MultiVersus Hands-On Preview – Dunking Batman with LeBron James

Following a lengthy open beta with disappointing reception, MultiVersus is set for a mighty superhero comeback with a “relaunch” at the end of this month.

What exactly is MultiVersus? Well, it’s a free-to-play brawler that takes the characters from the massive family of Warner Bros. Entertainment franchises and has them duke it out with one another in exciting chaotic battles a la Super Smash Bros. style. From DC’s mightiest heroes like Batman and Superman to Rick and Morty from well… Rick and Morty. There’s even LeBron James – the one in Space Jam: A New Legacy, the one played by basketball legend LeBron James.

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In this “relaunch” of MultiVersus, feedback from the open beta has been taken to heart with various aspects being improved upon. Rebuild in Unreal Engine 5, so do find some nicer-looking lighting and bolder textures. Apart from new characters and fresh stages, the “relaunch” will also include a new PvE game mode for solo fun, as well as cross-play and cross-progression support.

Entering The Rift

Let us start out with the bigger addition in this version of MultiVersus – the Rift. This is the new PvE game mode mentioned, where you go through stages and face off against enemies with criteria to fulfill for maximum rewards.

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These Rifts are specially themed, such as “Multiversal Mayhem!” where Batman’s arch-nemesis Joker acts as the central villain throughout, with a short story to get you going. It’s not just Joker, because each Rift is based on a certain Warner Bros. character and what they represent, but I won’t spoil further.

As you fight through stages in the Rift, you may also come across minigames – modes not related to combat. They are simple, straightforward, and fun – they break up the monotony of combat with fun activities. It ranges from shooting floating balloons with a cannon or skipping rope to guessing cards and more.

Pure Whackiness

As mentioned, MultiVersus is a platform fighter in the same vein as the Super Smash Bros. series – you smack a character around until their numbers are high before trying to launch them to oblivion for a knockout. Overall, combat feels impactful in MultiVersus, each hit has a level of oomph (satisfaction/excitement) to it. What to love is that each character is given a lot of care and attention to have their personalities and attributes realized.

With cartoony visuals, the animations are deliberately exaggerated, allowing attacks to be much more easily recognized. Each fighter has a move set designed after them, not just punches and kicks – but there are special attacks that fit into the character’s personality, resulting in whacky moments.

For example, Banana Guard pulls out a dumbbell and starts lifting in the middle of combat, or Gizmo swings a bag of sweet caramel popcorn at you. Considering these over-the-top and wildly quirky animations, do prepare yourself for some griefing along the way as you spam them to taunt your opponents. Surprisingly, because each character functions differently with unique characteristics to their moves, the game has a lot of depth and learning curve to it.

Did I mention that the roster is full of surprises? While we have known many of them during the open beta phase, they are bringing more unexpected guests such as… Jason Voorhees. Yes, that hockey mask-loving slasher who haunts Camp Crystal Lake with his shiny machete, that Jason – the one from Friday the 13th. A truly unexpected character, a horror icon in a game with Cartoon Network-style visuals is not something one would predict.

Get a Whole Load of Fun

MultiVersus is just a fun time with its whacky characters and chaotic battles. Throughout the early preview that we got access to, I had nothing but smiles as colorful cartoon effects and exaggerated animations played on screen. Sadly, I didn’t get to try out much of the online as the times I connected to a player, I was almost immediately disconnected – thus leaving me a lot of questions on the quality of the net code.

Despite that, I see a lot of promising future in this whacky cauldron filled with crossover between Warner Bros. franchises. This game is casual in that it has cheerful cartoony visuals, its free-to-play nature, and PvE modes, catering to those who just want to have quick fun. But it can also be competitive in terms of learning and mastering mechanics to dominate opponents in online matches. In other words, MultiVersus has everything for everyone.

MultiVersus will launch on May 28, 2024, for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Early preview provided by Epicsoft Asia.