Multiversus review: Competitive focus makes WB brawler more than a Smash clone WB GamesMultiversus may build off of familiar foundations, but it offers impressive depth with an eye on competitive play. Character brawlers are enjoying a resurgence right now, with an increasing number to choose from on all platforms. The tried and tested formula of smacking a character off the screen keeps players coming back, and Multiversus might be the first real contender to Nintendo\u2019s genre-defining Super Smash Bros franchise. Swapping gaming royalty for superhero, Stark, and Scooby-Doo characters isn\u2019t the only thing separating this platform brawler from its clear inspiration, though, and the more time spent with Multiversus the more I find myself uncovering new wrinkles \u2014 even without a true single-player component. Disclaimer: While Multiversus is currently in open beta, we feel it\u2019s worth reviewing the game since players can spend real money on it right now with Founders Pack bundles. Multiversus key details Developer: Player First Games – Price: Free – Release date: Open Beta at time of writing – Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X – Multiversus trailer Welcome to the Multiversus Multiverse Character fighters tend to live or die based on their characters, and WB arguably has access to a roster that\u2019s second only to Disney in entertainment. That means the likes of Game of Thrones\u2019 Arya Stark can be seen teaming up with Wonder Woman to destroy Shaggy from Scooby-Doo and Jake the Dog from Adventure TIme. There\u2019s a genuinely exciting feeling about jumping into the roster screen for the first time and seeing Bugs Bunny and Taz rubbing shoulders with Steven Universe and Tom and Jerry, while the inclusion of basketball superstar LeBron James, and an original character called Reindog, suggests the future is very bright indeed for Multiversus. There\u2019s no denying that as varied as the roster is right now, it\u2019s a little slim with seventeen fighters. Unlike Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, though, they\u2019re voiced by many familiar voices: Kevin Conroy voices Batman, Maisie Williams is Arya Stark, and, yes, that\u2019s Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. Thankfully, there\u2019s plenty more to come, with the likes of Rick and Morty slated to arrive in the coming months, while the \u201cwho\u2019s next?\u201d appeal of seeing a new character every few months is likely to mimic at least some of the excitement about Super Smash Bros reveals. All of those characters have their own moves, split between standard and special attacks, and the ability to use that familiar analog stick flick to send an opponent packing in 1v1, 2v2, or free-for-all fights. Go your own Wayne If that all sounds familiar, then you\u2019ve undoubtedly played Super Smash Bros. It\u2019s no shame to build off such a solid base of what came before, though, but Multiversus does take its own set of creative chances \u2014 and pulls many of them off with aplomb. For one, characters have specific perks, as well as slots where players can add more. Arya can wear the face of an enemy she\u2019s knocked out for example, while Bugs Bunny can charm other fighters with a big, cartoon heart left behind after a kiss. These can take time to learn, but all feel pleasingly idiosyncratic to each character, like Iron Giant creating fire when using his rocket boost. Then there are equipable perks, which deal additional damage, add debuffs, and more. If that sounds like it\u2019d be a pay-to-win minefield, then you\u2019d be right, so we\u2019re pleased to see Player First Games sidestep that conversation entirely by making anything that affects gameplay earnable just by playing. Complicating these perks further is that they can stack if your partner uses them, too. That\u2019s an added dimension that definitely suggests that the devs see 2v2 as the core way to play Multiversus, because countering an opponent\u2019s fighters with your own characters and their perks feels a little like that moment in a hero shooter or a MOBA where everything gets locked in. Perks won\u2019t make you a better player, but they can be used in interesting ways to help combat specific attacks, like increased projectile speed for ranged fighters or additional jumps for those that would otherwise struggle with stage recovery. On that note, Multiversus breaks away from genre conventions by removing ledge hanging and swapping it for wall-jumping. It can be frustrating in early fights to see your chosen character ping-pong off of the side of the stage like an errant Batarang, but it soon becomes second nature and leads to some flashy moves that wouldn\u2019t have been possible if you were dangling by your fingertips instead. It\u2019s also possible, with keen timing, to save your comrade from falling off the stage using certain characters. It\u2019s the kind of thing that feels magical the first time, and never really loses its luster, but I can\u2019t wait to see how competitive players use it to swing matches in their favor with unerring regularity. No solo Adventure Time Multiversus\u2019 mechanics run deep, but the actual mode selection is a little thin. Aside from the match types and the various battlegrounds they can be fought on, there\u2019s nothing analogous to Super Smash Bros\u2019 World of Light mode or something like Subspace Emissary. While I\u2019d be lying if I said I was desperate to return to either of those modes, something similar in Multiversus could have at least afforded the opportunity for some fun cutscenes. Thankfully, there\u2019s impressive dialogue between characters, but solo players should know that their mileage may be limited unless you want to constantly beat up Mr. Meeseeks in the game\u2019s training mode. Local multiplayer is also lacking compared to more long-running titles, with much fewer permutations than Smash Ultimate\u2019s incredible toybox of modes and variations. Still, what\u2019s here is a solid base to build from. Money-versus Multiversus is currently in open beta, but the game already supports microtransactions. The free-to-play route is undeniably full of success stories, but for every League of Legends, there\u2019s a Diablo Immortal. As I mentioned earlier, though, you\u2019ll only be able to spend the game\u2019s premium currency, Gleamium, on things like cosmetic outfits or new characters. Thankfully, you can earn some new skins by completing each character\u2019s own battle pass, while Gold earned by playing the game will have you adding new characters to your roster in no time. If you want to jump in without spending a penny, though, Multiversus rotates free characters, meaning everyone gets a chance to try a few fighters out each week. Between that and the high-quality, responsive fighting action, there\u2019s more than enough to satiate fighting fans that don\u2019t want to drop any cash right away. The Verdict \u2013 8.5 Even when stripping away the glossy licenses and arenas, Multiversus remains an excellent fighter that feels like a great barometer of how to do free-to-play right. That low barrier to entry makes it a great way to spend an evening with friends, and with more characters to come, it could grow into a true \u201cSmash killer\u201d over time. Reviewed on PS5 For more reviews, be sure to check out our thoughts on the latest releases: Diablo Immortal | V Rising Early Access | Card Shark | Sniper Elite 5 | Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes review | Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak review | As Dusk Falls<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Multiversus review: Competitive focus makes WB brawler more than a Smash clone WB GamesMultiversus may build off of familiar foundations, but it offers impressive depth with an eye on competitive play. Character brawlers are enjoying a resurgence right now, with an increasing number to choose from on all platforms. The tried and tested formula of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83502\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}