For me the mark of a good fighting game is one where you are having fun even when you are losing, Multiversus is exactly that. You can lose fight after fight but it just hooks you in, there's something about its simple mechanics and fluid combat that is just incredibly satisfying.
Multiversus is a platform fighting game, the most obvious comparison is the Super Smash Bros series, and while there are clear similarities, Multiversus manages to make itself distinct from the competition. The clearest difference is the roster, Multiversus is made up of characters from various Warner Bros IPs, all of whom would be familiar to anyone who knows their popular culture. We have the obvious Bugs Bunny, Batman and Superman to the more obscure Steven Universe. The roster is good for the most part but it feels a bit safe, it really could have done with some more villains.
Each of these characters require the same button inputs for the most, but unlike Nickelodeon All Star Brawl, these button inputs make each character's movesets unique. Each have a basic light and neutral attack which will be the primary forms of offence, along with a special move that needs to be recharged. Like Super Smash Bros you do not have to press button inputs in a specific direction in a particular way to hit your opponent, this game is as basic and as accessible as you can get. But don't confuse this simplicity for being easy, each character has their strengths and weaknesses, and executing combos takes gradual experience.
Fights are fast and frantic, this is only helped by the dodge button, with just a tap of the button your character can evade incoming attacks. With no block button to slow down the pace of the fighting, the timing of the dodge is a key skill you will need to master to notch up victories. The fast nature of the fighting generally makes matches feel short and sweet, and you do have the option of changing your character after each round when you are playing the best of three. The only negative thing I can say about the speed of the fighting is that there will be times when your character can get lost in the animation sprites during a teams battle. This is especially the case when you respawn after dying, when this happens you are speedily dropped back into the fight from the middle of the screen. I feel there could have been a little more breathing space between deaths, because there were far too many times where I was dropped into a crowded fight and it was hard to see where my character was amongst the animation visuals.
The overall look of the game is impressive, there's nothing jaw dropping in terms of the details, but the presentation is spot on. The animation of the characters finds a sweet spot by being cartoony but not childish.
Progression is made by levelling up your characters as you use them, you will eventually unlock perk slots that will improve your characters stats. Perks include such things as '4% reduced incoming damage', '10% reduced ability cooldown' or 'armour for 5 seconds after respawning'. There's a lot to play around with, and some of the perks make a real difference. In a game where recovery is so critical, having the ability to make an extra jump in the air is going to save you many lives. At a certain level you are able to use in-game currency to buy new perks that can't be unlocked through a character's progression. This gives the player the chance to customise their options a little, and tailor a character to their play style.
At face value there is not much content in the game, we have a practice mode and your basic 1 v 1, 2 v 2, and a free for all mode where four fighters compete against one another. There is an option to play all of these modes against bots as well online players. It must also be stressed that an arcade and ranked mode will arrive when season one starts.
There is no story mode in this game which is fine for me, I do not play fighting games for the story, I consider it an added bonus if there is one. As a free to play game, Multiversus is perfect for people like myself, who just want to pick up the controller and compete online. If you are going into this game expecting a heap of content please keep your expectations in check.
Like most free games Multiversus is not exactly free in the literal sense, for better or worse this is linked to both the roster and the players progression. For example not all of the characters are available when you boot up the game. There is a free rotation of four characters every two weeks, so you do get a pick of some characters. But if you want the full roster you will heave to earn gold coins to pay for them. Gold coins are the in-game currency, it's earned after each match and each time you level up a character. If you want to crack out your wallet you can, there is another in game currency called Gleamium. This can be spent on unlocking fighters, comsetics, as well as perks. If you want to unlock everything be prepared to go on a long grind, but the game is so much fun that I never really felt the need to spend money. I will confess that I have personally spent £7.99 to buy one character. I did this because I felt like giving the developer some of my money for the large amount of time I was spending on the game. I never once felt pressured into spending any cash.
You can pay for the founders pack that gives you a bunch of goodies as well as character tokens. I would not buy this pack right away, give the game a try and then decide whether it's worth paying for the whole experience in one go.
If you want a fun and easily accessible fighting game, Multiversus more than fits the bill, it really did take me by complete surprise. Going forward I hope the game is given the support it deserves with new characters released in frequent doses. As I stated earlier there really does need to be more villain characters in the roster. Do be aware that the game is tailored more towards a team experience, as stated earlier there is a 1v1 mode, but the 2v2 is so much more fun.
Verdict: 8/10
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