The year is 2007.Team Fortress 2is the best hero shooter out there. The year is 2024.Team Fortress 2 is the best hero shooterout there.
The gaming industry loves to brag about flashiness and innovation, but there is also a space in the fans' hearts that Unreal Engine 5 withDLSS 3 running at 30 FPScannot fill.
A DualShockers poll on the best hero shooter on the market put it up betweenMarvel Rivals,Team Fortress 2,Overwatch 2,Valorant, andApex Legends.
Marvel Rivals: Every Character’s Overwatch Counterpart
Something seems rather familiar about these heroes and villains.
The latter three entries split the honorable bottom spotwith approximately the same vote count, which is surprising in the sense that so many people likeOverwatch 2(10%) relative toApex Legends(11%) andValorant(10%).
The undisputed second spot goes to the new kid on the block,Marvel Rivals, with 30% of the popular vote. The superhero-themed team shooter came out on December 6 and has been chilling in Valve’s top 10player count chartssince then.
Finally, with an incredible 39% of the vote, comes the proof that you cannot beat the classics:Team Fortress 2is still the fan-favorite hero shooter 17 years after its initial release.
Can Marvel Rivals Beat Team Fortress 2?
The popularity and longevity ofTeam Fortress 2are like kryptonite to many more recent titles that have that “corporate creative process” veneer.
Here you have a game withsimple but originalmechanics, a unique art style that does not hinge on the bleeding edge of technology, and a community-first approach that allows players to shape the overall public perception of the game.
It certainly helps thatthe game went free-to-play in 2011, but even before thatTeam Fortress 2retailed fora measly $10, which was a much more palatable price than $40 forOverwatchon PC at its release.
Why Team Fortress 2 Is Thriving While Overwatch 2 Is Dying
Here’s why a game made 16 years ago is outlasting Overwatch.
It is early days forMarvel Rivals, and things do look promising. DualShockers writerJake Valentine explains whythis game has the potential to fight for the hero shooter crown.
The superhero theme helps inspire different abilities and mechanics in ways that feelfamiliar to most players, and the developers did an outstanding jobkeeping things balancedright out the door.
However, unlikeTeam Fortress 2, Marvel Rivalsso far leans on thelive service model. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that,very few live service titles manage to stay relevant for 17 years.
A decade from now, odds areyou will be reminiscing about how coolMarvel Rivalswas for a little bit while preparing to jump into yet anotherTeam Fortress 2round.
Marvel Rivals: 10 Things The Game Doesn’t Tell You
These hidden features might just help you become a better player.
