Marvel Fans Voice Frustration With Spider-Man’s Gameplay in Marvel Rivals

Marvel characters and mythos have always been popular themes of video games, with several such video games in the market or in development. Yet, the upcoming NetEase Games’ Marvel Rivals promises to be an exhilarating ride by bringing several Marvel comic characters and placing them in gameplay similar to the likes of multiplayer games like Overwatch.

Now available to be played only in the closed alpha stage, the yet-to-be-released video game’s gameplay footage of several characters was leaked online. As the trailer and gameplay footage made rounds across the internet, several fans exclaimed it would never top the likes of Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2.

NetEase’s Marvel Rivals Gameplay Can Never Top Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel Rivals is yet to be released. However, NetEase Games recently provided some lucky gamers access to the closed alpha version of the game in May. A role-based multiplayer gameplay similar to Team Fortress 2 or Overwatch, the game is expected to be released on PC as of now (via X).

But ahead of its expected beta release, the game’s gameplay footage was recently leaked, featuring several characters of the upcoming video game (see Insider Gaming). Out of the 20 different characters featured in the game, Spider-Man’s gameplay recently made rounds on the internet (via X).

Marvel fans, comparing it to Treyarch’s Spider-Man, Blizzard’s Overwatch, and Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2, exclaimed how the game looks cheap compared to other Marvel games, despite wanting to have a more lore-friendly Marvel feel. Spider-Man 2 is one of the best Marvel games to date and is critically acclaimed, receiving 97% critic recommendation on OpenCritic.

Fans, who have tried the closed alpha version or saw the gameplay leaks of Marvel Rivals, exclaimed the animation looked okay, yet many of them disliked the third-person shooter, the absence of web-swinging, and the way Spider-Man moved about. Although some fans stated the gameplay feels a bit stiff, others exclaimed the game is worth the try despite not being able to top the fastest-selling PlayStation game (via Video Games Chronicle).

Fans React to Marvel Rivals’ Spider-Man Gameplay

Ever since Insomniac released its Spider-Man 2 last year, the game has achieved universal acclaim for its gameplay, mechanics, narratives, characters, and more. Unanimously agreed to be among the best Marvel video games of all time, the Insomniac game is a tough competitor for Marvel Rivals. While some fans seem okay with other characters, many of them dislike how unaesthetic and lifeless Spider-Man’s gameplay feels.

As the clip of Spider-Man gameplay from the game went viral, this is how several netizens and Marvel fans reacted:

There’s truly no beating insomniac. But at least they beat avengers.

— aniboiii5600 (@Aniboiii5600) May 11, 2024

Why can only Insomniac and old Treyarch do web swinging right?

— ⚡Craig Penfold 🦄🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🩷💜💙 (@CraigUntlNytTym) May 11, 2024

I mean, it’s looks okay. But, two things are really bugging me. It looks like Spidey swings decently fast, but as soon as he hits the ground he slows down to a crawl. And the speed he shoots his webs seems WAY to slow (unless whoever was playing was purposefully shooting slowly)

— SquashyButton (@SquashyButton29) May 12, 2024

looks fun but also very clunky and inorganic

— Killer Tacos (@KillerTacos54) May 12, 2024

Tf is this combat. And it’s also looks like a copy of The Finals

— Zawand Xoshnaw (@ZawandXoshnaw7) May 11, 2024

Literally Overwatch. They even speak like it.

— Treacherous (@swananson2002) May 12, 2024

Despite the criticism, several fans also seemed supportive, stating it is a good initiative by NetEase Games to bring a unique Team-Up game to the Marvel Universe. Expected to have a full release next year, despite the mixed reactions, fans are eagerly awaiting to see how the complete game will look like.