Screen Rant recently played MultiVersus during its closed alpha period, getting a first-hand glimpse at the new Warner Bros. crossover fighting game.
MultiVersus is an upcoming crossover fighting game that brings together characters from DC Comics, Steven Universe, Scooby-Doo, Adventure Time, Tom & Jerry, and more. The game is currently in development and Screen Rant had a chance to take part in the closed alpha period, ahead of an open beta that is set to happen in July. MultiVersus is still rough around the edges (as to be expected for an alpha period), but it has some interesting takes on the fighting game formula, especially as a team-based competitive title.
MultiVersus brings characters from Warner Bros. franchises into one fighting game. The roster in the closed alpha included Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Harley Quinn from DC Comics, Steven and Garnet from Steven Universe, Shaggy and Velma from Scooby-Doo, Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, Bugs Bunny, Taz the Tasmanian Devil, Tom & Jerry, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, and a brand new character called Reindog. It has been confirmed that the Iron Giant will be coming to the full version of MultiVersus. The game also features stages from these franchises, such as the Bat Cave. MultiVersus will be free-to-play, with an optional Battle Pass that will grant different outfits, emotes, and the premium Token currency that is used to unlock characters and improve moves.
Off the bat, it’s impossible to ignore the comparisons between MultiVersus and Super Smash Bros., as Warner Bros.’s new title is clearly modeled after the Nintendo crossover brawler. The matches consist of knocking the opponent into the barrier of the stage, with each hit increasing their damage meter, causing them to fly further when struck. MultiVersus eschews the combo system of most fighting games, and maps the standard attacks and specials to one button + a directional input, with separate moves used when they’re in the air. The characters have a dodge move that provides a few invincibility frames, as well as a double jump that they can use to return to the stage.
The character weights in MultiVersus feel extremely light, especially when it comes to verticality and control over their falling speed. They actually feel more like Dissidia Final Fantasy characters than Super Smash Bros. fighters, with a general floatiness to their movement. All of the characters in the alpha had the ability to wall jump, making it easy for them to recover by simply hopping up the side of the stage. There are some special attacks in MultiVersus that are tied to cooldown meters, such as Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, while all moves have the potential of causing “Attack Decay”, which weakens them if they’re used repeatedly in a short period of time. There is no throw attack or blocking, outside of specific specials, like Tom & Jerry’s fishing line and Wonder Woman’s shield. When compared to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the battles in MultiVersus feel as if they take longer to complete, as taking an early stock off an opponent is difficult, thanks to the more forgiving drop and recovery jump speed, as well as the wall jump mechanic making it easy to come back from a spike attack.
MultiVersus’s closed alpha has a 1v1 mode, but the game is being pushed as a 2v2 game, and it does this with character roles and specific specials that can be used with a teammate. The closed alpha listed five character roles that are attributed to different fighters. These roles are the Assassin, Bruiser, Mage, Support, and Tank, with characters like Arya Stark being an Assassin and Velma being a Support. People who play multiplayer should instantly know how the characters work from those descriptions, and their presence in the game is important in a 2v2 environment, as it means that certain character combos will work better than others. The Support characters tend to possess moves that bolster their teammate, such as Reindog being able to create an energy leash that damages enemies that walk into it, but can also be attached to an ally to pull them closer to Reindog, possibly saving them from being KO’d. At first glance, it might seem like the 2v2 element wouldn’t be popular with the online fighting game community, but MultiVersus does shake things up with its beneficial support specials, which will lead to all kinds of interesting combos in the full version of the game.
The other aspect of MultiVersus that shakes up the gameplay, but probably won’t go over too well with the hardcore fighting game crowd, are Perks. These are passive buffs that are earned by leveling up the character, some of which can alter how some of their moves function. A fighter can have three minor and one major Perk equipped when going into battle, and some Perks can even benefit the player’s teammate. The player will eventually gain the ability to improve their Perks, which can be done by spending Tokens. These are the premium currency in the game, some of which are earned by leveling up the Battle Pass. The Perk system could end up being controversial, depending on how much they can improve the characters compared to their opponents. It’s impossible to say at this point, as these systems are still being tweaked, but it never felt as if an enemy player with a full rack of Perks had an overwhelming advantage during battle, as their abilities are passive enough that it’s hard to notice them in active gameplay.
MultiVersus has a packed roster and the game does a good job of making them feel distinct. The characters in the game feel really unique in terms of their moveset, especially when working in tandem with a different fighter, and a reworked weight/movement system in the final version of the game will hopefully make them feel even more distinct. MultiVersus has a ton of potential, thanks to its interesting mix of familiar gameplay systems and a roster of beloved characters that have a chance to duke it out with each other. The game is still rough in terms of polish and gameplay balance, but the full version of the game could have what it takes to fill the Super Smash Bros. hole on multiple platforms.
MultiVersus is currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Screen Rant was provided with a digital code for the PC version of the game for the purposes of this preview.
Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.
