MultiVersus: Kotaku's In-Depth Review

• MultiVersus is a platform fighter with a roster from Warner Bros properties.
• Gameplay is solid with creative character movesets.
• Released as an Open Beta in 2022, faced technical issues.
• 1.0 release had repeated problems and missing features.
• New Rifts mode adds campaign-style gameplay.

MultiVersus Review: A Mixed Bag of Fun and Frustration

Published by Lucas White on Tuesday at 11:13 AM

Sometimes when I sit down to play MultiVersus, it feels like I'm a child reaching into a cookie jar.

Part of me knows I shouldn't be doing it, but cookies taste good as hell.

Diving into MultiVersus' colorful world of competitive chaos and cartoon charm is as novel and gratifying as ever.

But all that joy is propped up by a dumpster fire full of free-to-play service gaming tropes.

Some are so poorly thought out or predatory that it's shocking they made it out the gate at all.

Having to qualify a good time with a bold asterisk of caveats is the MultiVersus experience.

Basics of MultiVersus

MultiVersus is a platform fighter, a derivative work of the Smash Bros style and structure.

It's also a massive IP crossover with a roster full of hits from cartoons, movies, and shows under the Warner Bros umbrella.

Characters include Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, and characters from Scooby-Doo and Adventure Time.

It's one of the best of its kind, combining party game chaos with a serious interest in fighting game mechanics.

Gameplay Mechanics

In the hands of developer Player First Games, this combination works quite well.

Each character has a lengthy and creative move set full of distinct IP-flavored properties.

The basics are rock-solid and uncomplicated, making it easy to have a great time.

From a gameplay perspective, MultiVersus makes an incredible first impression.

However, when you boot the game up, the menus and UI tell a different story.

Initial Release and Issues

MultiVersus originally came out in 2022 as an Open Beta, inviting players to try the game and maybe spend some money.

Despite general aversion to Games as a Service (GaaS) models, MultiVersus seemed like a hit.

It had a strong debut tournament at EVO, compelling vibes and mechanics, and shocking player numbers.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before MultiVersus started buckling under its own weight.

Player First is a small team saddled with an enormous task, and the game was plagued with technical issues and balancing problems.

Fixes made other problems pop up, and it felt like there was always something wrong.

Efforts and Shutdown

To Player First Games' credit, they did an absurd amount of work in record time, even overhauling how hitboxes worked.

However, this work had to be funded somehow, leading to microtransactions and seasonal content.

This stuff came with its own set of problems as Player First grappled with reward allotments, Battle Pass XP scaling, and event timing.

Then MultiVersus was unexpectedly shut down.

The Open Beta period had ended, feedback was collected, and the developers needed to go head down for a while.

Most players expected the Open Beta to roll into the full release, especially since a lot of money had already changed hands.

MultiVersus 1.0 Release

MultiVersus 1.0 arrived a few weeks ago, and I wanted to take my time with it.

Unfortunately, it hasn't quite worked out that way.

Throughout these first few weeks following 1.0's release, MultiVersus has once again been a solid game plagued by problems.

Some of those problems were repeats from before, such as a lack of Battle Pass XP from playing matches.

There were important features and options, including accessibility-oriented settings, that were just absent for no reason.

The messaging has been rough, with nobody actually knowing if some changes were on purpose or not until after reactions were creating headlines.

Gameplay Improvements

Despite these issues, MultiVersus remains a blast to play, especially after an initial round of patches and hotfixes.

It's a slower game than before, with a ton of effort put into making the action more reactive and visually digestible.

The characters are a little larger, and the camera is more zoomed in.

Additional animation work has been done to make hit detection more legible.

The end result is a platform fighter that feels informed by normal fighting game logic in many ways.

Character Passion

One thing that hasn't changed from the Open Beta to now is MultiVersus' radiating passion for the characters and properties it pulls from.

The amount of creativity, effort, and love put into molding these characters into a coherent fighting game universe is very close to Smash Bros.

Examples include Tom and Jerry, who are living out an episode of their cartoon show instead of actively participating in combat.

Jason Voorhees has iconic movie moments built into his moveset.

The Looney Tunes energy and reality-breaking toon lunacy is all over the place, even beyond the characters.

This is the secret sauce MultiVersus is operating with, making the game feel special despite its glaring problems and GaaS failings.

Rifts Mode

The new Rifts mode encapsulates the tug-of-war between the secret sauce and the corporatized free-to-play gaming nonsense.

MultiVersus needed a campaign-style mode for non-competitive players, and this is it.

It feels similar to a classic Smash Bros mode, with stages themed with specific opponents and various buffs or unusual gameplay gimmicks.

There are goofy challenges like breaking targets or a jump rope minigame to highlight the absurdity.

Back of the Box Quote

Type of Game: Free-to-play IP crossover platform fighter

Liked:

• Creativity and passion in character roster design
• Rock-solid gameplay core informed by fighters

Disliked:

• Technical issues
• Absurd grinding expectations
• Typical freemium money traps

Developer: Player First Games

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows

Release Date: May 28, 2024

Played: Over 100 hours across multiple platforms pre and post-Open Beta

Conclusion

Enjoying MultiVersus is a series of "yeah, buts."

It launched in poor shape with missing features and settings.

Yeah, but it's a fun, well-designed game full of tangible passion.

There's an absurd amount of grinding and pressure to spend money, even in the campaign mode.

Yeah, but it's a fun campaign with a lot of funny gimmicks and co-op.

The roster is big, and the new characters are great.

Yeah, but you're expected to grind daily or spend money to use them.

MultiVersus is great, but I wouldn't feel good about letting my own kid play it.

That sucks.