After several games of Marvel Rivals, I finally feel comfortable with Captain America’s gear. It helped that I saw him as a solid damage dealer rather than the tank he’s actually classified as, and figuring out how to properly use his throw shield didn’t hurt either. I decide to take a risk and use the captain’s agility – he jumps into the air, dashes forward and dives – to rush into the control zone before the match timer reaches zero. I forget for a moment that I’m not playing Overwatch 2 and Captain America isn’t Winston. Instead of tightly controlled movement, I experience unpredictable momentum, have no say in where Mr. America goes, and die instantly if he heads the wrong way toward the entire enemy team.

This, in short, is Marvel Rivals, NetEase’s first attempt at a hero shooter of the type Blizzard popularized with Overwatch. It’s tantalizing in its complexity and frustrating in its disarray, with an oversized roster that at its worst feels hastily crammed together. There’s real potential here, and some of Marvel Rivals’ playable heroes and villains have extraordinary abilities that redefine the genre. It’s just buried under a pile of balance issues, obvious imitation, and half-baked ideas.

Museum of Wonders