Marvel Rivals Won’t Make A Hero Shooter Fan Out Of Me

Marvel Rivals recent beta got off to a rocky start, and after the recent fiasco in which creators were forbidden from speaking negatively about the game, I feared the worst for my demo at Summer Game Fest Play Days. Especially given that Hero Shooters aren’t really my jam.

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I very much enjoyed the first few phases of the MCU, and consider myself a light Marvel fan, so there was a hook for me, but having never even played Overwatch, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now, after playing 30 minutes of the game at the recent event, I can say that my fears were compounded, but not because it’s a particularly bad game.

A Difficult Starting Environment

My time with Marvel Rivels didn’t begin in the best fashion. There was no introduction to the game, its modes, the heroes, or their abilities. Instead, the person at the station in front of me was unceremoniously hauled from his bay mid-game, and I was thrown straight into the action in his place. I genuinely had no clue about the controls, what the round’s objectives were or who I should be playing.

The person whose place I took was playing as Hulk/Bruce Banner, so I decided to give it a whirl, and rushed straight into the action. Starting as The Hulk, I was quickly transformed into Banner, and then died. I went again. The same thing happened. Turns out, when The Hulk takes enough damage, he’s replaced on the battlefield by his lovable scientist counterpart.

I quickly figured out that this wasn’t working for me, so cycled through a few more characters. I tried Loki, who could place a decoy on the field, Hela, Iron Man, Storm, and a few other characters, but none of them were hitting for me. The first match ended, and I think I ended up with a solitary kill and deaths that reached double figures. I didn’t get it. The break between rounds gave me time to pause, reflect, and figure out a strategy for things going forward.

A Punishing Beginning

Once the frenzy of the first game had died down, I had a little more time to cycle through the characters and found that each was given a rating for just how difficult they were to play.

After some deliberation, I landed on The Punisher for my next game. He’s a guy with guns. I’ve played many-a-shooter before. It seemed like a match made in heaven, and it kind of was.

The next match started and, along with my team, my objective was to defend an item, stopping the opposition from taking it to their base. It was still a transitional game for me, as I was figuring out Frank Castle’s abilities, but things ran a lot smoother.

I’m not sure Marvel Rivals is going to be the killer title that converts millions of non-believers into fans of Hero Shooters.

Then we went to the third match, and I cooked. There was a control point in the center of the Asgardian map, and it was our job to capture and protect it. Being able to use a gun and utilize The Punisher’s turret, I went 17 for two in this game, helping my team to a decisive victory. Turns out games are fun when you know what you’re doing, and you’re not having your ass kicked.

It was here my time with the demo ended, and I came away a little conflicted. Once I had the flow of the game down, I had a good time, I think my experience was just hampered by the way the session began. That being said, I’m not sure Marvel Rivals is going to be the killer title that converts millions of non-believers into fans of Hero Shooters. It might, though, just be enough to fill an Overwatch-shaped hole for those who have been yearning for a fun, cooperative shooter.

You can check out all of our coverage from this year’s Summer Game Fest right here.