintaining the randomness and refreshing fun of the launch experience. (Though some characters like Iron Fist and Hawkeye definitely need balancing.)

Marvel Rivals definitely not as refined and polished as Overwatch 2a game in which I spent about 800 hours. But she has a special and charming energy. It’s a vibrant, visually dynamic game, and (for the most part) a joy to play. It’s just not very creative – it feels like a clever copycat of a much more mature product. But Marvel Rivals it’s worth keeping an eye on, especially to see if it manages to catch up with its illustrious rival.

Marvel Rivals released on December 6th for PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X. The game was played on PS5. Vox Media has partnerships. They do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. More information about Polygon’s ethical policies can be found here.