On Steam, MultiVersus is really taking off, even though it hasn’t fully launched yet. Tens of thousands are already playing the beta, including MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus. But what makes the game so good? The secret is: gameplay.
I am 29, and yes, that makes me old. Because whether you like it or not: our apex has been exceeded, in e-sports we can barely play anymore, except with the old guys, and my reaction time is hardly competitive in Call of Duty and co. The younger ones rule here.
But I also notice from my preferences that I am simply from a different generation of gamers. I play many survival games and action RPGs, after all, I work with them, but I love strategy games, “Point & Click” adventures, story-driven role-playing games, and beat ’em ups.
Unfortunately, hardly anything comes out in the quantity and quality of shooters and mobile games. Outside of Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat, you really have to dig deep into the indie box for a good fighting game.
Until now. Until MultiVersus.
MultiVersus really does everything right that a beat ’em up needs to have. It has exactly the right mix of nostalgia, humor, and gameplay that tells me: I am a game for your generation. I am a game for you.
Here is the gameplay trailer for the new fighting game:
Back to childhood without feeling old
I belong to the presumably quite large group of gamers who grew up with Super Smash Bros. I definitely played the Gamecube version Melee for thousands of hours.
MultiVersus plays almost exactly like that. Every playable character has normal and special attacks and a unique move set. Opponents take damage and must be knocked off the stage instead of just falling over.
The selection of heroes is a whirlwind of cartoons from my childhood. Bugs Bunny, Taz, Tom & Jerry, Batman… all the heroes from Warner Bros. that I watched on Saturday mornings are present.
The younger characters, too, come from series that one would classify as “adult”: Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, or Rick & Morty, who will be added soon.
However, the setting is not the only thing that appeals to me as an “old” gamer. The gameplay of MultiVersus is actually what drives me to check in here more often than in Tekken or Soul Calibur – my previous favorites in the genre.
But not too old? I finally have a chance!
Of course, I still enjoy playing Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat, and I don’t shy away from really big challenges like BlazBlue.
However, I hardly do more than occasionally play the arcade or tussle with friends. Competitively, I see absolutely no chance, younger players or those with many years of practice wipe the floor with me.
MultiVersus is different. It’s almost never the case that you are completely hopeless because, for example, the opponent has decided the game with an endless combo after the first 7 frames.
Attacks need to be planned a bit better and cannot be chained endlessly. Specifically, this means: after an attack sequence, the character usually needs some frames of recovery. Time for the opponent to react, gather themselves, or initiate a counterattack.
Of course, there is still some level of challenge. You need to know when exactly different heroes have such a pause and when you can react, in which direction to dodge, or from where you should never approach them.
Of course, there are also a few heroes who are just too strong:
MOBA elements make MultiVersus better than any other current fighting game
The great thing about MultiVersus is that each character not only plays differently, but also brings a class and special traits with them. Supporters or tanks, for example, are very strong in a team. Assassins deal heavy damage but are also quickly eliminated.
These classes resemble MOBAs like LoL or RPGs and also offer a place for more defensive players. In addition, there are status effects like burning or freezing, with which tanks or supporters can enable their attacker to achieve a KO.
This especially makes the unique 2v2 mode a dynamic experience that you don’t find in modern fighters like Street Fighter.
There are combinations of heroes that can be unexpectedly strong and surprise opponents. 2 pros won $10,000 by playing completely off-meta characters – something unimaginable in other beat ’em ups.
But you can also benefit from this solo. Since every match is actually a “Best-of-3”, you can react dynamically to the opponent and try to counter them. This keeps a certain competitive spirit alive even in casual play.
Steam players agree with me: Beating childhood heroes is awesome!
By the way, I am not alone in my opinion. On Steam, MultiVersus has a rating of “very positive” with 89% from a proud 55,686 ratings (as of August 8, via Steam). Many feel like I do, simply celebrating the chance to fight with heroes from their childhood.
One reads things like: “I beat the crap out of Superman as Tom & Jerry. 10/10,” and similar praises. Anyone who has played Smash Bros. will quickly get into the game, and since it is a free-to-play game, everyone can simply check it out.
MultiVersus not only plays with cartoons and heroes but also with the gameplay from the childhood of many “old” gamers like me. At the same time, it is not demanding enough that you are hopelessly outmatched by a younger clientele.
As a veteran from the Smash Bros. era, who also enjoyed playing really challenging fighting games at its peak, I can only recommend MultiVersus to anyone who doesn’t want to feel old while gaming modern games.
And now excuse me, I have to grab Harley’s baseball bat and go beat up Batman.
