Nintendo struck gold withSuper Smash Bros., a fighting game series where the main draw is the deep roster of established characters pulled from other video game franchises. Various other developers have attempted to mimic theSuper Smash Bros.formula over the years, but none of them have really managed to live up to the high bar set by Nintendo’s crossover fighting game. The latestSuper Smash Bros.clone,MultiVersus, comes closer than any game before it, and as long as the developers keep a steady flow of content coming, it should have a bright future.
MultiVersusisSuper Smash Bros., but instead of video game characters making up the roster, it’s mostly characters pulled from Warner Bros.-owned properties, as well as real-life basketball star LeBron James and original character Reindog.MultiVersusfollows theSuper Smash Bros.formula, with each character having their own distinct move set and quirks relevant to the franchise they come from. LikeSmash,MultiVersusis tough to master, but easy to pick up and play, as players don’t have to worry about memorizing complicated button combinations to perform impressive attacks.
Anyone familiar withSuper Smash Bros.should immediately understand how to playMultiVersus, but those struggling can check out the game’s many tutorials. Once players have a grasp on how it controls, they should have no issue jumping from playing an Assassin like Arya Stark to aMage like Bugs Bunny, even if they won’t understand the finer details about a character’s abilities until they spend some time playing as them.
Instead of health bars like traditional fighting games,MultiVersustakes yet another page out of theSuper Smash Bros.playbook. Every time a character is hit, their total damage grows, and that in turn makes it easier to send them flying off the map. The ultimate goal inMultiVersusis to get ringouts by knocking opponents out of bounds, which can be accomplished by hitting them with a strong attack after building up their damage, or otherwise figuring out a way to trick them into falling to a premature death.
MultiVersushas a lot in common withSuper Smash Bros., and that’s by design, but there are ways that it stands out from its inspiration as well.MultiVersusis much more focused on being a competitive fighting game, with almost none of the party game aspects found inSuper Smash Bros.MultiVersusdoes not have items falling from the sky, and all the stages are fairly basic. They’re all essentially slightly altered takes onSuper Smash Bros.' Final Destination stage, which has long been a favorite for the competitive fighting game scene.
On one hand, this means thatMultiVersusfights are more about skill than they are about whoever can grab the powerful item first or manipulate a level’s gimmick to their advantage. On the other hand, this means that the game can sometimes feel empty and plain. EachMultiVersusstagehas somewhat different geometry from the next, but they all feel like the same thing with a different coat of paint. One stage may be set in Batman’s Bat Cave and another may be set in aScooby-Doohaunted mansion. One might be smaller while another may be longer with floating platforms to stand on, but it’s all just window dressing that doesn’t change fights in any meaningful way. The current crop of stages lack personality, so hopefully that’s something that’s addressed with new ones that are added to the mix.
Even so, competitiveMultiVersusplayers may prefer the blander stages, as it means that the focus stays on the core fighting as opposed to dealing with level gimmicks or environmental hazards. And to its credit,MultiVersusdefinitely captures the competitive fighting game spirit. The coreMultiVersusexperience is all about 2v2 online fights, with the option for Best 2 Out of 3 battles where players are free to swap characters between rounds. The online is infinitely more reliable thanSmash, and while there are occasional problems like lag spikes, it generally works well. The only downside is thatMultiVersus' official ranked mode is still missing in action, though there are plans to add it before Season 1 is over.
MultiVersushas successfully delivered aSuper Smash Bros.-style game with easy to understand controls, reliable online, and an intense competitive set-up. But right now, it is suffering from a general lack of content. Even thoughMultiVersusSeason 1 has officially started, the game is missing its arcade and ranked modes, and it’s delayed the addition of new characters likeMorty Smith ofRick and Mortyfame. Eventually,MultiVersuswill add new modes and characters, and it will be an even better game for it, but out of the gate, it’s hard not to be disappointed by the slim pickings.
Of course,MultiVersusis free-to-play, so it’s hard to complain too much about the lack of content, but some may be turned off by its monetization.MultiVersussells cosmetics and a Battle Pass like most other free-to-play games do nowadays, though there’s not a lot to choose from at the time of this writing. The game’s official store isn’t even available yet, and so most characters only have one or two alternate costumes and emotes to buy. TheMultiVersusSeason 1 Battle Pass also does offer any premium currency, which is counter to the standard that’s been established by other free-to-play games and their Battle Passes.
The good news is that while the cosmetics cost real money,MultiVersusplayers should be able to unlock all the playable characters without ever breaking out their wallet.MultiVersushas a premium currency called Gleamiumthat’s used to buy cosmetics and can be used to purchase characters, but it also has gold that players earn simply by playing the game. The characters inMultiVersuscan be purchased with gold if players grind enough, and so far, no one seems to be priced ridiculously high to try to force players to get Gleamium instead.
MultiVersusplayers can unlock characters easily, and as long as they play regularly, they should be able to get everyone they want to play as before too long.MultiVersusalso has a rotation of free characters that swap out every couple of weeks, so players can always try before they buy.
At launch,MultiVersusis a little more bare bones than some might have hoped, but the game has an incredibly bright future. Season 1 alone is set to add at least four new characters to the roster, and leaks have revealed morenewMultiVersuscharactersthat are likely on the way. Fans finally have a viable alternative toSuper Smash Bros., and it will be exciting to see how it evolves from here.
MultiVersusis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant reviewed the Xbox Series X version of the game.
MultiVersus
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
