Honestly, it shouldn't have worked. Licensed games in 2012 were already starting to die off as the industry shifted toward "games as a service" and high-budget open worlds. Then Activision dropped Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. It was loud. It was offensive. It was basically a lost episode of the show that you could play with an Xbox 360 or PS3 controller. Most people dismissed it as a cash-grab, but if you actually sit down with it today, you realize it’s a bizarre time capsule of early 2010s comedy and design.
It’s a third-person shooter. That’s the first weird thing. You aren’t exploring Quahog in some RPG-lite adventure; you are gunning down waves of enemies as Stewie and Brian. The game acts as a direct sequel to the Season 8 premiere, "Road to the Multiverse," which is widely considered one of the best half-hours in animation history. But instead of the whimsical hopping between dimensions we saw on TV, the game leans hard into the "warfare" aspect of the multiverse. It’s gritty in the silliest way possible.
Why Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse Still Has a Cult Following
Seth MacFarlane’s DNA is all over this thing. Unlike a lot of licensed properties where the original creators just cash a check and walk away, the show's writers, Anthony Blasucci and Mike Desilets, actually handled the script. This is why the dialogue feels so sharp—or sharp-edged, depending on your tolerance for 2012-era humor. You have the original voice cast reprising their roles. Hearing Seth MacFarlane argue with himself as Brian and Stewie for six hours is the primary selling point.
The gameplay is admittedly repetitive. You run, you shoot, you collect "Family Guy" themed power-ups. But the sheer variety of the levels keeps you from falling asleep. One minute you’re in a world run by Greeks, and the next you’re fighting giant chickens in a space station. It captures that "anything can happen" energy of the show. Developers at Heavy Iron Studios—the same team behind the surprisingly good SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom—knew how to handle a license. They didn't try to reinvent the wheel. They just made the wheel look like Peter Griffin's face.
The Multiverse Concept Before It Was Cool
Every Marvel movie now is about the multiverse. It’s exhausting. Back in 2012, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse was playing with these tropes before they became a cinematic requirement. The plot follows Bertram—Stewie’s rival half-brother—who builds his own multiverse remote to assemble an army to destroy Stewie.
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The level design reflects this chaos:
- The Amish World: No technology allowed, so you're fighting guys with pitchforks while trying to keep your own sci-fi gadgets hidden.
- Handicapable World: A city designed entirely for the disabled, which serves as a backdrop for some of the game's most controversial (and very "Family Guy") jokes.
- Evil Stewie’s Lair: A high-tech fortress that feels like a parody of every generic shooter level from the Gears of War era.
The game thrives on fan service. If you aren't a fan of the show, there is absolutely zero reason to play this. It relies on your knowledge of Mayor West’s insanity or Evil Monkey’s cameos. It’s a game made for a very specific group of people who wanted to live inside a 22-minute sitcom.
The Multiplayer Mode Nobody Talked About
Local split-screen was dying when this game came out. Activision and Heavy Iron decided to lean into it anyway. You could play the entire campaign in co-op, with one player as Stewie and the other as Brian. This is the "correct" way to play. The banter changes, the puzzles (as simple as they are) feel more intentional, and the frustration of the floaty aiming is shared.
Then there was the competitive multiplayer. It was chaotic. You could play as Peter, Quagmire, or even Meg. Each character had specific abilities, and the maps were ripped straight from iconic Quahog locations. It wasn't Call of Duty, but it didn't need to be. It was the kind of game you played with friends on a Friday night while quoting the show. It’s a relic of a time when games didn't need to be 100-hour epics to be "worth it."
Technical Limitations and the "B-Game" Charm
Look, we have to be honest here. The game didn't get great reviews. Metacritic scores hovered in the 40s and 50s. Critics hated the combat mechanics. They called it "shallow" and "dated." And they were right. The textures were muddy even for 2012, and the enemy AI had the situational awareness of a goldfish.
But there is a specific "B-game" charm to Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. It knows it isn't BioShock. It’s comfortable being a mid-tier licensed title. In a world where every game is either a $200 million blockbuster or a pixel-art indie, these middle-ground games have vanished. There's something nostalgic about playing a game that just wants to tell some jokes and let you blow stuff up for an afternoon.
The Voice Acting is the Real Hero
The heavy lifting is done by the audio. Most licensed games use soundalikes because the A-list talent is too expensive or busy. Not here. Hearing Adam West deliver lines as the Mayor in a video game feels special now, especially since his passing. It adds a layer of "official" status to the project. It feels like a lost season of the show.
The music also deserves a nod. Walter Murphy’s iconic big-band style is present throughout. It makes the transition from the TV screen to the gaming monitor feel seamless. When you hear that brassy theme kick in as you finish a level, it triggers a Pavlovian response in any Family Guy fan. You’re home.
Dealing With the Controversy
Is it offensive? Yes. Of course it is. It’s Family Guy. The game leans into the show’s penchant for shock humor, often targeting groups in ways that might not fly as easily in the current gaming climate. However, it’s all presented with the same cynical, equal-opportunity satire the show is known for. It doesn't take itself seriously, and it expects you not to either. Whether that's your brand of humor is subjective, but the game is an accurate reflection of its source material.
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How to Play Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse Today
If you want to revisit this fever dream, it’s getting harder. The game was delisted from Steam and digital storefronts years ago due to expired licensing agreements. This is the tragedy of licensed gaming; when the contract ends, the game effectively disappears from "official" history.
- Track down a physical copy: You can still find discs for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on eBay or at local retro shops. They aren't particularly expensive yet, usually sitting around $30-$50.
- Check compatibility: It is NOT backwards compatible on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S. You need the original hardware to run the disc.
- PC Physical Copies: These exist, but getting them to run on Windows 11 can be a nightmare of compatibility settings and fan-made patches.
- Emulation: For those into tech, the RPCS3 (PS3) and Xenia (Xbox 360) emulators have made great strides. Back to the Multiverse is largely playable on modern PC hardware through these means, often with higher resolutions that make the cel-shaded art style actually look decent.
Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?
If you hate the show, stay far away. This game will feel like a loud, repetitive headache. But if you’re someone who still watches reruns on Adult Swim or Hulu, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse is a fascinating piece of media. It’s a glimpse into a specific era of gaming where "good enough" was actually okay as long as the jokes landed.
It captures the Stewie and Brian dynamic better than almost any other piece of spin-off media. It’s a shooter that doesn't care about balance, a story that doesn't care about canon, and a product that somehow feels more personal than most modern AAA titles. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s unapologetically Quahog.
Next Steps for Players:
Check your local used game store for a physical copy before the "retro" market drives the price up further. If you're on PC, look into the "Community Patch" projects often found on Steam forums or gaming wikis; these fix some of the crashing issues that plagued the original port. Finally, make sure you have a second player for the co-op mode. The game's soul is in the interaction between Brian and Stewie, and it's much more enjoyable when you have a friend to share the absurdity with.