Sure, here’s the re-written article you’ve asked for:
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So, Phoenix crashed into Marvel Rivals, and I’m thinking it might be time to give Overwatch 2 a break. Just for a bit, though. Not that I’m obsessed with Phoenix or anything. I barely knew who she was until I dove into a Wikipedia rabbit hole after the season 3 announcement. But there’s one shiny thing in her trailer — she actually moves like a human. Or, mutant, I guess. Anyway, it’s refreshing, and that’s more than I could say for Rivals before.
Ever since Rivals hit the scene in December 2024, the Reddit world couldn’t stop griping about the glacial speed. It’s like eternal slow motion, walking through Jello or something. Some folks said it’s just about perspective. I guess Overwatch looks zippier because it’s in first-person. Personally, I felt like the whole pace was dragging the fun down a black hole, so I slowly drifted away. Meh, you know how it is, right?
Then Overwatch 2 drops its third-person Stadium mode and I see Phoenix darting around. All curious, like a cat in a new box, I check if I’m justified in calling Rivals slow. Turns out, yes. Kinda.
Both games have these practice arenas with distance markers. Handy for testing how far you can punch someone, but perfect for speed experiments! So, I’m there, being all scientific-like, and realize Rivals dudes take a full stride longer to just cover five meters compared to Overwatch. Seems bad, but here’s the twist — Rivals’ five meters are actually longer! Eleven and a half inches, to be exact. Overwatch only gives you ten inches. Go figure.
You’re probably like, “Who cares?” Well, here’s the deal: Rivals folks might actually be moving just as fast, if not faster! But it just feels weird, because they’re stretching all dramatic-like. Imagine auditioning for Baywatch, but in a Marvel game. Everyone except Iron Fist seems to be on a ballet theme, taking these breathy pauses in fights. Even the sound effects are on mute — Winter Soldier’s gunshots are more like muffled sneezes and Scarlet Witch’s magic? It’s as flat as a day-old soda. Superheroes, yeah right.
Enter Phoenix. She steps in and throws a chaotic whoosh with each hit. There’s an explosion after every third smack. And she zips into a flaming bird, because why not? Plus, no waiting forever for skills to recharge. Quick maneuvers, dodging about—it’s all got this urgency vibe that’s missing from others. (Spoiler: she isn’t faster. But, hey, she sure feels it.)
In short, NetEase seems to have stumbled on a sweet spot of style and function. It’s not the usual pudding drag anymore. Phoenix feels like an actual combat beast, and for me, that’s enough.
