Following a battle between dastardly dictator Doctor Doom and his future counterpart from the year 2099, multiple universes from across the multiverse have been caught in what Marvel Rivals describe as a “Timestream Entanglement”, bringing heroes and villains together to fight for the protection of their worlds.
The game will feature a selection of 16 heroes to choose from at launch, with an ever-expanding roster being promised by the team with each seasonal update. From heroes of the Avengers like Iron Man, Hulk and Spider-Man; to Guardians of the Galaxy members Groot and Rocket Raccoon; to X-Men such as Storm and Magneto, the cast covers several corners of Marvel’s universe. There are some surprising omissions in this opening roster – including Wolverine, Captain America and Thor – who we can only assume will be added before too long.
Every hero wields their own unique set of powers and attacks pulled straight from the comic books, giving everyone their own unique abilities that set them apart from the rest. Similar to shooters like Overwatch, each character also has their own ultimate ability that can be charged up and activated to completely change the tide of the battle. For example, Spider-Man’s ultimate allows him to web-up and restrain all enemies in the area, whereas Hulk’s focuses on a single enemy, dealing a ton of damage through a brutal barrage of slams and kicks that call back to his "fight" with Loki in the first Avengers film.
What seems to set this game apart from other shooters the most is its team-up abilities. Characters can combine their superpowers in a variety of unique ways that encourage strategic hero selection and allows teams to get inventive with their tactics. The trailer shows us a couple of these, such as Rocket Raccoon riding on Groot’s back and Hulk charging up Iron Man’s cannons with Gamma energy. This concept suits Marvel's wacky cast of characters so well, and opens up the potential for so many iconic team-ups, as well as the possibility for some never seen before.
Rivals features a variety of famous locations from across the franchise, with the trailer providing us a view of the utopian citadel of Asgard. Hopefully we'll see a number of other iconic locations from across the series, from downtown Manhattan to the abandoned wasteland of Titan. These maps will also contain destructible objects spread across the battlefield, with breakable statues, bridges and walls forming an evolving and unpredictable landscape which plays out differently with every fight.
Marvel Rivals seems to be an interesting and ambitious take on a hero-based shooter, containing some undeniably fresh and creative ideas in a genre that has been flooded with uninspired entries in recent years. The possibilities are endless for a game like this, with so many characters, locations and scenarios to choose from out of the Marvel universe for post-launch updates. The game’s closed alpha is set to drop in May for PC, with a sign-up form available for interested players at marvelrivals.com.