When Marvel Heroes (and Villains) become Rivals – Marvel Rivals Review

Strap in Marvel lovers and hero shooter fans because Marvel Rivals is a game you absolutely need to get behind.

Marvel Rivals was released during the tail end of 2024 and has dominated the competitive gameplay arena since. This hero shooter pits teams of six against one another in either capture the point or convoy attacking/defending.

Capture the point is your standard “Both teams must rush and hold the objective point until a percentage bar fills up” with it being best two out of three; nice and simple. The convoy missions are also a simple concept; you will be placed on attacking or defending. Defenders are allowed immediately into the map to set up their spots ready to stop the attacking team from pushing the payload to the end goal. Attackers are the ones pushing the payload and batting back the defenders until you reach the end.

There are also seasonal events that have been thrown out. As of writing so far we had a Splatoon-style mission where the goal was to cover the floor more than the enemy in your colour and a football game where it’s teams of three and you play football- there’s not much more really to say on that.

Your main game modes are quick play and competitive. Both can be just as hectic as the other, however, I’ve found personally there’s a higher level of sportsmanship in competitive compared to the quick play lobbies. Quick play just seems to bring out the worst in people.

The various characters you can currently play (and trust me there’s already a fair amount with more on the way) are categorised into three styles; Vanguard, Duellist and Strategist.

Vanguard members are your tanks with the biggest health pools and various styles of shielding and general survivability. Their playstyle brings them to the front of the action, taking on the enemy up close and personal. I feel we need more of these characters added as there aren’t too many to pick from.

Duellists are your DPS dealing high or fast damage and outright being the biggest and active thorn in your sides (looking at you Spiderman and Iron Fist mains). Their job is simple: Remove the opposition.

And finally the Strategist. These are your support, all being the ones with various abilities to bolster your team with health, damage boosts and even revives. These characters are, and in my opinion, the ones you need to look after the most: no healers means no heals. And a good healer can make or break a game.

Teams are a six-person affair but, unlike other hero shooters, you are not locked into team roles. If you choose to have six DPS or healers then you absolutely can, it may not work and you may get some serious abuse from players, but it’s doable. I’ve found the best way to play is to have a group of friends and go in as a pre-built 4-6 team and split the roles between you.

“But, Pengy,” you may be asking. “What if my friends are on a different system?” Well, Dear Reader, that doesn’t matter in the slightest as the game is fully cross-play, almost. There’s only one exception; in competitive you are locked to console only with PC players being in a separate competitive set of waters. In quick play and any of the event game modes, however, they are untethered by this lock which is fantastic.

The musical accompaniment is all beautiful with a blend of high-pumping scores and nerve-biting melodies depending on the map. If you get sent into overtime, the scores becomes slightly more unnerving giving you a sense of pressure.

Along with the music, the Rivals art style is gorgeous, almost feeling like a 3D comic has come to life – which, being a Marvel game, you definitely want. There’s also a whooping arsenal of voiced character lines and emotes for you to discover.

All the characters currently in the game are indeed free as well, with no unlock or payment needed to play a new hero when they were released. Each comes with various outfits you can unlock or purchase, almost all are callbacks to previous iterations of the character from various media, with some also being just fun designs.

The game itself is also free-to-play with a season pass. The season pass is another way to unlock in-game currency for skins as well as having exclusive skins that are obtained through them. However, if you buy the season pass and don’t complete it, you are still able to carry on earning the points after the season is over to reach the remaining pieces. This is a great feature that I was able to take full advantage of.

Marvel Rivals is a game that I was excited to play, and boy did I have a fun time with it and no doubt will continue playing long after this review has gone live. I am hooked (hence the delayed review, sorry TYG). From the gameplay to the comradery with friends and even random players, I think this is a game that will be around for a while, especially if it continues to get developer support.

A solid 10/10 from me, if you’re not a fan of Hero Shooter it may not be your cup of tea but hey, it’s free. Why not give it a whirl anyway? You might be surprised.