There is a lot to love aboutMarvel Rivals, from its unique art style to its vast roster of playable heroes and villains. Of course, it has big shoes to fill from both its predecessors in the hero-shooter genre as well as past Marvel titles. However, there is one game thatRivalscan fairly confidently ignore while climbing to the top of the best Marvel games, and that is the unremarkableMarvel Avengers. While it managed to squeeze out some enjoyable DLC,Marvel Avengersdidn’t leave the best legacy and ultimately disappointed comic book fans and newcomers.
Fortunately,Marvel Rivals’reviewsare shaping up to be very positive, and, in many ways, it seems to address the flaws ofMarvel Avengers. However, there is one particular issue thatMarvel Avengerssuffered from thatRivalsis fixing. Comic book fans can finally rest easy knowing thata fundamental flaw withMarvel Avengers’approach to both its characters and their overall design has been thoughtfully solved inMarvel Rivals.
Marvel Rivals Offers Players A Unique Take On The Comic Book Characters
They Feel Fresh Yet Familiar
Marvel Rivalstakes many of the classic costume designs from the comics and adapts them to its unique anime aesthetic to create something wholly different yet ultimately very familiar.This art style has proven to be a hit with fans, with thecharacter trailers successfully building hypefor the game and helping players decide who they will main first. It’s not an entirely new approach to character design, and there are shades ofOverwatchwithin each character.
However, where other games have merely apedOverwatch’scartoonish style with little success,Marvel Rivalshas used it as a perfect vehicle from which to adapt these already incredibly cartoonish designs.The overall aesthetic works better inMarvel Rivalsthan in a lot ofOverwatchclones and feels more faithful to the comic booksthan a grittier or more grounded approach. It also allows for whackier characters like Jeff the Land Shark to make an appearance and not feel immediately out of place.
Most importantly,Marvel Rivals’unique designs are already avoiding thebiggest free-to-play issueby offering players satisfying character skins from the outset, rather than charging an arm and a leg for them. No matter who players pick,they’ll look as close as possible to their comic book counterparts with no money needing to be spent to get there. Of course, there are a plethora of cosmetics invested players can pick up, but thankfully the base designs are strong enough to entice players in from the start.
Marvel Rivals Costumes Are Much Better Than Marvel Avengers
They Aren’t Just A T-Shirt And Jeans
Marvel Rivals’character designs far surpass those seen inMarvel Avengersboth from an aesthetic standpoint and a monetary one. For starters,the majority of characters inMarvel Avengerssimply had a t-shirt and trousers outfit when first unlocked, and it wouldn’t be well into the main story before they unlocked their actual superhero suit. It was a little ridiculous to see Thor head into battle in just a light blue tee, and yetMarvel Avengersthought it would be a good idea.
10 Characters Marvel Rivals Must Include In Post-Launch Updates
Coming from a franchise with so many beloved characters, Marvel Rivals has at least 10 more unconfirmed heroes that should be added post-launch.
Fortunately, each character eventually gets a proper outfit, butthese were far too grounded and seemed to be chasing the designs popularized in the laterMCUmovies rather than their colorful comic book counterparts. There’s a reason why the stylized look ofMarvel Rivalsis far more vibrant than the dreary look ofMarvel Avengerstactical armor. That’s not to say that the standard designs inMarvel Avengerswere terrible, but they lacked the charm that thebestMarvel Rivalscharactersexude in spades.
Luckily,Marvel Avengershad a swathe of costumes for players to unlock, so long as they were willing to fork out the money for it. While many of them were little more than color variants, there were a lot that took direct inspiration from specific outfits found in the comics. These were a lot more impressive, but, rather cynically, that was evidently the point.It’s no secret that forcing players to run about fighting AIM in nothing but a t-shirt and trousers will get them to pay to look more like the characters they knowand love.
While character design isn’t everything when it comes to either genre of video game, it certainly helps, especially when the characters are based on a well-known IP that’s famously overly colorful and exaggerated.
By avoiding this problem from the start,Marvel Rivalsabsolutely supersedes thefailedMarvel Avengersand, as aforementioned, will likely see its player counts skyrocket. While character design isn’t everything when it comes to either genre of video game, it certainly helps, especially when the characters are based on a well-known IP that’s famously overly colorful and exaggerated. Of course,Marvel Rivalswill need good gameplay to complement its character designs, although, luckily, it seems to have that, too.
Marvel Rivals' Improved Costumes Will Help It Be A Smash Hit
They’ll Get Newcomers And Fans To Play
Marvel Avengersstuck far too rigidly to the design philosophy of theMCUfilms and the more grounded comic book adaptations, which ultimately only really appeased those who enjoy those looks.Marvel Rivals’more stylized and anime-inspired aesthetic will appeal not only to fans of the comics and these characters, but also to those who are generally drawn to this art style. In an age where some of the biggest games have adopted this look,it makes perfect sense forMarvel Rivalsto pivot in this direction.
Marvel Avengersdidn’t fail because it had bad costume design, but it certainly didn’t help. Other live service games have also failed in part due to their uninspired character designs, including theinfamously pannedConcord.Marvel Rivals, meanwhile, is on track to do incredibly well, andit’s hard not to imagine that, outside of being free-to-play, it’s partially down to its art style. There is merit in believing that the biggest live service games - includingFortnite,Overwatch, andGenshin Impact- have, even in a small way, succeeded thanks to their expressive art style that accommodates more eye-catching and outlandish designs.
Marvel Rivals Drops Moon Knight Gameplay Trailer And Fans Think They’ve Spotted Another New Character
Marvel Rivals drops a massive trailer breaking down Moon Knight’s abilities but fans are sure they’ve spotted another hero hidden in the killfeed.
Ultimately, it is great for both comic book fans and newcomers thatMarvel Rivalshas put a lot of effort into its colorful character designs. The more appealing they are, the more enticing they will be to play as and discuss online, which will only lead to a healthy player base, at least at launch. It is a shame thatMarvel Avengersnever quite reached the same heights, but in many ways, its shortcomings only help to highlight the immense successes ofMarvel Rivals.
