Multiversus is released?

 

Some time ago there was a new entrant to that rare space of the video game online sphere- the Smash Bros alikes- to use a reductive label- The Warner Bros. Multiversus. Piggybacking off the inevitable success of Space Jam 2, this was a game that smashed as many licences as the team could get their hands on together into a fighting game smorgasbord of personalities and sass. It was a simple idea on the face made impressive by the level of detail needed to make stock-based fighting games feel right. Game feel is so important with fighting games and I have to say, Multiversus gave Smash Bros a run for it's money some times! Although that may just be because I was playing Multiversus with an actual controller, whereas for Smash Bros I'm forced to use the godawful Switch nunchakus that are terrible. Either way, I had a lot of hope for the title.

I mean sure, there's something undeniably corporate-driven about a game that chucks Aria Stark, Lebron James and Velma onto the same screen in a desperate bid for cross promotion- but honestly the crossover multiverse ideal actually gelled a lot better in games than it did for the movie. It almost feels natural to want to sneak all these brands together in a casual party game setting, instead of cramming them into the running length of a supposed narrative to score 'Oh look!' points. And honestly, with all the quality of life features the game offered, it really did feel like the team were taking a serious leap at keeping the game as player friendly as possible. As long as corporate greed remains only in the casting- that effects me so very little I can't even consider it an entity.

And then the game went quiet. After a few updates and releases of new characters and bug fixes, Multiversus just stopped being updated and eventually the community started to drift away. Smash Bros. may be able to get away with months of silence but that was an established franchise with an entry fee that people are invested with- Multiversus still had to prove itself to keep players around and it was largely failing too. Thus the begrudging drying up of matches and eventually the game just sort of unceremoniously stopped being open to play. "Well, that's it." I thought. "Another font of potential drained in a mad spurt of throwing everything out up front and leaving nothing to drip feed over the coming months. A live service journey underestimated once again." And now I'm being told that I'm completely off base with that thought and the original Multiversus was a beta?

Yeah, that wasn't the release of the game at all but a very early access version of the game, presumably to gauge interest, which was why no real updates schedule was committed to? Did anyone know that going into the supposed 'Beta'? Weren't they actually accepting store purchases during that Beta? (I can't quite recall but I vaguely recall a store.) And the game had absolutely no set boundaries of a beta-play period... I'm starting to think the team is lying to save face and this is actually a total relaunch. Afterall, the original game was pretty feature complete on a basic level, it was just lacking in content to use all those features on. This extended year of silence has flown by with barely any anticipation besides some odd rumours of a Multiversus 2 being on the horizon, because that's how it was always discussed online. Mighty suspicious if you ask me...

But strike my misgivings from the record and rejoice- Multiversus is here and done! Or so it would seem at first glance. Now we have a full release of the game with many more characters to toy around with, one of which being a Mark Hamill voiced Joker because this game has been on the back burner for so long that some of these characters were voiced back when Kevin Conroy was still alive! (Which is sad, but a nice reminder of the legacy of a legend- I suppose.) God knows why some of these characters were chosen, however. Banana Guard from Adventure Time? (My Beloved?) Gizmo from Gremlins? The most hench looking Jason I've ever seen in my life? Oh, and the kept Reindog. Of course. (Also, I am astounded that their Velma still doesn't have a Mindy Kaling variant skin- what's the matter, HBO? I thought you stood behind the series!)

Oh, what's that? Multiversus drama? The game is apparently less feature complete after all this time than when it released as a beta? There's that cooperate meddling I was expecting! You sure kept me waiting! Yes, there are quite the grumblings from folks online who claim that several steps were taken backwards in making Multiversus pop, perhaps because the 'beta' was so well received that the team released they didn't need to sacrifice so much in order to generate goodwill with their fans anymore. For example- why allow players to play offline when that doesn't directly assist their active player numbers? No more offline play! Why let players try out any not-unlocked character in training and run the risk of them not liking how a character plays and not grinding for/ outright buying them? No more free training trails! And now there are no end of match stats and leader boards because... actually that one makes no sense to me, is that just an oversight?

What strikes me is the way that Mutliversus, like many other modern online games, seems to have pitted itself so directly against solo play in the most perplexing way. As though stopping players who don't hop on with a large group of friends is the same as driving away an undesirable element from your neighbourhood. The entire competitive multiplayer genre is undertaking vast cultural gentrification and I can't stand it! No offline play, no player versus AI, no trial characters, no co-op - they've even taken away Battlepass progression through basic matches in order to force you to play their challenges so they direct the way you play- including one particularly insidious challenge that asks you to go into combat with someone else which, lacking co-op, means you have to convince someone else to install Multiversus to play at the same time as you. Crafty.

It is perplexing that Multiversus has taken such an aggressive stance with their playerbase, (and ironic for a developer called 'Player First Games') and a testament to the confidence of Warner Bros. that they think such a stance will pan out for them in the long run. To be fair, the game launched exceedingly strongly, hitting just over a hundred thousand at drop and regularly seeing 10's of thousands as the day's wax and wane. We'll see how many stick around as the problems start to compound and Multiversus agonisingly relearns the lessons that every other game in these genre's have already learnt on their behalf. Such as not lacking Battlepass progression to challenges, not blocking offline play- you know, the absolute bare basics! I hope they get it together before people just leave for the second time. 

Deconstructing the player

 And reconstructing the world

The 'Avatar' is the traditional means by which a player interacts with a game, but the types of avatar's that exist, alongside the absence of one all together, number in the dozens. Typically, when we really take a step back and look at the grand picture, it's the way that we players are able to interact through our Avatar's which determines the genre of the game. Create any sort of world you want, built on whatever themes, or historical significance, you can fathom; but stick the camera above the player at an angle and you'll be typically looking at an ARPG. Throw it in their head and you're looking at a First Person Adventure game, give them a gun and it's a first person shooter. Throw them into the sky and give them dozens of NPCs to play around and it's a 'God Game'. Any genre starts and is built around the player and the experience you want to inflict them with.

When I was more of a Horror Game lover, I remember being somewhat fascinated with the divide that genre has when it comes to the way it treats it's players. Most horror games are first person, obviously because they want to place the player in the shoes of the unnerving situation so they lose themselves to the fiction of it and are more likely to be scared; (and high quality 3D models are hard to make, that too.) but there is a fundamental distinct between styles of Horror game that, to this day, I don't think has a name. I'm talking the types of horror game where your main interaction with the world is how you hide away from monsters and the stalking horrors, and the other type of horror game where you fight back, usually whilst managing supplies and ammo, thus adding on tension not present in usual 'shoot 'em up' first person games.

Obviously the vulnerability of the player is several worlds apart between those two different styles of approaching the player in what is ostensibly the same genre. In the former example you play the victim, forever at the whim of the experience and the centre of an almost passive procession of emotional manipulation. For the latter style the player typically starts off as a victim, but has the chance to change that power dynamic slowly through the game by becoming more proficient, earning more tools, and becoming familiar with the way the world works. Think the difference between a game like 'Outlast', where you run around finding batteries so you can avoid the scary men in the dark, and 'Resident Evil' where you're always fighting back and getting to the point where you win out on top of whatever horror of the night dares threaten you.

But then there are games when there is no player avatar at all, and the player is more a suggestion of a role- the aforementioned 'god game'. In this style of game the player is not usually the subject of directed manipulation, but rather given the tools of the manipulator. (Or rather, the illusion of those tools. Actually asking players to code the game would be a little much.) Maybe you take charge of a faceless 'city council' who dictates the layout of city blocks, or the entirety of a race as they evolve throughout history, or even the elements themselves! These are games all about control and freedom, and breaking players out of the fleshy bodies of a singular avatar is the first step to realising that sensation of total, unfettered, control.

In some games the player acts as something of a possessor, inhabiting the shell of a character who already lives within the world they exist, with a personality and goals- for which the player merely acts as 'puppeteer'. Of course, this is the traditional way that action games operate, and adventure titles, giving the player a titular 'character' to play as rather than a blank slate for them to inhabit. Of course, there's always an inherit degree of immersion between the player and their avatar in any game, and even the most vocal and loud-personality character is going to be built to fit into that space somewhat. Some Avatar's are designed to take advantage of that immersion, providing a slate that isn't entirely blank, for the player to write in the blurb. I'm talking about heroes like Master Chief, who is very clear about his goals, but didn't really talk about his moment-to-moment thoughts and motivations until the later titles by 343. (You know, around about the time that 343 decided to make him an ultra special 'chosen one'. Sigh...)

Role playing games boast a very special relationship between the player and their avatar, where they become the person they control (perspective irrelevant) to such an extent where they help actually design that character to some extent. Maybe you'll pick their looks, decide how their skills blossom, choose what choices they make in the story. These are the relationships where the barrier between what the player wants and what the character wants is made so thin as to be imperceptible, so that 'ideally' the player never loses that suit of immersion connecting them with the heart of the player character. Role Playing games thrive best with the cooperation of the player to buy into their fiction, immersion with their world and believing themselves to be the avatar they control.

And there are also the games where the avatar is a cast of characters that we choose from. In fighting games, racing games, or competitive multiplayer games- the player has a slew of distinct defined and designed avatar's that they slip into the skin of and play as. Whether it's a Nintendo character in Super Smash Bros., a Warner Bros. alumni in 'Multiversus' or a member of 'Overwatch'- the character's themselves are icons, pre-existing and defined, with the player merely controlling them for their talents, usually for short bursts at a time. Like stepping into the skin of a celebrity who is famous for doing a certain thing and acts a certain way, you borrow their mannerisms and their talent, but you aren't taking their talents and fame for your own.

The very concept of an avatar is so essential to the fundamentals of game design that we don't even think about it anymore whenever we engage with a new game. Whereas once there was a cognitive connection that any person had to make when starting a game, figuring out which one of these squares was controllable in Pong, nowadays it's become the breathing heart of design to make that process so utterly intuitive that the player knows what they're getting before they load the game up on their system. Of course, it is the most simple and intrinsic parts of any craft that seem the most immutable, until someone comes along and reinvents the wheel before your very eyes, redefining what you thought a game even was.

I think the next stage of transcendent game design lies in meddling with these fundamentals and reconstructing them, but by pure merit of being fundamentals, the very conception of such a 'meddling' seems like a nearly impenetrable subject. There's a reason why I'm discussing this topic in abstract indirects, you can't really define coming up with a whole new way of looking at the already defined. But what I do think is that in the years to come, as systems become more powerful and some of these superstar 'auteur' developers become ever more unshackled by corporate bounds, we're going to start getting games that push the concept of gaming in directions we can conceive of today and those we never even thought of. And then maybe we too can, finally, be Strand-like.

The Multiversus is upon us

A new challenger approaches

The very moment that Super Smash Bros Ultimate wrapped up it's final character reveal, that party signalled the dinner bell for everyone and their mothers to jump into the Smash-style ring in order to have their own shot at scooping up some of that eager fighting game action that Nintendo was moving on from. Almost as though every fighting-game-curious company out there was under the impression that Nintendo held some sort of copyright over this style of game, and only once Sora dropped without an addendum announcement releasing that legal hold did it become obvious that they've could've been feasting on that Smash money for years now. I cannot come up with any non ridiculous reason why both Nickelodeon and freakin' Warner Bros have stepped up to fill the void; not exactly the biggest developers I personally think of circling the fighting game fields. Nick used to be busy drowning its websites in godawful browser games (of which I played about 90% of them back in the day) and Warner Bros have some fundamental game mechanics to try and copyright in order to actively stifle the innovation of the industry. (I haven't forgotten about that WB... never forgive.)

But now we can officially step out into the modern internet and breath a tincture of that new world air as a fresh sun rises; a sun split between Nickelodeon All Stars and- oh wait, no actually there's no competition whatsoever in hindsight; Mulitversus is crushing Nick All Stars in numbers. Wow. According to that most venerable of sources, the emotionless robot over at Steam Charts... and his API, (Ba-dum tish) Nick All Stars, which has been out for several months now, has seen an all-time high of over 9,000 players and is averaging around 50 active players daily nowadays. Multiversus, which literally launched last week... 153,000. Those sorts of numbers don't play the same sports, wear the same jerseys, go to the same school, attend the same year or even study the same curriculum. That's the kind of numbers that makes Smash aficionados stick up their heads from their Switches and so "Okay, what's going on there then?" Thems fighting numbers.

And what could be the vast chasm of difference that makes Multiversus a worthy contender to carry the Smash banner into the sequel and Nick a foot note on that journey? Well, the consensus seems to be that Nick tried to make a fun little game to pass the time, where Multiversus is taking things almost disgustingly seriously. Grabbing every licence they have, setting up battle passes on day one, winding in gameplay tutorials to make sure everyone understands the basics (Even Smash Bros Ultimate doesn't do that) and, this is a big one in my book, reaching out to the original voice actors to provide player lines. There's no way Tom Kinney couldn't be reached to give out SpongeBob lines, and WB knew that when they paid off Kevin Conroy for the 50 thousandth time. (He's earned that money fairly every time.) That was enough to win me over to the otherwise stunning cynical synergistic brand vehicle that Multiversus represents.

Of course, they also did something they absolutely did not need to do in order to make sure this game would stand out. And I'm not talking about the surprise development of a mascot character created specifically for this game called 'Reindog'; that very much was a necessity and we would never have accepted this game without him. I'm talking about the abundance of moves and systems specifically designed to aid teamwork. I'm not just talking about moves that can be used synergistically together by happenstance; I mean entire character moves built to save a falling ally or teleport a friend across the map. Genuine Team-play gameplay features to compliment the game's currently flagship team based multiplayer mode. I was honestly shocked to a gameplay system not pilfered from that old faithful Smash Bros. (Ugh, that actually felt a little dirty to say.)

Which isn't to say this game's set-up perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I do have my gripes. For one I feel like all the stages make for little more than backdrops without any real personality to them. I know that hardcore competitive players only gravitate towards very functional stages when it comes to Smash, but as a casual player I always liked the one's that forced you to always be on your toes, jumping off constantly moving platforms and dodging stage gimmicks. It's just a bit more fun, in my opinion. Depriving all stages of that, in a bid to serve the ranked crowd, and every stage backdrop begins to feel like little more than set dressing. Sure, a couple of buildings can fall to pieces in some of the stages, but that doesn't change the flow of the fight. The only stage which does, as I've witnessed, is that damnable stage with the pit in the middle of it. Additionally, many of the characters are fitted with a lot of cool systems that make them feel unique, but sometimes the UI doesn't feel quite adequate enough to tell the player all the information that they need. Finn has a whole system where he collects coins, but until he goes to spend them how many he's collected is a mystery. Cooldowns don't have timers nor does the move description tell you how long they're timed-out for, leaving you to just sort of guess at it. And in an effort to declutter the screen, most of the 'this move is ready' icons are shoved into a little window underneath the actual playing character. There's no Character card lingering at the bottom of the screen like in Smash Bros so they couldn't stick it there instead, but resorting to squishing it directly in the middle of the play field means that you need to lose focus on what's happening in the action in order to check if your abilities are ready to use, which poses an obvious problem

Of course, for all it's oddities and quirks (and missteps) there's little hiding from what Multiversus is; an online ecosystem built with the potential to last and thus facilitating a yet-to-be-unlocked in game store and plenty of replay hooks. And beyond that, at a fundamental level; this is a meme game. Yes, I know it stings to hear but you've gotta hold your nose and chug down that vinegar. We pretty much knew that was the case once previews revealed Shaggy jumping around with Super Sayian powers, or 'Ultra Instict' if you prefer. But even whilst playing the game you can just feel that the memes are everywhere. Batman telling Wonder Woman before a match "Believe it or not, I've got a plan for this", Buggs Bunny relaying after a victory "You know I had to do it 'em", the existence of Lebron James as a character; all of it is catnip to a Reddit browsing, basement dwelling, meme breathing, crowd of degenerates. With love and roses for good measure.

It is both a little gross that such a mainstream conglomerate as WB is using memes to sell their game, and a little bit cute to think the personalities of some of the developers are coming through in some of these more 'in the know' jokes. (Although they must know most memes die in the sunlight, so what they're facilitating is tantamount to joke genocide.) But I have to admit with how indulgent these creator's are, they have managed to reserve themselves just the tiniest bit in order to hold a little bit of a life cycle in this game from the get-go. There's no playable Rick and Morty characters for instance, despite there being a Stage directly from that show present. There's also only one Game of Thrones character to speak of, which is obviously going to change as WB desperately tries to win back some of it's acclaim with the ill-advised spin-off GOT series'. There's impressive room to grow here, and I'm excited to watch it.

Although there is one character missing from their rooster which is not just waiting there for them to adapt, and would in fact be a headache to licence; but for whom the Multiversus roster would not be complete without. There's no doubt about it; we're missing out without our Morbin Time. Sony may not want to deal on the matter, they may try to push back on the meme which already cost them two consecutive theatrical runs. But there cannot be a quarter drawn on this; Multiversus has to end with Jared Leto's greatest performance else the mission statement of the team will be forever a failure. And so I pass on to the development team, to ready themselves for facilitating a business deal that could very well be the only act in their lives that has ever meant anything. Secure the Morbius rights, WB; complete the Multiversus.

 

Multiversus: That thing we all already knew about is real

 I am the night

What do you call a leak when it deposits so much about a project that we know it's name, it's weight, what it looks like, how it wants to present itself and even a greater list of it's participants than their initial reveal wants to put out? Well I think at that point we're looking more at a flood than a leak, but thus is the circumstance we face when considering Multiversus, Warner Bros. latest eye-rolling attempt to shove all of it's disparate properties into one almighty super project as though they've got themselves their own cinematic universe on their hands. Space Jam 2 was the first attempt to this end, and it earned a recoil in disgust at how ham-fisted and ungraceful the whole thing was, but then Space Jam 1 could also be fitted with those attributors, so no one was too taken aback. But a whole video game? Well that's something else entirely, and it leads to strange questions such as: how the heck will this all work together? How are they going to artistically envision this and- are they really going to make Ultra Instinct Shaggy a real thing more than a year after the meme petered out? Well wonder no more.

I genuinely wasn't expecting to see Multiversus revealed so soon, but in hindsight I suppose none of the leakers really specified how far along any of their materials were so I really should have been waiting with a Google alert out for the past few weeks. Then again, this was dropped randomly in the middle of November, and that's just a weird looking time to throw down games for anyone, but I guess with this new idea in their stable: weird is what Warner Bros. are going for. Yes, with the prolonged break that Super Smash Bros has decided to go on, it only makes sense that the void needs to be filled with something just as... explosive. Who could have figured that so many were rubbing their hands, eager for the moment the king put down their crown, so that they could seize the prize? And you know what? I don't mind it so much. I mean, it's better than everyone jumping aboard the 'battle royale' train. (Are you still on that, Battlefield? Give it up, please!)

My first biggest question has been sated right off the bat, and it's one I have only because I didn't go seeking out those leaked screenshots during the early reveal process. I just wanted to know how all these characters would be bought into the same artistic space, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they chose a cartoon-aesthetic close to the human proportions of modern Scooby-Doo and matched everyone else to that standard. Makes sense, although I would have been really excited for a game like this which smashed totally distinct and wild art styles together to highlight the diversity of the cast being gathered. Or heck, they could have done an old school Mortal Kombat stop frame live action set-up. (Nah, they never would have gone for anything as cool as that, unfortunately.) And as much as I hate to say it, given my icy perception of this entire project from the start, it actually doesn't look that bad. Both in artistic direction and in action, this thing is really eye popping.

Right away I think the people involved knew how to reveal a game like this in a satisfying manner, recognizing that this is the sort of title that fans are familiar with, and how a basic CGI fest wasn't going to swoon anyone from that crowd, they instead opted for a spoken walkthrough with lofty promises, but a least a bit of humanity to it. This also allowed the team to hone in on, off the bat, how this is a game catering towards cooperative play, which other fighters of this type have always had, but none have ever lauded this aspect as a key 'focus'. Already we're seeing how characters like Steven Universe are being fitted with abilities exclusively catered for team play, and (god how are these words coming out of my mouth) that sort of design decision is a major step towards distinguishing this game from it's competitors. They also mentioned how they wouldn't just be throwing solo play to the side (that's me) but I think it's pretty obvious where priorities will lie, and that makes it quite interesting to consider questions like; how will a cooperative infrastructure change the face of E-sports in this genre? (Rather considerably, I would think.)

Now of course this wasn't the first game to jump into the void left vacant by the departure of Smash, there was the Nickelodeon game that did the rounds and satisfied people to a degree, but that game has one huge downside that most people voiced, or rather didn't; the voices. All of these iconic characters had been bought to life in gameplay, but not in voice, which is insane when considering that these were voice actors who defined many of our childhoods, why not get their talents in on the action? Seems Warner Bros had the same thoughts, because Multiversus features a wide array of original voice talent including Kevin Conroy as Batman (I love Anson Mount, but Kevin is the original) and Tara Strong as Harley Quinn. (After watching The Suicide Squad, it's refreshing to hear that accent not feel so forced) Some may call this a small step, but it lends a legitimacy to the project, with just the names attached alone, so that this doesn't feel like the licence holders running rampant with their power but a genuine collaboration across their franchises. My god, I'm batting for a Warner Bros. video game; how did this happen?

But a multiverse is only as good as how multi it is, and for the characters we've had shown off to us so far... well I am already a bit disappointed. We haven't seen anyone truly wild or out there that makes us start to question our lucidity. There's Batman, as mentioned before via Kevin Conroy, Superman and Wonder Woman, who's voice actors are a mystery, Tara Strong's Harley Quinn, Garnet and Steven from Steven universe, Finn and Jake from Adventure time, Tom and Jerry (that's actually pretty cool, I like them getting in on the action) Bugs Bunny, Ayra Stark with a sword that looks a lot thicker than Needle should be, Reindog (wait, what the hell is Reindog? No seriously, what the hell is that thing?) and, of course, Ultra Instinct Shaggy. (Why won't your memes die!) You know, actually laying them all out like that makes the line-up seem wilder than I suggested, but I still stand by my assertion that Mutliversus is still missing it's big hitters. Where's Gandalf, Rick and Morty and the Pennywise? We need Pennywise! They could throw in character's from Shadow of Mordor, deep cuts DC picks like John Constantine or, and I love this idea, they could resurrect Terl from 'Battlefield Earth'! (I'm sure you could call up John Travolta to drop a few lines, what else has he really got going on these days, huh?)

Smashing all these names together into a Smash-type fighter is going to be very interesting, especially when it comes to grounding moves in actions that character's have displayed in their various pieces of media. (Terl could have a 'chew scenery' down-special, it would be so good!) Although it does seem a little, how do we say, hypocritical for a Warner Bros. backed game to be jumping on someone else's archetype for the fighting game genre. I mean, for any other game's company in the world this is a normal part of the creative process, but let's not forget how Warner Bros. are the guys who jealously copyrighted the innovative Nemesis system from 'Shadow of Mordor' in order to cut off the rest of the industry from one of the most interesting modern mechanics to be introduced to this long0stale gaming genre. Where exactly would you be with Multiversus had Nintendo done the same with their stock-based fighting concept all those years ago? Seems like a little bit of 'rules for thee are not for me', doesn't it?

There's no doubting that I was against this very concept from the getgo. There's something inherently icky about these crossover concepts that so quickly turns corporate and sterile once the dollar signs start to glaze over management. But I can't help myself and admit when my prejudices have been beaten, and for Multiversus that is exactly the case, they managed to worm into my cold heart and impress me, I like it. Of course, this is based on an initial look for everything and there's a huge chance that their promises 'best in class' infrastructure falls apart or the flow of the combat just doesn't feel right, but for the initial hurdle of a reveal, the team have crossed it admirably. The only hanging noose still clouding this project is the business model, free-to-play almost always means something dour is going to fall over this game in terms of monetisation and we just have to hold our noses and try to endure it. Hopefully it's only going to be just cosmetics. Hopefully.

So are Smash-style fighting games a thing now?

Contract weave into a spire of obligations

The spikey haired Premier of the Sora, Donald, Goofy cult has finally ascended to his rightful place in the pantheon of Smash Bros. thus ending the long saga of the single greatest crossover fighting game in history with a guessable, but still laudable, conclusion. But for those who looked upon this as an end, as did I, for this era of fighting games, I suppose it's high time for all of us to eat some massive crow because the wider world has taken this as a green light to shove their feet through the slamming door. It really is quite strange, because if we ignore Brawlhalla, (which has been trucking along for a hot minute now and does a lot of things that Smash did along with cool crossover events) there hasn't really been many other fighting games that does what Smash does. It's very existence was a USP. But now we've got 2. One released and one recently accidently revealed, and both come cloaked in this sinister, towering corporatism which shows perfectly why this type of game should be exclusive to those who want to make it.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is the already released game that's done the rounds, and it has managed to hit the ground running despite having the single most generic name it's possible to have in this genre. Sorry 'Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale', you've been out generic-ed. (Wait, that game was called 'Battle Royale' a full 4 years before PUBG? Well that's interesting...) There was always going to be some attraction to this game which promised to flaunt old-school era (My old-school, I mean) Nick characters for people to smash about with, simply because of the nostalgia factor. But I'm seeing some actual enjoyment from a few people as well, mixed in with genuine concerns regarding seriously skewered balancing which seems to transcend usual high-level tiering play and bleeds into casual fun too. (Did you really expect a finely tuned fighter right out of the gate? I didn't.)

But when you cast just a slightly more invasive critical eye on everything here than you have to start asking a few serious questions, afterall wasn't the late Steve Hillenburg, the creator of Spongebob, against his adorably yellow sponge starring in crossover projects? As well as the idea of a Patrick Show and Sponge Bob kids, which are both now a reality. Though maybe I'm being presumptive and his issues wouldn't have extended to games, that wouldn't be too much of a surprise as the world's are pretty separate from one another. However then you stop and think about how in a Nickelodeon game starring Spongbob charatcers, Avatar characters, Catdog, Nigel Thronberry, Reptar, Lucy Loud and so much more; not a single one is being voiced by the original VA talent. Bare in mind, most of these actors are very active in the voice acting community right now, Nick hasn't dug up any relic TV shows, so it would only take an ask and a paycheck. They just don't want to, and isn't that a little telling?

And on the otherside of the news wall to the shadowy incorporeal world of 'speculation', we have the famed Warner Bros studio bringing their own fighting game and- wait hold on. The movie studio? They're doing a fighting game? What? Speculation is a bit of a bold statement, this is leaked to the point of near confirmation with so much out there that we're hearing of ongoing negotiations to bring in characters from across the- Warner-verse? This is so weird. I understand the crossover of video game franchises, that makes total sense and I have no gripes with how it has all been done, I've come to grips with the animated show crossover potential, they occupy the same medium, same as gaming, so it feels natural for them to shoulder up. But Warner Bros properties? Really? Different franchises from all over the place united only because they take a paycheck from the same place? (Tell me that's not just a little bit cynical)

This isn't even the first time they've tried this sort of weird thing. Do you remember Space Jam 2 where, under the guise of making this a 'bigger sequel', Warner decided that this Looney Toons movie needed cameos from every major franchise they could get their grubby mitts on from Justice League, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and... A Clockwork Orange? (In a kid's movie? Is anyone going to- nah, it's clear that Warner highups have never seen that movie. No need to spoil it for them.) For some reason WB think that if the 'cinematic universe' path to dominance is a road that has been worn-down and set aflame by Disney's Marvel, then they'll slam all gear in a multiuniversal crossover instead. And to be fair the idea is certainly different, although that doesn't mean I think it's a good one, or well conceived.

So far this news only really blew up because of Warner Bros. embarrassing themselves by trailing several years behind on a meme. (Thanks for Big Chungus in Space Jam, guys, you really hit that one on the height of it's zeitgeist) This time it's the all-powerful Shaggy meme that steamed out a couple of years back. Yep, Shaggy is going to be a fighter in this game and that alone has scored just a little bit of free publicity as people see that headline and then quickly check their calendars to make sure they haven't accidentally slipped back in time. But rumours run even deeper than that. Apparently we can expect Batman (Duh) and Gandalf. (Um... okay that one leaves me a little speechless) Is this going to be Sir Ian McKellen's iconic Gandalf? Because with an upcoming new take on Lord of the Rings that is presumably going to recast the main characters, that seems a little bit reductive in helping audiences come to terms with these new faces. (But then, they've already licenced a crappy mobile game with the old likenesses, so maybe WB is just stupid.)

If there's one thing I can say positive about this proposed fighting game, and there is literally only one thing, it's that the assumed title derived from a copyright filing, MULTIVERSUS, is actually pretty cool. It oozes tons more imagination than 'All-Stars Brawl'. But to loop back to my original point, this is all showcasing the head-scratching fact that Smash's brand of fighting game is spawning something of a subgenre, and it's weird that this is happening after 21 years in series developments. (although to be fair, we don't know that Multiversus is going to be stock-based, but the cross-over element, as well as the general timing, certainly fits that mould) Is the allure just because the king is stepping down from the throne, inviting this mad scramble to snatch the absent throne? Are they drooling after the decades of success that the Smash formula has heralded? Why do it just after the final flare of the Life-light chorus, I just don't get the reasoning!

Throwing more competition into any field of gaming is generally a good thing, rising tides raise all ships, as they say, but there's a touch of the corporate that I just can't shake here which poisons any excitement I otherwise might have built up. Why bring Nickelodeon characters to life if you don't also invite the iconic voices that come with them, Spongebob without Tom Kenney is just a household sponge, what are you doing? And though it'll definitely be funny to watch Fred Flintstone, Mad Max and Tom and Jerry wrapped up in a cartoon puff-cloud (All of whom are apparently confirmed characters for this game) without the eye of a damned maestro in charge of this project this is going to turn into a total mess of conflicting styles and characters that turns out little better than a MUGEN fighter. I suppose the next 'Fighter approaching' isn't going to be a character reveal, but the reveal of the next studio trying to springboard their inhouse franchises for a cheap turn-around.