How Marvel Rivals’ Destructible Environments Show Heroic…

Summary

Marvel Rivals stands out in the crowded hero shooter genre with destructible environments for strategic gameplay.
Destructible environments in Marvel Rivals make characters feel powerful and tie into the superhero fantasy.
The feature enhances immersion, connects fans to the Marvel universe, and sets a precedent for the genre.

The hero shooter genre has grown increasingly crowded over the last several years, with popular titles like Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Valorant all dominating the stage with their elaborate performances. Each game in the genre has a unique flair, which often comes down to interesting characters, diverse playstyles, and innovative mechanics, but they nonetheless crowd one another and make it even harder for new hero shooters to noticeably enter the scene. However, Netease Games' Marvel Rivals has arrived in an effort to do just that, with unique features of its own — namely, destructible environments.

Destructible environments in Marvel Rivals go far beyond making things look more cinematic. Instead, they serve as a dynamic way for players to show off the impressive power of the hero, villain, or anti-hero they choose to enter the arena with, as well as an opportunity for strategy on one of the most chaotic battlefields in the hero shooter genre. From smashing through walls to hurling debris at enemies, these unique mechanics are just one of the many that allow Marvel Rivals to distinguish itself in the ever-growing library of games in the genre it calls home, and it ultimately culminates in creating larger-than-life battles that reflect the raw power of the heroes and villains on its expansive roster.

Marvel Rivals' Destructible Environments Reinforce Its Characters

Marvel Rivals' Destructible Environments Are a Key Part of Its Unique Identity

Unlike traditional hero shooters, which typically feature static, unbreakable maps, Marvel Rival's maps have destructible environments seamlessly integrated into them. Most hero shooters rely solely on the skills and weapons of their playable characters, and while that is indeed a significant emphasis of Marvel Rivals' gameplay, it leverages its destructible environments to add a level of strategic depth that other hero shooters might conjure using other features. With destructible environments, players can manipulate terrain to trap opponents, create cover, or simply put a kink in enemy plans, shifting focus from just aiming and shooting to engaging with the world itself.

Not everything is destructible on a map in Marvel Rivals, but the structures that are can change the tide of any match.

Marvel Rivals' Destructible Environments Make Its Characters Look and Feel Powerful

At the end of the day, the most obvious impact of Marvel Rivals' inclusion of destructible environments is that it makes its characters look and feel as powerful as they are meant to. The ability of Marvel Rivals' playable characters to smash through walls ties it directly into the superhero fantasy, where iconic locations like New York or Wakanda crumble under the weight of superhuman powers with ease. Ultimately, this feature allows Marvel Rivals to live up to its franchise label, which implies massive forces of nature and the supernatural clashing in epic battles the likes of which can be felt across massive landscapes.

Unlike traditional hero shooters, which typically feature static, unbreakable maps, Marvel Rival's maps have destructible environments seamlessly integrated into them.

With the rise in popularity of Marvel's Cinematic Universe over the last decade, the cinematic feel created by Marvel Rivals' destructible environments helps connect fans to the universe they've become fond of. At the end of the day, a feature such as destructible environments in a hero shooter increases its immersion potential, which is arguably even more necessary in a Marvel game, where the characters and worlds are likely far too familiar to the public to prefer originality to safety. It effectively makes its heroes and villains look and feel like the supers that they are.

As the hero shooter genre becomes increasingly saturated with games, standing out in the crowd requires a lot more than polished gameplay and memorable characters. Fortunately for Marvel Rivals, it rises to that challenge with destructible environments that reflect the power of its playable characters, not just for a better look, but for a better and more immersive experience. Marvel Rivals may have plenty of room left to grow, but a feature like this is a great sign, not just of what is to come for itself, but also the potential of the hero shooter genre as a whole.

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