It’s hard not to compare Marvel Rivals, NetEase and Marvel’s new online PVP experience, to Overwatch. Blizzard’s long-running hero shooter has seen some controversy and changes over its eight years. And despite a consistent and rather large player count, Marvel Rivals aims to contend with Overwatch and make a mark of its own. Thanks to NetEase, Temple of Geek got to participate in the closed beta on all available platforms. Check out our impressions of the closed beta below!

The closed beta officially came to a close today, August 5th, and we couldn’t be more impressed. Despite some performance issues on all platforms that are common for beta tests like this, Marvel Rivals holds its own against the likes of other games like Overwatch. Rivals is extremely similar to it; it’s truly an Overwatch clone with a Marvel paint job. There are, however, enough differences and improvements that lend to its uniqueness.

To start, you play in a third-person perspective, offering a full view of your character and the surrounding areas. This made some melee characters like Magik and Spider-Man a little easier to use. This is despite the fact they don’t feel as useful as characters with ranged abilities. Secondly, each map has destructible environments that could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Knowing when to strategically destroy cover to take away an opposing team’s advantage was crucial.

Lastly, and the most important aspect of team composition, is the Team Up mechanic. This informs character selection beyond filling one of three available roles (Vanguards, similar to tanks, Duelists, which are DPS, and Strategists, the healers). Using a characters that have a relationship or rivalry with another unlocks another ability for their kit. For example, If you play as Scarlet Witch and another player is Magneto, the iconic X-men villain has access to another attack called Metallic Fusions. This allows Magneto to use a greatsword and deal heavy damage for a short period of time. Team compositions like this rewards players for mastering more than just a handful of heroes. We’ll have to wait for the full release, as it remains to be seen if certain Team Ups are objectively stronger than the others.

Marvel Rivals’ game modes are carbon copies of what you’d see in Overwatch; Convoy is essentially Escort. Your team fights to move a payload to its destination, and the other team tries to stop it. The strategies, lingo, and call-outs will leave veteran Overwatch players not much of a learning curve. I’m very excited to see how the full release handles its issues, and what other types of game modes and characters we’ll see moving forward.

Jaesa‘s Thoughts

The art style and graphic of Marvel Rivals really impressed me. It’s got a cartoony look that perfectly captures the essence of a comic book. It reminds me a lot of Overwatch, not just in aesthetics but in the way it requires players to get to grips with the diverse heroes, each possessing unique abilities. This, coupled with the learning of effective strategies, emotes, MVP scenes, and sprays, makes for a deeply engaging experience. The matches are also of a comfortable duration, neither too long nor too short.

There’s a delightful variety of characters to choose from, and navigating through the menu is a breeze. It’s noteworthy that there seems to be a well-maintained balance among the characters. None feels oppressively dominant or becomes the obvious favorite, which is a testament to the game’s well thought-out character design. My only gripe would be that the game can sometimes become visually overwhelming, especially during fights with multiple players using visually intensive characters like Loki and Namor. The constant screen clutter makes it difficult to see the action. Nonetheless, I see a lot of potential in this game and am eager to see what new features will be introduced in the future

Danreb‘s Thoughts

I didn’t think I’d need another Overwatch after being done with it. Especially not one made by a publisher that’s typically known for all sorts of microtransactions. But Marvel Rivals scratches an itch that only Overwatch could.  The fact that it does it with familiar characters with designs that are both unique yet pay homage to their comic, animation, and movie counterparts is the icing on the cake.  My only issue with the game so far is that like Overwatch, it stopped being as fun when I unlocked Competitive. 

Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play PVP hero shooter from NetEase and Marvel Games. Temple of Geek contributors across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X access the closed beta. The full launch of the game hasn’t been announced yet, but judging off of what we played, the finished product can’t be too far off.

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Special thanks to the publisher for providing closed beta access.