Marvel Rivals: Chaotic Fun vs. Balancing Woes

Dear reader, there are moments when we all need to admit our mistakes, and this is one such case. I initially had a negative perception of Marvel Rivals, believing it couldn't succeed among the likes of Concords, Suicide Squads, and X-Defiants. But after giving it a chance, I was pleasantly surprised.

Unleash the Chaos in Marvel Rivals

Design and Gameplay

The actual design of Marvel Rivals' cast has its ups and downs. Take Venom, for instance. His main attack of stabbing with tendrils instead of using his big claws is a bit puzzling. However, when it works, it's a sight to behold. Like that moment when a happy little shark swallowed up an entire team and led them to their doom by running off a ledge. It shows that this game has real potential.Spider-Man in Marvel Rivals feels like he stepped out of a 3rd person brawler rather than a traditional hero shooter. Other characters require more strategic elements like good positioning and map knowledge, but Spider-Man just goes with the flow. He can press the shift button and leave engagements whenever he wants, or dive into the backline and face the consequences. It's a completely free-for-all out there.

Character Diversity

NetEase released Marvel Rivals with 33 characters, and each one is unique. Some are like discounted versions of Lucio or Widowmaker, while others seem to have been created after a wild brainstorming session. As a result, no one in a match really knows what they're doing, including me. It gives the game a sense of unpredictability that makes it exciting.During the early days of the game, it had the same feeling as launch-week Overwatch, before role queues and metas took hold. It was a time of chaos and fun, where anything could happen, and you wouldn't get too much flak for being less than perfect.

The Dilemma of Balance

Marvel Rivals faces a dilemma when it comes to balance. On one hand, players will naturally strive to master the game and increase their numbers. On the other hand, the developers need to ensure that the game remains balanced. It's not an easy task, as everyone wants a balanced game, but balance and homogeneity often go hand in hand.We've seen how the halcyon days of Overwatch changed when Overwatch Classic became a thing. There's a fear that the same could happen to Marvel Rivals. The charm of the game lies in its chaos, but will it be allowed to continue?I hope that NetEase can find a balance between keeping the player base sane and preserving the sense of absurdist fun. At the very least, they should leave my favorite character, Jeff, alone, even if he has been causing a bit of trouble.