LAUNCHING its open beta on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, MultiVersus has exceeded expectations by becoming the biggest launch for a fighting game ever – and for a very good reason.
MultiVersus is a free-to-play crossover fighting game developed by Player First Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game features various characters within the Warner Bros. Discovery catalogue, including those from Warner Bros., DC Comics, HBO, Turner Entertainment, and Cartoon Network.
It is wickedly and outrageously fun, and it’s flexible playing options make it an excellent choice when grouping up with friends for a fun gaming night. From the moment I entered the game, I knew I was going to have a great time. It has a strong foundation with its familiar Smash Bros format and fighting styles. You can play with up to four players in variously themed arena battles with a host of iconic Warner Bros. characters. It is evident they have come a long way from Nickelodeon All – Star Brawl, as it has crashed landed into an increasingly crowded genre.
Overall, my experience has been fun, with many laughs during the exciting brawls between both friends and strangers. The battle pass seems reasonably rewarding and I enjoy the mission system that allows you to earn in game currency.
However, there are some parts of the game that seem to be lacking. The in-game role system, where your character is a bruiser, tank, support, assassin or mage, seems ineffective – especially in 1v1 matches. For example, Velma up against Finn would be an unfair pairing.
One is a support character and the other output sustained damage over time and would ultimately dominate the match. This leads to another downfall I found is that the game has two non-team-based modes that only exacerbate the imbalance problem. I was often met by the more aggressive, offense-based characters, such as Shaggy, Batman, Jake, Wonder Woman, or Finn.
The more I have played, the more evident the microtransaction-heavy MultiVersus unlock system became. It may be a free-to-play fighter but expect to grind a lot of matches if you wish to unlock the entire roster of characters. If grinding isn’t for you there is a solution, trade IRL cash for in-game currency or purchase one of the founder’s packs (ranging from AUD$39.99 to AUD$129.99, depending on your platform). The in-game currency extends beyond just unlocking characters to brawl with. A lot of characters special abilities, perks and cosmetics are locked behind certain amounts of currency, which may lead to players feeling demotivated.
As critical as I have been, I found myself saying “just one more game” multiple times while playing. I think the character crossovers are so fun, and I would love to see Marvin the Martian or Tweety Bird and Sylvester as an option in the future. I also found a good balance of planned out moves and button mashing, make for good gameplay that you don’t have to think too much about.
The season 1 launch has recently been pushed back from the original 8th of August to later in 2022. It does seem that developers, Player First Games, will spend this time ironing out the issues identified by the community during the games Beta. I am optimistic and I suspect this is going to be a very successful addition to the fighting game space once the season launches. I just hope it’s unnecessarily complicated character levelling system and micro transactions don’t dampen the wacky brutality of MultiVersus.
