How does Warner’s Bros.' PS5 and Series X brawler compare to Nintendo’s classic?
It’s off to a good start.
And where does it seem to fall short in its open beta state?
So, what’s actually contained in the 5GB package?
MultiVersus' character line-up alone is fascinating enough to warrant giving it a try.
Between comics, movie franchises, and TV shows, it’s a wider net being cast.
Fortunately the game is mechanically sound at its core.
MultiVersus' technical make-up on console is strong.
All of this is a superb foundation to build on for a contender to Smash Bros.
Hands up here, some side-by-sides are a bit of a stretch, I realise.
The first point of comparison is in image quality.
Next up are the stages themselves.
Stage detail in Smash Bros is simply much higher, more inventive, and more busy.
We instead get a simple, barren array of seats: no background crowds, and little movement.
Overall MultiVersus' stage designs are very functional, readable, but too often static by comparison.
I’d dare say more should be possible here in terms of their spectacle.
Each should be a celebration of a theme, especially looking at brands as vibrant as Looney Tunes.
Finally, there are the character designs.
Again Multiversus uses highly stylised character models, a Saturday morning cartoon style fused with full 3D rendering.
It’s an almost cel-shaded look devoid of the high frequency texture work seen in Smash characters.
There’s also detailed shadows, and gradients of shade added with ambient occlusion.
A huge highlight is animations though.
Again, it’s not always spectacular, but it all feels authentic to the source material.
Most of its roster sport proper texture maps, to start - which gives the impression of higher detail.
The examples go on and on.
This isn’t a final word on MultiVersus given it’s very much work-in-progress.
What’s here is still surprisingly robust though.
That aside, MultiVersus remains a fascinating project.
It feels like a clean slate.
