Oh man, Phoenix is now in Marvel Rivals! I guess I might actually give Overwatch 2 a break. Which, if you know me, is kind of a big deal. And no, it’s not like I have this huge obsession with Phoenix or anything. I only know whatever Wikipedia and her character trailer told me — which was, surprisingly, a lot less robotic movement, more like an actual person. Or, well, mutant? Super refreshing, honestly.
So ever since folks could start playing Rivals back in December 2024, Reddit’s been buzzing. Like, non-stop chatter about how characters move. Some say it’s like watching a slow-motion movie. Others argue it’s just a perspective thing since Overwatch’s first-person view feels more alive. Personally, I was all in with the slow-motion camp. Every hero seemed stuck in this sluggish dance. I gradually drifted away, more out of frustration than anything else.
Now, Overwatch 2’s got this third-person Stadium mode and Phoenix in Rivals looked like she had a bit more spring in her step. I decided to test my little theory about Rivals’ speed, and… sort of figured it out.
In both games, the practice arena has these cool zones for checking damage ranges and speed. Nerdy, I know, but it’s perfect for measuring movement. After messing around with different characters, it turns out Rivals heroes need a touch more effort to cover five meters compared to those in Overwatch 2. But here’s a twist: the scaling is different. Five meters in Rivals is like 11.5 inches or something, while Overwatch does 10 inches for the same official metric. Wild, right?
You’re probably wondering why you should care. Well, it means Rivals characters are pretty much neck and neck with Overwatch ones when it comes to movement. Maybe even faster based on that whole distance thing. So it’s not a speed issue, really. It’s more about style, or lack thereof.
Take characters like Cloak and Dagger, Namor, and Spidey. They kind of prance around—slowly—and there are these awkward pauses during attacks. It all feels more like a ballet than a superhero slugfest. The sound is way muted, too. Imagine the Winter Soldier’s gun sounding like a water pistol. Or Scarlet Witch doing her magic thing without an ounce of drama. Pretty, yeah, but not exactly epic.
Phoenix is the game-changer. Her attacks whoosh with explosive flair — three hits and boom, a blast. She flies around in this crazy flaming-bird form and can actually move without waiting an eternity for cooldowns. And she doesn’t just drift lazily; her direction changes have snap, making her seem urgent even when she’s not zooming any faster. Spoiler: she’s not faster. Turns out Cloak and Dagger are on par with her stride-wise.
So yeah, NetEase finally nailed it. Phoenix blends style and function, making the game feel lively rather than like a slow swim. She’s got that trained fighter vibe, so while she’s technically not different, playing her is thrilling. For me, that’s plenty exciting.
