MARVEL RIVALS

A worthy nemesis for Overwatch

This superhero-hero shooter seems like a slam dunk on paper: a 6v6 team-based multiplayer game, with the Marvel licence ensuring a diverse cast of characters with different abilities? Sounds great. Yet, as is the case with a lot of the upcoming live service fare at the moment, we leave our latest hands-on feeling equal parts excited and apprehensive for Rivals’ future.

It was making the rounds prior to being announced for PS5 thanks to ‘closed’ (yet streamable) alpha builds, so it had already made a great first impression. With a lightly cel-shaded art style it looks gorgeous, and the team-up battle format is immediately evocative of Marvel’s biggest multiversal crossover stories. The greatest villain we face during our hands-on, however, is technical trouble that apparently stems from internet connection issues, because we’re playing stateside with NetEase employees in China. Oh for Doctor Strange’s portals…

HEROIC EFFORT

Fortunately, alpha builds have proved connections can be made with less of a problem. And, despite the issues we face, the power of friendship (or the whims of the internet) mean we do manage to get our fair share of good matches in. When it works, Marvel Rivals can simply be a lot of fun.