Summary
Marvel Rivalsis the latest hero shooter, following in the footsteps of prior titles such asOverwatchandTeam Fortress 2. Set in an undetermined Marvel universe,Marvel Rivalsallows players to take control of any of the33 Marvel characters in the game, each categorized by their roles. Players compete against each other in teams of 6 in order to win games based on completing a central objective.
While the genre is nothing new, many players have comparedMarvel Rivalsto its modern genre contemporary,Overwatch 2. It is safe to saythatMarvel Rivalsoffers some distinct differences. While both games share a genre and a core concept, many smaller details set these games apart and makeMarvel Rivalsa unique title that plays differently from its hero shooter peers.
6Character Ban Picks
The Chance To Ban An OP Character
The firstOverwatchtitle offered seasonal character bans, locking some of the character pool each competitive season in order to change the meta.Overwatch 2, however, does not utilize this feature and all characters are available in competitive matches, with no opportunity for character-specific bans.
Marvel Rivalsoffers a variation on the ban system, allowing players above Diamond 3 to pick bans. Each game begins with a ban phase, allowing each team to pick a character to ban for the duration of that game. This means that particularly overpowered or annoying characters can be restricted from play, offering a unique element of strategy to the game and preventing the meta from becoming saturated with the same team combinations match after match.
5Use Of Established IP
A Wealth Of Marvel Content To Build Off Of
This difference is apparent, especially when considering the character count at launch and the plan to add many more characters in the future.Marvel Rivalswill likely surpass the character count ofOverwatch 2quickly, given that inspirations and concepts already exist forMarvel Rivals. It also means that Marvel fans, in particular, are farmore likely to be engaged byMarvel Rivals. Whilst both games have distinct and unique settings,Marvel Rivalscertainly has a more established and sizable canon to draw from.
4Team Size
6v6 Rather Than 5v5
WhileOverwatchinitially had teams of six players, allowing for two tanks on every squad, by the timeOverwatch 2came around, the game had reduced the team size to five players. This means that only one tank is played, with the other slots taken by two support heroes and two DPS.
Marvel Rivalsoffers team sizes of six. Despite being only one additional player, this means that the gameplay feels incredibly distinct fromOverwatch 2. Teams of six players offer far more freedom with character picks and team compositions, a fact made especially prevalent by the lack of role queue inMarvel Rivals.
3No Role Queue
Entirely Free-form Team Composition
Role queue is a system that was introduced early on in the lifespan ofOverwatch. This system would carry over intoOverwatch 2and remains a core element of matchmaking. The role queue system inOverwatch 2allows players to queue for a specific role, also ensuring every team has one tank, two support, and two DPS.
Marvel Rivalscurrently does not have a role queue. This means that players can utilize any combination of roles in their matches, offering far more freedom and opportunity for strategy. This, coupled with there being six players per team, ensures that the core gameplay ofMarvel Rivalsis consistently very different fromOverwatch 2. Time will tell if this freedom remains intact, but currently,Marvel Rivalsoffers a large variety in team composition game-to-game.
2Destructible Environments
Level Entire Buildings
Hero shooters such asOverwatchorMarvel Rivalsare often defined by two equally important features: The characters, and the maps. While the characters in these titles are often front and center,the maps are crucial to the flow of gameplay.
Marvel Rivalsoffers an incredibly unique feature for the genre, allowing for a significant amount of map destruction befitting its superpowered heroes. This element has the ability to change the flow of a match, opening up new sightlines or entirely destroying others. While most high-level matches involve players completely destroying all destructible elements on the map, the feature is still incredibly unique and offers another layer of depth to the gameplay.
1Team-Ups
Entirely New Abilities From Synergizing
Hero shooters, especiallyOverwatch 2,are known for their character synergies. These are often strategies that benefit from two or more characters using their abilities together in order to gain a unique advantage in the match. Examples include the use of Zarya’s ultimate paired with an offensive ultimate, like Hanzo’s, in order to gather enemies together and pin them in place, and then eliminate them in a short window. Despite these known synergies,Overwatch 2does not include actual mechanical synergies.
Marvel Rivalsbuilds upon the concept of character synergies to a massive extent.The game features a system known as team-ups. These are fully fleshed-out mechanics in-game that allow certain characters to provide tangible benefits to one another if synergizing. For example, the Allied Agents team-up allows Hawkeye to share his ultimate ability with Black Widow. These team-ups often play on lore connections, such as Rocket Raccoon being able to ride on the shoulders of Groot, given their companionship in Marvel canon. These elements are incredibly innovative and offer dozens of unique gameplay opportunities.
