MultiVersus beta review – Super Smash Warner Bros.

metro.co.uk:

Warner Bros. takes on Smash Bros. in a new free-to-play crossover fighter where Bugs Bunny gets to punch out Superman.

Aside from Disney, Warner Bros. might be the media conglomerate best suited to flaunt IP in a platform fighter. With Looney Tunes, the entirety of DC, and a vast library of Cartoon Network classics like Adventure Time and The Powerpuff Girls, the breadth of brands at their disposal makes last year’s Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl look like slapsies at the kids’ table.

While that release suffered from its lifeless, bare bones presentation, MultiVersus – available from 5pm BST today as an open beta – is a more successful celebration of its properties, even if it isn’t nearly as extensive or polished as frontrunner rival, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Comparisons are inevitable, yet MultiVersus has enough unique tricks where it feels like a worthy alternative that can stand apart from Nintendo’s platform fighter.

Fundamentally, the rules are the same. In battles for up to four players, you damage opponents to build up a percentage. The higher the figure, the easier it becomes to smash characters into the edges of the screen for a knockout. Like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, there’s no items and the stages are basic in design – with matches prioritising skill over random, chaotic elements.

The main difference in MultiVersus is the emphasis on team coordination. While there’s the option to play free-for-all matches, there’s a clear steer towards 2v2 team battles – highlighted by a ‘Recommended’ tag underneath its prime position in the online menu. Some mechanics are also built around synchronising with a co-op partner, like stacking perks together to earn larger stat boosts and damage reductions from certain attacks.

This