MultiVersus is a solid, but unpolished platform fighter
Platform fighters seem to be the most convenient and reliable way to get a lot of IP together for a big fight. MultiVersus joins a long list that includes Brawlhalla, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, and PlayStation All-Star Battle Royale. While MultiVersus may not have the same polish, it is still a strong contender.
MultiVersus uses everything Warner Bros.-related, making platform fighters an accepted excuse for intellectual property rumbles. You can’t grasp the extent of Warner Bros. licences until you see Tom & Jerry fighting Batman or Steven Universe has given his ass by a Dragon Ball-esque, powered up Shaggy.
MultiVersus is notable for its love for its characters. All of Tom & Jerry’s attacks are due to the collateral damage they cause each other. On the other hand, Shaggy is the perfect meme-ified, “two per cent of her power” version. The player’s screen becomes blurry when Velma crouches. She’s lost her glasses, so you know.
MultiVersus’ core gameplay is one of the most efficient platform fighters. The characters zoom across the screen at a rapid pace. This can make it difficult to control your character in the air. MultiVersus is a platform fighter that relies on jumping and mid-airs to recover, which can be quite different from other platforms.
MultiVersus provides each character with a variety of tools to attack their opponents. However, during the closed beta, it felt that only special attacks could finish someone off. Regular spells aren’t powerful unless they’re fully charged, and doing so during a fight can often result in you being blasted in your face. Special moves seem like the best way to win. Maybe it’s me being lazy or that I use tornadoes a lot.
MultiVersus’ main trick is to focus on 2v2 battles. Every character can be assigned to one of many classes. Their moves have the potential to benefit your teammate and attack the opposing team. Although there is potential for a lot of depth in the game with different match-ups, most players feel more focused on their attacks than how they can help their team. You don’t have to worry about team synergy if you can “Unga bunga” your enemies off the map.
MultiVersus has the potential to be a great alternative for platform fighters, thanks to its good mechanics and respect for the source material. MultiVersus is free to play on other platforms than the Switch. However, it’s unlikely that MultiVersus will replace Smash Bros. in any platform fighting game lineup.
