Multiversus, a character brawler, takes its inspiration from Super Smash Bros. in many ways. Even casual players may recognize the Smash Bros. mechanic of directional influence, which allows players to steer their character around the screen in a controlled manner. Like its Smash Bros. counterpart, it allows players to survive potentially fatal hits. This article will explain why knockback influence is so important and how to not die as much in the game.
[Ed. note: MultiVersus also has a knockback influence tutorial, but it appears to be glitched and will not recognize player input. Some players have brute-forced a completion by pressing the PlayStation or Xbox home button in addition to the directional stick movements indicated.]
When your character is damaged in MultiVersus, a number appears at the bottom of the screen, causing the number to increase in different amounts; the higher the number, your character will be thrown back and stunned by attacks. There is a way to survive a high level of damage and avoid becoming a hero.
How to use directional influence to survive
Heavily damaged players in MultiVersus have some influence on how they move while flying across the screen. Players may aim at a wall to halt their momentum, or aim for a point that will not spell imminent death. With enough practice, timing and aiming your direction correctly can turn a likely death into a second chance.
First and foremost, you must pay attention and react to what direction youve been sent in. After getting hit and being sent flying, hold the control stick in the direction youd like to go.
Holding the control stick in the opposite direction isnt as simple as launching the control stick to the left if youve been launched straight to the wall blast zone and die. This might save you time if the knockbacks stun wears off. After youve survived, hold your stick opposite to the blast that launched you.
Other uses of directional influence
Multiversus, like its sister platform fighter Smash Bros, has other directional influences. One technique that youll often find yourself using as much as knockback influence is combo directional influence. This involves bending the control stick in a certain direction in order to avoid conflict. Many times youll be using this in tandem with knockback directional influence to survive as long as possible.
The direction you want to go for in a combo will vary from combo to combo. However, the proven and tested method that might save you from many situations especially in this very early beta meta is to just hold away from your attacker. This will gradually draw you out of the attackers' onslaught, especially if its a simple jab combo.
In platform fighters, directional impact is one of your primary defensive mechanisms, and that continues to be true in MultiVersus. If you master it, you'll soon notice yourself doing a lot more surviving than exploding. Sometimes well beyond the 100% mark.