Marvel Rivals Closed Beta First Impressions: A Fun Heroic Shooter In Search Of Its Identity

Following a successful Alpha Test held earlier this year, superhero team-based PvP shooter Marvel Rivals kicked off a Closed Beta Test this July. PC players could register for the test via Steam, while console players joined the fight on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

It's been some time since I last played a team-based PvP shooter, but I emerged from this experience decently, if I do say so myself. But as a Marvel fan who had missed the Alpha Test, this was a game I had to get my hands on. With all the recent successes for Marvel Games, and in a world oversaturated with team shooters, is this game a worthy competitor?

This Game's Performance Might Need A Strategist Of Its Own

I'm placing a disclaimer here: I experienced intermittent connection issues during my time with Marvel Rivals. It wasn't much of a nuisance, as my connection remained stable for most of my matches, but it contributed to some latency issues experienced.

It didn't significantly impact the game's graphical performance, except when lag caused my gameplay to freeze during critical moments. Unfortunately, once gameplay resumed, I had either fallen through the map or met my demise at the hands of my opponents.

But these performance issues didn't deter me from wanting to jump straight into another match, whether to better my last performance or try out another playable character. The performance issues aren't surprising, either, given my issues and server congestion. It was the first day of the Closed Beta; it's to be expected.

Familiar Gameplay With A Marvel Paintjob

The gameplay is high-octane, adrenaline-pumping, and Gamma Ray-fueled. It sends players crashing through walls and buildings just like the Hulk, and the environment and level designs are what make Marvel Rivals stand out. Akin to The Finals, Marvel Rivals features destructible environments that players can use to their advantage.

Whether floors are coming down or new entryways are made for teammates to pass through, this opens up new tactical opportunities to gain the upper hand. Well, that's until you get slashed by Magik's Soulsword or blasted off again by the Hulk.

Coming into this game as a Marvel fan with some familiarity with team-based PvP shooters, I can understand why comparisons were made between Marvel Rivals and Overwatch. The roles feel familiar across the board, but particular character abilities are a little too similar to Overwatch.

For example, Doctor Strange's Shield of the Seraphim ability has drawn comparisons to Reinhardt's Barrier Field, both of which can be activated quickly. The same can be said for Magneto's Metal Bulwark ability, which also has similarities with the Overwatch hero; however, Magneto's shielding ability has a longer cooldown.

When hopping into a match, players get to choose a character from a roster of 21 heroes and villains, including recent additions Adam Warlock and the symbiote Venom. These characters are classed as one of three roles: Duelist (DPS), Strategist (Healer/Shield), and Vanguard (Tank). Each possesses combat skills, abilities, and star rankings that differ from each other but are also unique to the character's Marvel Comics history and in-game themes.

Interestingly, roles aren't restricted in team compositions, so you can have as many Duelists, Strategists, or Vanguards as you'd like. Specific characters, however, are locked. You can't have a team full of Rocket Racoons, for example. That said, you can change to a different character should you die, as long as it hasn't already been picked by a teammate.

Even if your character of choice has been claimed, there are plenty of other characters with similar playstyles. Practice Mode gives you the perfect space to hone your skills on these unfamiliar characters.

The Closed Beta features four maps and three game modes, which players will cycle through fairly quickly. Thanks to the environmental destruction, it feels like each map's design is constantly changing. Even with a limited map pool, no two games seem to play the same way. It's a great way to keep the gameplay feeling fresh.

Tony, We May Need Jarvis!

The game will direct players to a tutorial that provides them with basic knowledge of the combat systems and movements. However, when compared with the Practice Range, the tutorial felt like it wasn't needed. For a standalone component, it felt pretty minimal and unsatisfactory compared to the Practice Range, which felt like it better prepared players for actual matches.

The controls were relatively straightforward, with some practice. I did, however, fall into the trap of pressing the wrong button at times (part of the learning curve), which was the difference between making a game-changing play or leaving myself vulnerable to attack.

Speaking of UI design, there were moments where I felt it contributed to disorientating gameplay. Amid a major firefight, whether pushing a payload or securing or defending objectives, the screen will appear to be a slight kaleidoscopic mess. Your only visuals are your character and various frenetic activities like explosions, collapsing buildings, triggered Ultimate Abilities, or a flying Hulk every so often. It can be quite straining on the eyes and distracting, especially for Strategist players who won't be able to spot who to heal or shield.

It doesn't help that the game's UI design hinders players from clearly identifying their objectives or what abilities they can and can't use when Iron Man blows up a building, thus obstructing your vision. The UI design felt subpar and could benefit from revisions to make relevant in-game information stand out. 

Final Thoughts & Closing Notes

Marvel Rivals combines comic book history with the familiar gameplay players have experienced in Overwatch, The Finals, and Valorant. The Marvel appeal will pique interest, but it only adds a little to the game's gameplay control and UI design. The latter looks too simplistic and can completely disappear in a firefight or explosion, making one feel disorientated.

Its level and environmental designs are the real heroes, opening up the gameplay in exciting and destructive ways. Even with limited maps, you never feel like you're just playing the same game back-to-back. While the roster of playable characters is quite healthy for Marvel Rivals, with each character possessing skills and abilities that are unique to them and their comic history, some do closely resemble abilities from other games, and others feel almost out-of-place for a shooter game.

A good example of this is Spider-Man's webbing abilities, which feel like they shouldn't belong or don't match the gameplay style of Marvel Rivals. Overall, Spidey relies on his quick maneuverability and his webbing attacks to deal damage, like his Get Over Here! ability, which uses webs to reel enemies in.

Understandably, web-swinging across the map is true to the character; however, within the context of a team-based shooter, the web attacks don't deal significant damage to enemies. Spider-Man's reliance on his web-infused melee attacks makes it very easy to overpower him. Peni Parker's Bionic Spider-Nest and Arachno-Mine abilities can effectively counter Spider-Man using drones and mines to knock him to the ground.

The merging of these worlds feels like it should work, but its similarity to other established titles leaves Marvel Rivals with an identity crisis. It has the potential to be a "Juggernaut" within this genre, but a few improvements are needed to enhance the gameplay experience and find its own identity.