Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News
      Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass

      Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass

      March 22, 2023

      As we approach the end of March, Xbox shows no sign of stopping. With their consistent release of amazing titles…

      PlayStation Plus Deluxe And Extras Drops for March 2023

      PlayStation Plus Deluxe And Extras Drops for March 2023

      March 17, 2023

      PlayStation Australia is happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue additions for March. The Game Catalogue lineup will be…

      The Game Expo 2023 Wrap-Up

      The Game Expo 2023 Wrap-Up

      March 17, 2023

      THE Game Expo (TGX) inaugural event wrapped up in Melbourne last weekend, signalling the addition of a new gaming event…

      Ahoy, Mate! Australian commander and vessel come to World of Warships

      Ahoy, Mate! Australian commander and vessel come to World of Warships

      March 10, 2023

      THE virtual flotilla available in World of Warships has grown larger with the addition of a (fictionalised) Australian cruiser and…

      Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 4 releases today!

      Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 4 releases today!

      March 9, 2023

      [This press release has been provided by Nintendo PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] 9th…

      View All
    • Reviews
      WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

      WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

      March 21, 2023

      WITH the WWE 2K series getting back on track last year after a year off, all eyes were on this…

      An image of the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor. The monitor features a large, 34-inch curved screen with ultra-thin bezels. The screen has a glossy finish and displays a vibrant and detailed image. The monitor is supported by a silver-colored stand with a wide base for stability. The stand is adjustable, allowing the screen to be tilted and swiveled to suit the user's preferences. On the back of the monitor, there are various ports for connecting different devices. The Alienware logo is prominently displayed at the center of the bottom bezel

      Next level immersion with Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Monitor

      March 20, 2023

      THE Alienware 34in AW3423DWF Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor is an impressive addition to any gaming setup. With its impressive 34-inch…

      Resident Evil 4 Remake – Keeping you on the Edge

      Resident Evil 4 Remake – Keeping you on the Edge

      March 15, 2023

      [Note: This article assumes you’re familiar with the main characters in the Resident Evil Franchise] SO in the morning of…

      Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe Review

      Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe Review

      March 14, 2023

      Kirby’s Dream Land is a game that I have such fond memories of experiencing during my early childhood years. I…

      Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse – The Forgotten Horror Franchise

      Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse – The Forgotten Horror Franchise

      March 13, 2023

      I WILL admit that being a horror gaming fan it was great to see a classic horror franchise not released…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      Nuts & Bolts Ep 77 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 77: A Wild Mercury Appears!

      March 11, 2023

      Jim is joined by Mercury live in the GOA studio! Jim gets excited over the World Of Tanks ANZPL draft…

      Weekly Show Ep 274 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 274: Shame Nintendo, Shame!

      March 10, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 76 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 76: LCO Drama-Rama

      March 4, 2023

      Peace finally get what’s coming to them as the LCO starts the group stage while a team suffers a tech…

      Weekly Show Ep 273 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 273: What’s Going On?

      March 3, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 75 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 75: How Do You Play With A Broken Wrist?

      February 25, 2023

      Natty & Jim talk about how a Rocket League pro can play with a broken wrist, Capcom Cup announces a…

      View All
    • Categories
      • BY PLATFORM
        • Playstation
        • Xbox
        • Nintendo
        • PC
        • Mobile
        • VR
        • Retro
      • BY GENRE
        • Action
        • Action-Adventure
        • Battle Royale
        • Fighting
        • FPS
        • Horror Games
        • RPG
        • Simulation
        • Sports
        • MMORPG
        • MOBA
        • Platformer
        • Strategy
        • Survival
        • Indie
      • GOA ESSENTIALS
        • Esports
        • Conventions
        • Tabletop
        • Hardware
        • Funny
        • Streaming
        • Win
        • Podcast
        • Video
    • More
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
    Game on Aus
    Home » Multiversus Closed Alpha: A Strong First Showing
    Multiversus Closed Alpha: A Strong First Showing
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Multiversus Closed Alpha: A Strong First Showing

    Will SwiftBy Will SwiftMay 26, 2022
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    THE Multiversus closed alpha is coming to a close tomorrow – and I was lucky enough to get a code. I’ve been playing the game every day for about a week, and I’ve had a lot of fun messing with what the game has to offer. The closed alpha has seen incredibly high activity, with people begging for codes like their lives depended on it.

    As always with any new, high profile release of any kind, the golden question remains: is it worth the hype? Well – I’ve put on my reviewer shoes to try and figure that out.

    A New Fighting Game Frontier

    So, for context, Multiversus is Warner Brothers’ attempt at breaking into the crossover platform fighter market. At first, this was a market almost entirely controlled by Super Smash Bros. – Nintendo’s flagship crossover, and currently the best selling fighting game of all time. A celebration of gaming history, Smash has seen longstanding success. To this day, the game remains the face of the platform fighter sub-genre.

    However, this somewhat niche genre has been getting some new entries. Last year we saw the release of Nickelodeon All Star Brawl – a crossover in a similar vein to Super Smash Bros. that crossed over various IP’s owned by Nickelodeon. Spongebob, the Ninja Turtles and Garfield would come together to fight in the game. Despite not seeing as much popularity as Super Smash Bros, the game does have a devoted competitive scene and is still receiving updates from the developers. 

    Multiversus Closed Alpha: A Strong First Showing
    Nickelodeon All Star Brawl made a strong impact last year on the platform fighter genre.

    There have also been attempts at platform fighters that forgo the crossover element in favor of a gameplay focus. Rivals of Aether has seen a lot of success amongst fans of the genre. Brawlhalla, a free-to-play platform fighter, has also seen a lot of success – although, it has leaned more into crossover elements with time. 

    This is the world that Multiversus wants to break into. A niche genre with a potentially massive audience. Warner Brothers’ seems to understand this, and have already invested $100,000 dollars into a prize pool at EVO – the world’s biggest fighting game tournament. This game doesn’t just want to be a participant in this emerging genre. It’s going for the crown jewels. 

    Multiversus Of Madness

    Understanding that context, Multiversus has a lot to prove. Can it become the new face of this breakout genre, or is it another attempt to cash in? 

    Well, to start, it’s important to cover the general feel of the game. Multiversus begins with a basic tutorial that showcases the main mechanics of the game. It’s mostly basic, showing how the movement options work, what button does what, etc – but I found it effective enough. Two things instantly caught my eye. Firstly, the game is incredibly floaty. Most of the time, combat is done in the air. This is a result of an abundance of aerial options. Two air-dodges, two specials, an infinite amount of normals as well as a very quick fast-fall means that aerial movement becomes the name of the game. 

    Second of all, I was surprised by just how simple combat ended up being. Each character has around eight normals, with about six or seven specials each. Each normal is chargeable, unless you hold forward – which results in a basic multi-hit combo. This makes normal usage very basic. Charge a normal up, pick a direction and the character you hit will go that way. Specials are more complex, with some characters having in-depth gimmicks. Tom and Jerry, for instance, has you control two characters at once. However, most characters do not have incredibly complex gimmicks. Your average Multiversus character can be understood without even going to training mode once. 

    Character movesets, on the other hand, feel very unique and creative. I played a lot of Superman in this closed alpha, and I was worried that the developers wouldn’t be able to capture the simple wonder that the character is known for. However, I was very wrong. Superman flies around with strength, and throws people around like they are nothing. His laser eyes are fun tools to work with and his super-speed is felt with his fast air-dodges. The design felt true to the character in every way. When I dabbled with Batman and Bugs Bunny, I also found their designs to be similarly effective. Every moveset feels like it was made with love and respect given to each character – which is refreshing.

    Multiversus Closed Alpha: A Strong First Showing
    Multiversus has a diverse array of characters – all of which are portrayed with respect.

    The presentation of Multiversus is very appealing. Each character has wonderful character design that harkens back to their most iconic appearances. The stages are instantly recognisable, with iconic songs such as the classic 1989 Batman theme accompanying them. The HUD, on the other hand, is a disappointment. It looks very generic, and lacks the personality that the characters themselves have. It is customisable to some degree – but no customisation can save it from looking like a rejected Fortnite menu. 

    Make It Double

    There is a 1v1 mode in this game – but it isn’t really the focus. The game is balanced around 2v2 combat. Playing with a friend is more interesting than dueling, and each character’s moveset has “supportive” options that can be used to help out a teammate in combat. This gives the game a unique angle that most other platform fighters don’t take advantage of. The frantic nature of doubles combat works well in this game, but there is a serious lack of visual clarity. It is easy to lose your character, and that means the game often devolves into aimless mashing in the general direction of your opponent. The limited combat options mentioned early contribute to this as well. It becomes so tempting to just mash whatever options you have until they start working. 

    Multiversus Closed Alpha: A Strong First Showing
    Multiversus is clearly balanced towards 2v2 gameplay.

    Before a match begins, the game asks you to select “perks.” These perks are unlocked through playtime, and give you and your teammate certain boosts. I really dislike this system. I think perks promote an unhealthy relationship with the game – rewarding grinding in a way that is very uncharacteristic for a fighting game. Grinding out a fighting game usually means practicing techniques, combos and training the mental aspect of competition – not just sitting and playing games on repeat to unlock new perks.

    The perk system also presents problems for smaller, local competitive scenes. These scenes rely on competitors bringing in their own setups to play on. It simply is not a reasonable expectation that every single setup has every single available perk on every single character. As the roster gets bigger, this borders on impossible. There is no local play in this closed alpha – but I hope that this concern is addressed in the future should it be added.

    I also had problems with performance on the PC. I had semi-regular crashes, as well as in-game freezing and controller disconnects. Sometimes games would simply not load. If this game is to be competitively played online, these optimisation issues have to be fixed before launch. 

    Final Thoughts

    Multiversus’ closed alpha is really engaging and fun for what is there. The combat feels good – and each character feels unique and fun to work with. I’ve really enjoyed playing this game with my friends over the last week or so, and I hope that the developers continue to iron out the little problems with the game. 

    I think that if the developers are willing to continue supporting this game (which they seem set to) – we could be looking at another serious contender from a big brand in this emerging crossover platform fighter genre. With the big pull of characters like Batman, Superman and Bugs Bunny,  it’s hard to imagine just how big of an audience this game could get. With the new, mostly unobtrusive free-to-play model at hand as well – this game is primed to pull a massive audience. I am very excited to see what will change by the release of the open beta in July – and I am even more excited to see what changes the developers will make next. 

    P.S – Please buff Batman! 

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleV Rising – A game well worth sinking your teeth into
    Next Article Rapture awaits: BioShock The Collection is free on Epic Games

    Related Posts

    WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself
    GAMING REVIEWS March 21, 2023

    WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

    WITH the WWE 2K series getting back on track last year after a year off, all eyes were on this…

    An image of the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor. The monitor features a large, 34-inch curved screen with ultra-thin bezels. The screen has a glossy finish and displays a vibrant and detailed image. The monitor is supported by a silver-colored stand with a wide base for stability. The stand is adjustable, allowing the screen to be tilted and swiveled to suit the user's preferences. On the back of the monitor, there are various ports for connecting different devices. The Alienware logo is prominently displayed at the center of the bottom bezel
    GAMING HARDWARE March 20, 2023

    Next level immersion with Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Monitor

    THE Alienware 34in AW3423DWF Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor is an impressive addition to any gaming setup. With its impressive 34-inch…

    Subscribe

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Ads

    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • APPLE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • DLC
    • ESPORTS
    • Events
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • GAMING HARDWARE
    • GAMING NEWS
    • GAMING REVIEWS
    • GIFT GUIDE
    • GOA
    • GOA PODCAST
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE GAMING
    • Industry
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • Press Release
    • PREVIEW
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SUBSCRIPTION GAMES SERVICE UPDATES
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass
    GAMING NEWS

    Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass

    March 22, 2023DoomcutieBy Doomcutie

    As we approach the end of March, Xbox shows no sign of stopping. With their consistent release of amazing titles Xbox Game Pass showing…

    WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself
    GAMING REVIEWS

    WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

    March 21, 2023Mikeey BarrowBy Mikeey Barrow

    WITH the WWE 2K series getting back on track last year after a year off, all eyes were on this year’s WWE 2K23 release…

    An image of the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor. The monitor features a large, 34-inch curved screen with ultra-thin bezels. The screen has a glossy finish and displays a vibrant and detailed image. The monitor is supported by a silver-colored stand with a wide base for stability. The stand is adjustable, allowing the screen to be tilted and swiveled to suit the user's preferences. On the back of the monitor, there are various ports for connecting different devices. The Alienware logo is prominently displayed at the center of the bottom bezel
    GAMING HARDWARE

    Next level immersion with Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Monitor

    March 20, 2023DoomcutieBy Doomcutie

    THE Alienware 34in AW3423DWF Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor is an impressive addition to any gaming setup. With its impressive 34-inch curved display, Quantum Dot…

    Game on Australia Logo

    Game On Aus is an Australian games publication working across written, video and podcast, and supported by an ever-growing community of content creators and fans!

    Copyright GameOnAus 2023. Privacy Policy. Website by Digital Hitmen

    CONTENT
    • News
    • Gaming Reviews
    • Podcast
    • Tech
    • Indie
    ABOUT GOA
    • About Us
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.