Marvel Rivals is doing well with Captain America and Winter Soldier

I have enjoyed every game I have played in NetEase’s Marvel RivalsThe comic books are taking over hero shooter genre is a lot of fun, even though it requires a clear inspiration from Overwatch. It feels less sanded and polished than its obvious competitor, but that opens it up to chaos and fun games that are no longer possible in Blizzard’s game. I do think the game will have to carve out its own space to get a leg up on the competition, though, and after trying out the recently announced Captain America and Winter Soldier , both are a lot of fun, but they only further confirm the idea thatMarvel Rivals is driving Overwatch‘s slipstream.

Steve “Captain America” ​​Rogers is a tanky Vanguard hero who makes good use of his shield. His vibranium weapon is both his best offense and defense, giving him a versatile kit for long-range throws and close-quarters combat. Throwing Cap’s shield is a fairly forgiving maneuver, as it will either hit enemies or bounce off walls and other enemies if you don’t quite hit your target. It feels really good to throw your metal frisbee and watch it hit multiple enemies before coming back at you.

But America’s Ass’s best tool is using his shield for defense. It’s not as big as Doctor Strange’s, so it can’t be used to protect your entire team. But it works well enough for Steve himself to move in and out of a fight. The best thing it does, though, was what raised my eyebrows during the Gamescom presentation: It can be used to deflect projectiles, even powerful attacks like Iron Man’s explosive ultimate. While that sounds incredibly oppressive, it’s not easy to just throw up your shield while a team-wiping ability is coming at you. In my experience, it requires a bit of skill and precision, or Tony Stark will still blow you up. The shield is small. And so is the hitbox. It doesn’t feel like an easy get-out-of-jail card, which hopefully means it’ll be an infrequent skill play rather than something that renders ranged attacks useless.

While Cap may have some quirky abilities, parts of his kit feel derivative of Overwatch heroes like several other characters in Marvel Rivals‘ roster. His ultimate is nearly identical to Brigitte’s Rally, buffing him and surrounding allies with extra health. If you’re one of the Overwatch players who always thought Brigitte was meant to be a tank in the old GOATS meta daysis finally materialized in Captain America. He also gets Soldier: 76’s sprint, which is mainly Overwatch‘s Captain America stand-in before he became a Batman stand-in. So this is really just a full circle trade-off.

Bucky also feels like a fusion of Overwatch heroes, albeit a somewhat unexpected one. Winter Soldier, a damage-driven Duelist hero, feels like Roadhog meets Doomfist. He has a shotgun that fires two grenades before reloading, but unlike Roadhog, he can’t take out an enemy in two shots. Instead, he relies on his mechanical arm to lure enemies in close, then combines it with a Doomfist uppercut. It’s a nasty combo that, if followed up with well-placed shots, can take out an enemy in a split second. But it also feels like it was born from watching Overwatch‘s selection and trying to find ways to graft multiple hero abilities onto a much more recognizable character.

I’m still largely convinced that Marvel Rivals‘ drawing of Overwatch is fine, and I like that the game brings back mechanics that no longer exist in Blizzard’s game, like Adam Warlock resurrecting Mercy’s long-lost team. But it’s going to need more characters like Jeff the Land Shark who aren’t as easy to describe with Overwatch shorthand to create its own space. I look forward to seeing NetEase try to forge its own identity when Marvel Rivals will be launched on December 6.