MultiVersus‘ announcement did little to inspire confidence that it would be anything but a cheap cash-in platform fighter. Nickelodeon’s Smash Bros. clone was unfortunately pretty weak, so it would make sense that yet another new developer would fail in the same ways. But MultiVersus‘ impressive closed alpha has been a pleasant surprise, especially from a visual standpoint.
Not only does MultiVersus maintain one single (appealing) visual style for all of its characters, but it does so without losing the personality behind each one. Bugs Bunny doesn’t look jarring next to Superman, which is a feat by itself. The fact that a Game of Thrones character aesthetically fits in with cartoons and superheroes goes to show that this game is doing its best to fix what Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl couldn’t, without turning any of the distinct characters into bland knockoffs.
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The character that most exemplifies the visual excellence of MultiVersus has to be the Ice Climbers-esque duo fighter, Tom & Jerry. Their attacks are animated perfectly in comparison to their cartoons, as the pair tries to whack one another with hammers and various other comical weapons for most of their move set. They’re almost incidentally hitting the opponent as they carry on with their eternal game of cat-and-mouse. It’s an inventive style that’s as fun to look at as it is to actually play around with, and that’s coming from someone who never really cared for these characters as a whole.
That’s not to say Tom and Jerry are the only ones with this sort of polish, as there are little details that make each character stand out. The best one is Batman’s idle animation, which sees him assume his silhouette pose that’s straight out of Batman: The Animated Series. MultiVersus nails Batman’s brooding pose as he morphs into the darkness, as well as his taunt where he pulls various objects out of his utility belt, including a presumably spray can filled with shark repellent. These two animations cater to both types of Batmen — the dark and the goofy — which is a fitting representation of MultiVersus itself.
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Even the alternate costumes are intriguing to look at. Samurai Batman, Task Force X Harley, Shaggy’s … Uncle Shagworthy? The choices range from cool to bizarre, but they’re so different that you can’t help but admire the deep cuts Player First Games is making. Plus, this eccentric cast and their wild secondary costumes show that Player First Games and Warner Bros. could probably handle essentially any franchise with care. Given the roster’s already eclectic variety, there will likely be a lot of beloved properties like Animaniacs and Harry Potter that could do quite well in this style, all while drawing in fandoms of every type.
If MultiVersus gets the same level of polish in its gameplay that it has so far in its visual style, it could shape up to be the most worthy Smash Bros. competitor yet. The reverence shown for the included franchises is incredible, and I can’t wait to see the rest of the roster that will get the MultiVersus treatment.
