WithMultiVersusbeing one of the top platform fighting games out right now, it’s natural to compare it to other games in the genre such asSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Brawlhalla, or evenRivals of Aether. Something that makes MultiVersus stand out from its peers, however, is that it uses a perk system for its battles.
The way perks work is fairly simple. They power you up during a fight, granting you certain combat buffs in the categories of Offensive, Utility, and Defensive. These grant you additional damage, a farther knockback with your abilities, armor after you respawn, and many more wonderful things.
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Each character in the game has a total of three perks, but you can buy any perk with in-game currency once you hit Level 9 - whether it’s one that you feel fits a character’s move set, or one that can counter your opponent with. Naturally, there’ll be a fair bit of grinding to get to that point.
For newcomers, having perks in fights can be a disadvantage. It creates a learning curve as characters that are level 1 don’t have access to perks while their opponent might, which can put you at a disadvantage when it comes to combat. Luckily there is level-based matchmaking to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work 100% of the time. At times your teammate may be of a higher ranking than you, causing the game to pair you up with opponents similar to their level. If the system was flawless every time, it would definitely prevent these types of matchups.
Perks don’t make the game completely unfair, but you don’t stand much of a chance when pitting a level 3Harley Quinnagainst a level 25 Garnet. Skill alone means little when your opponent has perks stacked against you that boost their abilities, movement speed, and defense.
For those who want a more traditional fighting game experience, myself included, a mode without perks could do a world of good for the game. There’s nothing quite like beating an opponent based purely on skill instead of relying on certain perks. For example, if you play against somebody with the “Triple Jump”, “Speed Force Assist”, and the “…in a Single Bound!” perks, you’ll find it nearly impossible to hit them as they zoom all over the map. It makes things even worse if you find yourself in a 2 vs 2 match. If both opponents enter a match with the same perks equipped, their effects double - kind of fun in a game-breaking way, but also very messy.
In addition to the system, every single character has a Signature Perk too when they hit Level 8. Some give abilities more damage like Harley, who can create a large explosion that launches enemies upward once she’s reached max stacks. Other Signature Perks change up how it’s used likeShaggy, who goes into rage mode after reaching 100 damage, or give the opponent a debuff. Some characters have two or three of these Signature Perks, giving them more variety in combat. To be clear, Signature Perks are fun and diversify each character nicely, so would still be welcome in the No-Perks mode that I propose.
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There are other combinations that can give you a hard time. I often find myself going up against mages with stacks of “Coffeezilla,” which give them a cooldown advantage on their abilities, as well as other perks that bolster their projectiles. There are perks to counter them, but you need enough in-game currency to buy them. Keep in mind that unlocking different perks through Perk Training doesn’t apply to your entire roster, just for that character. Which perk counters what is up for you to decide since there isn’t a definitive answer. So that you don’t waste your hard-earned gold, perks make it imperative to understand your character’s role and abilities.
But there is hope that something a little more balanced may be on route. With Season 1 of MultiVersus underway, a roadmap was sent out by Player First Games detailing what we can expect. Included in the plans is a new Ranked Mode, among other things such as new characters, cosmetics such as icons, banners, skins, and a Classic Arcade Mode.
While there isn’t much known about Ranked Play and how it’ll work in MultiVersus, there’s a possibility (please!) that perks won’t be used in it. In most fighting games, the competitive scenes always try to put players on a level playing field, sometimes banning certain characters or even stages in tournaments. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, stages such as Fountain of Dreams, Onett, and Mushroom Kingdom are banned due to their imbalances in blast zones and layout. Some kind of balancing for Ranked is to be expected, and yours truly here is hoping it’ll be Perks that go to the chopping block.
MultiVersus doesn’t need perks to be fun - the combat is varied and fluid enough. 2 vs 2 matches are even better as you rely on your teammate to pull off combos and look out for each other throughout the fight. Fighting without perks also gives you time to learn the game mechanics properly. Different techniques such as edge guarding, cooldowns, spiking, and combos are more than enough to turn the tides in battle.
Each character’s move set feels like truly their own. With the roster broken up into five different character classes, studying what their moves do and what effect they have on your opponent already gives players plenty to learn without the unpredictable, destabilizing wildcard of Perks. Having a no-perks mode could even bring newcomers to the title as well, because what better way to encourage people to learn the ropes than by treating everyone equally?
In games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate,Tekken 7, andStreet Fighter V, player skill determines who comes out on top. In MultiVersus’ case, it’s about skill level and what perks you take into battle with you. Regardless, the title is still one of thebest fighting gamesout right now, but a new game mode without perks could balance it out, and benefit it in the long run by attracting new players.
