Sure, here’s a version of the article with a more human-like, stream-of-consciousness style:
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You know that moment when you’re so into a game, but something just irks you, and then—bam!—a new character drops? That’s me with Marvel Rivals lately. I mean, Phoenix is here, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll ditch Overwatch 2 for a bit. Not that I’m some die-hard Phoenix fangirl. Honestly, all I knew about her was from a quick Wikipedia dive after NetEase announced her for this season. And one big thing from her trailer? She moves, like, in a human way. Or mutant, whatever. Finally! Rivals had nothing like that before.
People on Reddit, they’ve been griping about Rivals’ pace since, like, forever—or December 2024, but who’s counting? It’s almost like trying to run in a dream and you can’t because, ugh, so slow! Some gamers say it’s a trick of perspective—like, Overwatch is first-person, so it feels zippier. But honestly, I was on the “slow and old” train and gave up bit by bit because, seriously, Rivals was feeling like a snail race.
Now, with Overwatch 2 flexing this third-person Stadium thing, I had to check if Rivals was truly turtle-slow. Spoiler: kinda? I went full science nerd with some practice runs in both games. Distance checking, stopwatch out, the whole shebang. Turns out, Rivals heroes take, like, half a step longer for five meters compared to Overwatch dudes. Sounds bad, right? But the scale’s a little bonkers—five meters in Rivals is longer. So, guess they’re not sluggish, just weirdly proportional. Who knew?
“But why fuss?” you might ask. Well, because it’s about style, not speed. Rivals makes Cloak and Dagger, Namor, even Spider-Man, all look like they’re filming a slo-mo beach scene for Baywatch. Attack combos drag on like interpretive dance, and everything’s muted. Winter Soldier’s gun? More like a backyard cap gun, and Scarlet Witch’s moves are sleepy. Maybe it’s elegance? Maybe. But barely super.
Phoenix, though—now, she’s a game changer. There’s this wild swoosh with her attacks, and then, boom—explosions, mini firework style. And crazy cool, she turns into this fiery bird zipping around, dodges like she’s fighting for her life. It’s snappy, not lazy. Even if she’s moving at the same pace as others, her animations scream urgency. Barely faster physically, but who’s counting?
NetEase finally cracked the code on making Rivals pop. Phoenix fights like, well, someone trained to fight. So yeah, same powers, but the flow? Electric. It’s like swimming in clear water instead of pudding. She makes the whole thing come alive, and for me, that’s everything.
