While Marvel Rivals’ player count was a cause for concern prior to Daredevil’s debut, the Man Without Fear did a good job of bringing players back to the hero shooter, and the latest batch of content being so well received should keep players hooked for a bit longer. Overwatch 2, on the other hand, has been hyping up its 20th Season as a game-changer, with hero 45 and other big additions just around the corner. However, Season 19 does feel like a bit of a “filler” Season. Its big addition is a new Halloween LTM, with some earnable rewards also tied to this mode. However, when comparing both the rewards and the playable content side-by-side, it’s hard not to see Marvel Rivals as being a step ahead at the moment.
Marvel Rivals’ Free Cosmetics Remain Unmatched
One of Marvel Rivals’ most consistently impressive elements is its free unlocks. Whereas Overwatch 2 events rarely reward new skins for free (and when they do, they come in the form of simple recolors for existing skins like Lucio’s Summer Games attire), there’s almost always a cosmetic to grind for in Marvel Rivals. Most of these skins are highly sought after, too, whether it be Ultron’s wasteland look that players have been working on getting throughout Season 4 or the standout Symbiote Thing look in Season 3. The Halloween freebie doesn’t disappoint, either, as players can get a skin for Blade that many would have likely been willing to pay for.
The Blade Knight skin depicts Blade as an agent of Khonshu, with the attire directly based on Blade’s look from the animated series Marvel Zombies. As the replacement for Marc Spector, Blade has all his usual daywalker abilities in addition to the powers granted by Khonshu, making him the ideal survivor for a world full of the undead. Players will be able to unlock this skin as well as its associated cosmetics just by progressing through a digital board game, continuing Marvel Rivals’ streak of stellar event rewards. When comparing this to Overwatch 2’s Haunted Masquerade event rewards, the difference is night and day. Sure, the cardboard mask charms are cute unlocks that both reference the LTM and allow players to rep their favorite heroes on their weapons, but there’s nothing major like the Blade skin to earn.
There is also a premium version of the Marvel Rivals Voyage to Astonish event, which unlocks permanent access to the event and allows players to earn a Legendary Peni Parker skin.
Marvel Rivals Also Wins the Halloween LTM Competition
Marvel Rivals’ cool new Blade skin will be right at home in the PvE Marvel Zombies mode, as he’s one of the five characters players can choose from to battle the hordes (Thor, Jeff the Land Shark, Magik, and Punisher round out the cast). When the mode got its initial teaser, fans weren’t all that impressed, with many expecting it to be a rushed attempt at a co-op mode added purely to check off the PvE box. However, the full trailer got more positive feedback, with the hero upgrades and difficulty levels showing real promise. With the mode live now, positive feedback is flowing in, with praise for the boss battles and unique gameplay styles of the heroes outweighing some issues involving bugs and stability.
For a first attempt at PvE, Marvel Rivals’ Zombies mode is promising, and there’s room for it to grow into something even more special over time. It may lack the replayability of something like Call of Duty Zombies, as it has a mission structure that’s more comparable to something like Overwatch 2’s Wrath of the Bride, but adding in some extra boss fights and playable heroes could make a world of difference. If the mode proves to be a hit long-term and not just in its first few days, it could get more maps, or at the very least inspire additional PvE content. If this happens, Marvel Rivals could eventually offer a healthy number of co-op and multiplayer experiences. Even in its current form, though, Marvel Zombies has a fair bit of depth and some satisfying gameplay, even if players only go through the mission once or twice.
Marvel Rivals developer NetEase has described Marvel Zombies as its “first-ever” PvE mode, which suggests that more co-op experiences are already being planned for the game.
As for Overwatch 2, it’s been a long time since the game received fresh PvE content, and Season 19 hasn’t done anything to fill that void. Sure, players can replay Junkenstein’s Revenge yet again, but this tower defense-like experience is one that players have had for nearly a decade. Those who only care about PvP may be perfectly satisfied with Haunted Masquerade, but that seems unlikely, as the mode has been met with a largely negative response due to overpowered synergies, leavers, and technical problems. Not only is the refreshing Marvel Zombies mode the victor when compared to the aging Junkenstein’s Revenge, but it also outclasses Overwatch 2’s new PvP-focused LTM. When combined with the free Blade Knight skin, it’s clear as day that Marvel Rivals is the better hero shooter to play this Halloween.
Marvel Rivals
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
