MultiVersus review – more than just another Super Smash Bros. clone

I wasn't entirely convinced by MultiVersus when it leaked. We've seen countless platform fighters challenge Super Smash Bros across the decades, usually falling flat. Even Sony's own attempt with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was middling, so I didn't particularly rate a Warner Bros crossover's chances. I'll gladly admit those initial impressions were wrong. Even as a free-to-play game, that carries the usual monetisation pitfalls, MultiVersus sets itself apart where it matters.

You can attribute some of that to the unusual MultiVersus character roster, which isn't especially cohesive. Packing 18 fighters with more planned, they all fall under Warner Bros. Discovery's licensing, but mixing Game of Thrones characters with Bugs Bunny just feels strange, no matter how you slice it. That said, I never questioned it once I started playing - everyone's been well adapted. That's helped by voice actors reprising their roles, with Kevin Conroy and Matthew Lillard returning for Batman and Shaggy respectively as major highlights. It's a shame MultiVersus doesn't give each franchise a specific arena to complement its cast, though you'll spot familiar sights like the Bat Cave.

It's worth studying each character beforehand, since MultiVersus groups them between five classes. We've got the heavy-hitting bruisers, agile assassins, defensively-minded tank class, ranged mages, and support classes who're better at buffs than damage. I appreciate this variety and the game prioritises 2v2 team fights as its main way to play, those support classes in particular helping MultiVersus to lean into this co-op emphasis well. (There's also 1v1 fights and 4-player free for all's but, annoyingly, no local co-op, which is a shame.)

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