The iconic superhero team, the Fantastic Four, have been available in the game Marvel Rivals for a while now. With the theatrical release of Fantastic Four: First Steps, the game developers have introduced several exciting updates centered around these heroes. These include character skins inspired by their big-screen counterparts. Notably, the Human Torch and the Thing now possess a unique team-up ability. Fans of the film will recognize the sequence where Johnny Storm carries Ben Grimm through the skies of New York, propelling him, ablaze, into an adversary. Marvel Rivals now allows players to recreate this iconic move within the hero shooter. This new cooperative maneuver, while intended to provide tactical advantages, is also being utilized by some Human Torch players to playfully harass their teammates playing as the Thing.
In the world of team-based shooters like Marvel Rivals, poor teamwork can jeopardize success. These games emphasize synchronized strategy and collaborative maneuvers. Rivals‘ team-up skills represent a structured method for encouraging teamwork within a match. Choosing certain character pairings unlocks unique cooperative abilities, presenting fresh strategic avenues. The Human Torch and Thing combination allows the Torch to lift the Thing and launch him into groups of foes. This wreaks havoc and assists in securing objectives. However, the application is not always tactical. The Human Torch player gains total aerial control of the pair, which means an untrustworthy Torch can simply drop the Thing off the map.
Deliberately tossing teammates off the edge is one thing. But even with a well-meaning Human Torch player, poor game sense might lead them to launch the Thing into an unwinnable confrontation. As the Thing, you’re essentially entrusting your life to your teammate. This situation parallels the initial reception to Lifeweaver in Overwatch 2, where some players exploited his Life Grip to troll teammates by pulling them off the map. Hopefully, this sabotaging behavior will be short-lived, or contained to pre-existing duos who can communicate via voice chat, while the rest focus on achieving objectives.
Fantastic Four: First Steps is playing in theaters now. It’s adequate.