Sure thing, here we go:
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So here I am, juggling games again — like a clown, but with less skill — because Phoenix landed in Marvel Rivals. This might be the moment Overwatch 2 takes a breather on my digital shelf. Not that I’m a Phoenix superfan or anything. Honestly, I only know what Wikipedia told me after NetEase gave her the greenlight for season 3. She moves like, well, a human. Or a mutant. Whatever. It’s refreshing, which is more than I can say for Rivals until now.
You know, Rivals hit the scene back in December 2024, and ever since, folks on Reddit have been buzzing. Some say playing feels like trudging through molasses, while others think it’s a weird camera thing. First person games like Overwatch just look zippier, right? I’m in the “it’s slow” camp and found myself drifting away from Rivals, the snail’s pace just gnawing at me.
Now, with Overwatch 2 flaunting a third-person mode — and seeing Phoenix practically flash across my screen — I had a eureka! Kind of. Rivals dragging its heels all this time? Spoiler: It was. Sort of.
Both games have these practice playgrounds with measurements. Handy for damage testing — or, for my purposes, measuring who’s faster. After goofing around with the avatars, turns out Rivals characters need an extra stride to cover five meters compared to their Overwatch buddies. Sounds bad, but Rivals juggles distances differently. Five meters in Rivals stretches longer, like theater candy prices, than in Overwatch.
“So what?” you might shrug. Well, that means, mathematically, Rivals characters aren’t sloths — maybe even sprinters compared to Overwatch, given they’re crossing more ground per step. See? It’s not about speed; it’s style, darling.
You’ve got Cloak and Dagger, Namor, Spidey — even Iron Fist — strutting as if they’re auditioning for some dramatic Baywatch reboot. Their attacks are more ballet than brawl. And the sound effects — like Winter Soldier’s popgun peacemaker or Scarlet Witch’s ghostly life suck — are more lullaby than life-or-death. Understated, sure, but not really hero material.
Phoenix flips the script. Her attacks whoosh with heat, exploding every few strikes. She rockets around like a firebird gone rogue — even combines moves without cooling her heels for ages. Her dodges are snappy, not like the others who seem to remember they left the oven on. And although she tricks you into feeling like a speed demon, she’s not any quicker than Cloak and Dagger.
NetEase finally cracked the code: style with substance that doesn’t feel like mud wrestling. Phoenix does what you expect from a badass hero, transforming gameplay into something that pulses with energy. And really, I’m here for it.