Once again we find ourselves nearing the weeks end and that means one thing of course, another AAA Thursday has arrived! This week we will get into one of the more entertaining AAA titles to release lately with Marvel Rivals. This is a free to play game and honestly, that's largely why I choose to cover it. I love free to play games, especially ones like Marvel Rivals, where the pay options are primarily cosmetic. The game does seem to take a lot from Overwatch, so much so that some abilities will make you question what game you're playing. But by all means, especially for that zero dollar price tag Marvel Rivals is worth taking a look at.
One of the more important concept in a hero shooter is probably the combat. I mean we all like flashy lights and big booms. But the competition is why we show up day in and day out. So having a smooth clean combat system is kind of important. While at times the entire match seems like a purely chaotic non-sensical mad house. The abilities allow for a certain level of chaos with constant damage outputs or wide sweeping strikes to compensate. That being said, the clutter is immense. Those flashy lights I spoke of early, they're here, a lot of them. So, if you're not great at digging through the mayhem it may be a little overwhelming at first.
There are some heroes that can fly for long periods of times. They're glass cannons but if you're playing certain heroes it can be quite challenging to get at them. This is something I typically don't enjoy in a game. While I do tend to use glass cannons, and as a result play these flying heroes I don't like that they're so elusive. Some may contend that they're not, but my experience flying circles around the melee who are desperately trying to hit me says otherwise. With higher skilled players however, flying may not be such an advantage.
But those glass cannons are a relatively minor gripe in the grand scheme of things. The game has 33 heroes to choose from and the developers anticipate adding more. Many of those 33 heroes like Punisher and Hela can out damage a flyer with ease. Also while I have not seen it, I've heard some vanguard heroes can knock flyers to the ground. So if those glass cannons are annoying don't worry, there are plenty of counters to them.
Marvel Rivals has three play modes... who else has that... Hmmm anyways the modes are called Convoy that plays just like Overwatch 2's Payload, Domination that plays just like Overwatch 2's Control and Convergence which is similar to Overwatch 2's Hybrid mode. Oh yeah right it was Overwatch 2... So defend your turf in Domination, escort a VIP in Convoy or do a little of both in Convergence. Whatever your taste enjoy it here with Overwatch 3... I mean Marvel Rivals.
As I may have just mentioned once or twice Marvel Rivals does seem to take a lot from Overwatch 2 but it also has many unique features. Every hero is unique in their ability sets and how they play. Also Marvel Rivals offers a different type of team play. Unlike Overwatch which has a team based match making, meaning you need tank, heal and damage dealers to make a group. Marvel Rivals lets you pick whatever hero you wish. Instead making team work in the form of team-Up attacks. This allows multiple heroes to play off one another creating exceptionally powerful combos. This unique take on team-play is worth the download alone.
So lets break it down, the game is fun, especially for fans of the Overwatch or Marvel titles. It has a clean fast paced combat system with unique team play. Graphics are serviceable and sound effects are great. But mostly... it's free to play. So download today and begin enjoying the carnage that is Marvel Rivals! Available now on PS5, XBox series X & S and Microsoft Windows in the steam store.
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