Player First Games has finally lifted the lid on the new MultiVersus PvE mode, Rifts, and it’s way more comprehensive than I could’ve imagined. Whether playing solo or with friends, you’ll be able to hone your skills, battle bosses, and engage in all sorts of Tom (and Jerry) foolery with its litany of minigames. What’s more, Rifts will evolve on PS5 and Xbox, with new content being added over time.
Each Rift is its own unique campaign, and is built on a specific seasonal theme – ‘Chaos’ for the Joker and ‘Digital/Horror’ for Velma can be seen in the video explainer, for example. After cracking open a Rift like a cold one with the homies, you’ll be presented with a node-filled path. Each node is a battle, which is affected by a ‘mutator’ (MultiVersus speak for a modifier), and by the looks of things the fighting game’s PvE offering can quickly devolve into, well, chaos.
Between granting the ability to jump infinitely, turning your fists into rotisserie chicken, and shooting the Joker out of the sky with a cannon, there looks to be some real variety to each encounter. Some nodes, like the latter, are seasonal, while others can involve anything from skill checks to weird and wonderful minigames. To tie off each Rift, Player First has even thrown in a big ol’ boss battle – I heckin’ love boss battles, and the studio knows it based on its accompanying primer.
While Rifts looks like a rewarding experience in itself – I can imagine it will bang as a co-op game mode – a few extra incentives to play never hurt anyone. Stars can be earned by completing various bonus objectives as you progress through each Rift. More stars equals more rewards.
To bolster the shiny factor further, Rifts also utilizes a gem system. By socketing gems – these are also earnable from clearing nodes – you can gain bonuses to attack, defense, and utility. Duplicate gems can be used as leveling material, making them even more potent over time. So, if you need a bit of extra juice in a boss fight, make like Catwoman and get collecting – legally, of course.
Though we’ve known about Player First’s plan for a PvE experience inside the multiplayer game for some time, this is the first time we’ve seen it in its full glory. I’m super impressed, especially considering MultiVersus is, primarily, a PvP-focused fighter (like most games in the genre). Yes, it isn’t the only fighting game to integrate PvE elements (Tekken Ball enjoyers, I see you), but this is certainly one of the most comprehensive attempts I’ve seen. Needless to say, I’ll be checking Rifts out before I head back into PvP when MultiVersus returns at the end of the month.
For more of the latest on the best PS5 games and best Xbox games in the fighting arena, check out why Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero could finally land on consoles this year. If you haven’t already, drop us a follow on Google News – I’m sure Player First still has plenty more MultiVersus goodness to share in the leadup to the big relaunch.