I am now fully aboard the Marvel Rivals hype train. At first, I had my doubts that this NetEase Overwatch clone could hold water upon greater scrutiny, but after spending several hours on the new season, I’m fully convinced. It plays wonderfully, is unusually generous with its battle pass, and appears to understand the push and pull of hero shooters and the roles players are expected to fulfill. As for me, I’ve taken on the role of a faithful and obedient support.
This is nothing new for me, as over the years I have developed a habit of playing support in Overwatch because everyone else rushed to pick DPS and tank heroes instead of taking an ounce of team composition into account. If you want to win, you need a healer, and I begrudgingly took up that role until I came to love it. And love it I did. If I’m not picking D.Va or Orisa, I’m locking in Mercy, Lucio, Moira, or even Brigitte if I feel a little spicy. Helping my team and ensuring a win is more important than getting loads of kills.
Invisible Woman Hits As Hard As She Heals
But if I can manage healing and hurting, it’s the best of both worlds. Moira can suck the life out of opponents to such an extent that she’s more effective than certain DPS heroes, while Lucio can use his unpredictable movement to yeet entire teams off the map if you’re capable enough. Support heroes might primarily exist to heal and support your allies, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a force to be reckoned with. This is what makes Susan Storm so special.
The Malice Skin is also incredible, and yes, I bought it right away and immediately got MVP in my first match. This costume gives Overwatch a run for its money when it comes to sheer goonery.
Debuting as part of the first season alongside Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Susan Storm is a strategist capable of going invisible whenever she isn’t taking part in combat, while her range of abilities include telekinesis, force fields, and using her attacks to both damage enemies or heal allies.
A generous health pool and swift movement to get out of harm’s way also makes her ideal for getting into brief skirmishes or dipping into battlefields to finish off enemies with slivers of health remaining. She feels incredible to play, and already feels like my new main.
But Susan Storm Still Requires Patience And Strategy
I’m not the most patient gamer in the world, so I can normally find out after a few matches if a character is going to click with me in hero shooters like this. As for Invisible Woman, she is immediately reminiscent of my love for Lucio and Moira – fast and unpredictable characters I can use to deal damage, heal my allies, and remain a consistent force on the field so long as I don’t throw myself into harm’s way. I’m also shocked at how effective she is at clearing up space like a Tank would, using her force propelling abilities to push enemies away from the point or payload while dealing small amounts of damage. If I manage to push them off a cliff and earn a few kills in the process, that’s an extra bonus.
As expected, you will earn team-up bonuses by being on the same team as other members of The Fantastic Four. More people seem to be instalocking Reed than Susan.
What I love most about this hero is that it always feels like I’m doing something right, which is surprising given her four-star difficulty rating. I can throw out a pulse to gradually deal bits of damage to my enemies before a force-push creates space for our DPS heroes to take the objective and thin the ranks, all while I wait for the perfect opportunity to deal damage with my own powers. I switch between dealing damage and supplying heals constantly. So long as I’m doing enough of either, my place in the team is justified, and we just might win.
Other popular healers in Marvel Rivals right now are Adam Warlock and Jeff the Shark, who are both great in their own rights, but feel significantly squishier while less willing to stand up for themselves in a scrap. Invisible Woman moves faster, hits harder, and combines many of her abilities in ways that scratch a particular part of my support-loving brain.
