MultiVersus

Warner Bros. is giving the people what they want and what Nintendon't anymore - it is hosting a MultiVersus brawler tou…

Become a supporter of Eurogamer and you can view the site completely ad-free, as well as gaining exclusive access to articles, podcasts and conversations that will bring you closer to the team, the stories, and the games we all love. "[Warner Bros. Games] is hosting a 2v2 [MultiVersus] tournament at Evo 2022, with a top 32 team payout! We want to make Eurogamer better, and that means better for our readers - not for algorithms. pic.twitter.com/rmwS4hCht2 May 18, 2022 The Closed Alpha runs from May 19 at 9 AM PDT to May 27 at 5 PM PDT, with sign-ups open at https://t.co/oZRNyqE98eto start practicing! "The Closed Alpha runs from May 19 at 9 AM PDT to May 27 at 5 PM PDT."

MultiVersus' closed alpha has arrived, and its community has fallen in love with the newest platform-fighter.

“The dynamics it creates are incredible & absolutely radiates the charm of each character. THRILLED this and the recent trailer is the direction they’re taking! The dynamics it creates are incredible & absolutely radiates the charm of each character. By far the biggest standout is the character interactions & unique dialog that comes with it. “Voice acting, animation, move-sets, replay value, & staying true to characters are all highlights.” Warner Bros’ MultiVersus became available to the public for the first time on May 19, 2022, starting the week-long closed alpha.

MultiVersus is a blast, with several unique spins on tried and true platform fighting mechanics, a smart focus on 2v2 combat, and an absolutely wild roster full ...

There are perks that can be equipped to characters that can slightly bolster their stats and add new properties to moves, but those can only be earned by playing with those characters and leveling up their character specific progression track. In addition to that, Steven can also place a healing zone on the ground that heals both him and his partner, he can put out a bomb that can be picked up by his teammate and delivered to the opponents, and he can shoot out a shield projectile that can grant a teammate armor if it passes through them. Tom and Jerry is one of the most interesting examples, with the player only being in direct control of Tom, but using Jerry as both a projectile and a tool that can be called upon for a variety of other projectiles that can hit from unexpected angles. But the big thing that separates MultiVersus from the rest of the crowd of platform fighters is its 2v2 focus. What this means is that aerial mobility is huge in MultiVersus. There’s no such thing as a character with a bad recovery, because every character has generally the same powerful tools to get back to the stage, and on the flip side of that, every character is also able to be super aggressive off-stage. That alone is enough to grab my attention, but the big question is whether MultiVersus will be able to hold its own with its core gameplay, progression mechanics, and free-to-play monetization plans.

To its credit, MultiVersus has the Super Smash Bros likeness down to a tee, with a grid of Warner Bros character icons to choose from such as, errr, Bugs Bunny!

Still, the fact it all costs nothing at all does help to smooth things out in a different way, and from what I've played so far, I think MultiVersus is a cracking Super Smash Bros-like with strong personality and presentation. Another slight rework to the Smash Bros framework is in the UI. MultiVersus pops each character's damage numbers under their person at all times, where Smash Bros stuck them in a static row at the bottom of the screen. Thing is, being a Smash Bros-style game still ends up invoking tough comparison in terms of gameplay feel, and in the long term this could be where MultiVersus falls down. Win or lose with a certain character and you'll net them EXP. Level them up and you'll earn specific perks that you can equip before a match begins, like "10% more damage in mid-air". It's an odd decision, as fighting games like this often tick because everyone's on a level playing field, especially if you're playing online. While it may be easy to dismiss Multiversus as a mere Smash Bros knock-off, the game does do a decent job of trying to iterate on Nintendo's iconic formula. MultiVersus is Warner Bros' spin on a Super Smash Bros-like that's free-to-play and features an all-star mishmash of franchises: Scooby Doo, Game Of Thrones, Adventure Time. Everyone is here!

Maisie Williams was psyched to voice Arya Stark in a new video game, although talking smack on Bugs Bunny wasn't what she was expecting to do.

Waaaaay back in 1999, Nintendo released a video game called Super Smash Bros., where players could choose from various Nintendo icons and then have them smack the s*it out of each other in a wide selection of Nintendo-themed arenas. Another character who will show up is Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, which is a good choice if you want to have Westeros represented. So when Batman punches Shaggy from Scooby Doo in the face, that’s really Kevin Conroy and Matthew Lillard making the noises.

Critics and fans got their hands on more footage from MultiVersus, and some think it could set itself apart from other fighting games based on good ...

Heavily noted similarities to "Super Smash Bros." aside, the developers appeared to push for a unique experience overall, especially with a dedicated team mode unlike any fighting games before it. In Webster's experience, the game's "real advantage" over "Smash Bros." was in the F2P model and how the game will feature complete cross-play functionality. Makar reported on the game's emphasis on team building, with each character having a unique ability to buff their teammates attack, defense and other capabilities. Andrew Webster of The Verge wrote that "there's very little that's original" regarding how the game plays, but believed it could become "a big hit" regardless. Critics pointed out the similarities to " Super Smash Bros." at length, but with several gameplay twists that set "MultiVersus" apart from the Nintendo franchise, and even " Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl." Other writers, like GameSpot's Jason Fanelli, similarly wrote that the game could "glimpse at the future of fighting games."

These characters are fully voiced, with celebrities like Maisie Williams and Matthew Lillard reprising their live-action roles as Arya Stark and Shaggy, ...

Thus far, our first look at MultiVersus has made us even more excited for the game to come out in full. Even the live-action characters fit surprisingly well with the cast. The game also features a 1v1 and free-for-all mode for more traditional platform fighting fans, but the potential for some tricky and rewarding co-op combos is very enticing. Learning how different characters work is a fun experiment in both understanding the mechanics and seeing if your favorite Steven Universe scene made it into the game. As a free-to-play game, the alpha provides previews of many typical freemium features like a Battle Pass and player experience. The game places a heavy emphasis on 2v2 team matches.

The Multiversus roster is loaded with famous characters, but some of the game's pop culture icons are easier to learn than others.

Getting the most out of him means learning to dodge incoming attacks so that you can generate a shield that protects both you and your partner. There’s just a lot to keep up with when you decide to play as Tom and Jerry. Many of their abilities often leave one character or the other vulnerable, and they often depend on the confusion of the average battle for attack windows. That means that you’re going to have to work to keep your distance while managing the cooldowns and ranges of some special abilities. As a Bruiser character, Garnet is designed to get in close and deal tremendous amounts of damage with powerful attacks. He has access to some notable ranged attacks, but they’re a little slow and lack the “get away from me now” appeal of other ranged abilities. She’s an Assasin character with access to a simple buff, a vertical strike, and a basic projectile. As long as you’re ok with relying on a few basic (and still fairly strong) attacks while you’re figuring out the timing of his transformation abilities, you should be ok. However, her simplest attacks can do a lot of the legwork, and she’s a great option for those looking to assist a more experienced partner. Fortunately, most of Finn’s attacks are designed to allow him to stay on the move and safely generate a respectable amount of coins. That means she’s not only naturally able to take more punishment than non-Tank characters but also come equipped with a variety of useful moves that offer additional defenses or can keep opponents at a distance. Your rage meter fills up pretty quickly through the natural course of play, and it’s easy enough to spot opportunities to fill it from a distance. While properly playing Shaggy means learning to spot opportunities to fill that rage meter as fast as possible, it’s really not that complicated of a mechanic.