MultiVersusis heaping with potential as each character feels unique and adds gameplay tweaks that are often not seen in the platform fighter genre. Rather than taking what we know from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series, developer Player First Games takes a different approach with a deeper focus on combos and 2v2 teamplay. Most of the time,MultiVersusprovides tons of fun for those who love the genre and the Warner Bros. slate of characters like Batman, Rick Sanchez,and Bugs Bunny. While the stages could be more interesting and the music can be repetitive, this is a platform fighter to keep your eyes on and play often.
A Great Cast of Characters
Player First Games has done a great job of making each character stand out with their own unique moveset, costumes and even taunts. Unlike the originalNickelodeon All-Star Brawl, they’re all voice-acted with lines referencing the shows and movies they’re from. The neat thing is that the characters even diss each other while fighting. For example, Batman says, “Getting sloppy if a clown can beat me,” to Harley Quinn. Bugs Bunny has a funnier remark when speaking to Game of Thrones' Arya Stark, stating “that better be fake fur you’re wearing or we’re going to have some trouble.”
As for the moveset of each character,MultiVersusshowcases each of their moves from the source material well. Batman uses his grappling hook to lock into enemies and strike them with a kick. Meanwhile, Bugs Bunny launches Acme rockets and burrows down into the ground to hit foes from below. Bugs can even drop a safe and have it pop out the other side of the burrowed ground. Another cool example of the dynamic moveset is how Bugs can work together with Rick Sanchez. The scientist pulls out a portal and the safe can appear on the other side of it. There are cool combos you can perform with a friend in 2v2 combat.
How to Unlock Banana Guard in MultiVersus
This strange addition to the roster is unlocked in a unique way from the others.
When the game’s working well and there’s a good connection, this platform fighter feels almost as good as theSuper Smash Bros.series. The fast, energetic combat is fluid with plenty of satisfying combo potential. It feels great to slam foes into the ground withJasonand then follow it up with knife strikes above the killer’s head as the opponent bounces into the air. Plenty of times, I then followed these two hits with an uppercut move to finish them off. There are many moments like that when you hit an opposing player with enough force that they go flying off the stage and it feels so good.
The Stages Can Be Improved
While the action itself is solid, the stages could be better. So far, many of them feel plain, likely to make the game more appealing to the competitive Smash community. It would be great to see more diversity and hazards from the stage itself. This has been improved in the most recent stages from Player First Games. The City of Townsville has Mojo Jojo flying around in a saucer, launching grenades at the players. Additionally, the Dexter’s Laboratory stage is the first that moves and has platforming challenges along the way. The latter option is too wild with too many hazards, but it’s great to see the developer play around with new concepts rather than sticking to a predictable set up.
PerhapsMultiVersuscould be inspired byPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalein which two franchises crash into each other in one stage, making it more interactive like a cinematic movie. Imagine you’re on the roofs of Gotham’s buildings with the skyline in the background. Chaos ensues, however, as King Kong or a Godzilla monster of some kind suddenly appears in the background, wrecking Wayne Tower or Arkham Asylum and throwing debris towards the players. That would be amazing to see.
While the music ofMultiVersusis epic, it can get tiring after a few hours of playing. You hear the same theme song overlaid with the different franchises and it can feel one note at points. On the other hand, some of the orchestral takes on familiar songs give you a rush of hype, especially with Danny Elfman’sBatmantheme in the Batcave.
It would be a great option to have the original soundtracks in the game too, like theSuper Smash Bros. series. If it’s hard to retrofit the original scores into the game, more remixes with genres that differ from the score’s epic tone would be fantastic. Having a choice of music would be great.
The Rifts Mode Shows Potential
MultiVersusduring its beta period lacked single-player options, so thankfully, with the full release, there’s a game mode that loners like myself can check out. Similar to an arcade mode, you’re taking on challenging foes, completing mini-games and then taking out the boss at the end of the route. There are then set challenges, like completing a battle with a DC character, that reward you with XP for the perks you choose. This can be frustrating for completionists as more often than not, the game’s asking you to take on a challenge with a co-op partner. It’s probably a decent way to hook in more players intoMultiVersusas it’s a free-to-play option and it’s easier to convince a friend to download it for your sake.
The mini-games of the Rifts mode are entertaining. Some are standard puzzles like matching patterns on hidden cards, but others include popping balloons with a cannon. There’s even a mode which has you jump over a rope in time. It changes the formula of the game from fighting enemies, and while they can outstay their welcome, the mini-games are worthy distractions.
MultiVersus' Servers Have Improved But…
The main meat and potatoes ofMultiVersusis battling players online, and thankfully, this WB game finally delivers. Most games, under rollback netcode, work swimmingly with solid connection speeds and little to no input delay. There, however, have been some matches that have either disconnected entirely or were laggy. These come few and far between and could depend on your set up. For example, I play through a WiFi connection in my room on the second floor of the house. I know, I’m part of the problem. Most of the time, however, online games are fantastic.
With that in mind, it can be frustrating after a match is completed. The waiting time for voting to rematch takes too long, and those who are salty after losing make you wait for ages before you can continue on with your day. It’s a minor gripe, but hopefully this gets fixed soon. Another issue is that I’ve found those down a stock or two intentionally throw games, jumping off the stage. This should be punished, and I tried to report them, but there’s no suitable option for this action.
It’s Time to Stop Using The Term “Smash Clone”
In addition, and this is a minor complaint, it would be great to remove the team colors from the characters while fighting online. They take away from the character’s original design and are distracting to look at. Why make characters that animate so well and pop on screen completely red or blue?
Closing Comments:
MultiVersusshows there’s enough promise to expand the platform fighter genre with a new focus on 2v2 gameplay and intriguing movesets for each character. We didn’t callMortal KombataStreet Fighterclone, despite them sharing a 2D plane. Nintendo didn’t even begin the platform fighter genre: it only popularized it. The term “Smash Clone” is a demeaning one, which is a huge turnoff for many.MultiVersusshould get love for its concept, and as it continues to build, hopefully it will get its time in the sun.
MultiVersus
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5
MultiVersus is a 2D side-scrolling platform fighter that includes a wide array of Warner Bros. characters. Players can choose between characters like Shaggy, Batman, Steven Universe, Jake the Dog, and more.
