“PREPARE YOURSELF!”
That’s the male announcer-type voice that players hear when they load into the recently released Multiversus game and turn to face their opponents.
This novel and competitive two vs. two platform fighting game is available on all consoles (except for Nintendo Switch) and Windows devices.
It offers players choices with fan-favorite characters such as DC comics’ Superman, Hanna-Barbera’s “Scooby-Doo!’s” Shaggy and even Warner Bros.’ “Space Jam” character Lebron James. Such dynamic gameplay lives up to expectations, attracting over 20 million registered players in less than a month.
Developed by Player First Games and owned by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Multiversus closed beta released July 26 and publicly launched Aug. 15.
The game successfully manages to establish high-quality servers for online gameplay, allowing players to enjoy the game smoothly without lag or delay, unlike competitors such as Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate [SSBU], which provides poor connection.
Multiversus incorporates different types of cartoons and comic book characters, managing to create an appealing design that brings a sense of nostalgia to the game.
The iconic duo Tom and Jerry shows this best as their animations illustrate hatred for one another, their moves focusing on trying to hurt each other by any means necessary but coincidentally inflicting other players in their ever-going feud.
Voice lines between characters that players would never expect to interact, such as Shaggy making fun of Batman, adds to the entertainment.
With the characters’ having kits and play styles that can be adapted to maximize benefits, a level of enjoyment is added as players can experiment with characters to find complementary duos.
The characters are more true to their class compared to other platform fighting games like SSBU because the creators carefully balanced out strengths and weaknesses based on their sizes and “weights.”
For example, Iron Giant, the largest and heaviest one in the game, can sustain massive amounts of damage and endure fatal blows in exchange for a poor recovery, which often results in elimination.
Since the game contains supportive and offensive characters, synergy between teammates is emphasized and crucial, allowing different types of players to experience the game according to their preferences.
Breaking out of platform fighting game norms, Multiversus discards generic shielding and grabbing skills and introduces unique features such as dodging and perks to change the gameplay.
Perks, also known as passive abilities, can be upgraded through experience points that players obtain through playing the game. This rewards long-time users with an advantage over new ones.
Although perks, like triple jump, which grants an extra mid-air jump after striking an opponent, may seem overpowered, those lacking these abilities can still defeat advantaged opponents.
With such beginner-friendly aspects in the game, players can experience fair battles against higher-level opponents, only requiring skill to win.
However, to obtain characters they want, players must spend an obscene amount of time on the game, collecting the free-to-play currency, gold.
This creates a significant barrier for newer players who try to unlock their favorite character, which takes, on average, two hours. Moreover, users are unable to unlock characters’ cosmetics, emotes and dances, which require a premium currency called Gleamium.
Decreasing the amount of gold needed to acquire a new fighter or increasing the reward in each game round won could fix this problem, making the game more accessible for newer players.
Regardless, it is one of the most popular games on Steam with a peak of 150,000 total players online and an average of 17,000 players daily as of July 26.
Multiversus has proven itself as a cut above the rest in the gaming industry with its unique characters and gameplay “versus” other fighting games.
