Initial release date: September 13, 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Developer:Â 1010 Games Ltd
Genres: Adventure game, Platform game, Shooter game, Fighting game, Adventure
Publisher:Â 1010 Games Ltd
Engine:Â Unreal Engine 5
Mode(s): Single-player, multiplayer
As a proud modern-day geek, there’s nothing I enjoy more than collecting and displaying quirky little bits of goods about the house, and there are plenty of options to choose from when you have some spare dough. Few things are as famous and popular as the vinyl Funko Pop, and with their large heads and beady eyes, they come in a variety of forms and sizes to suit even the most discerning pop culture lover. There have been numerous video game-themed Funkos, but until Funko Fusion, there had never been a Funko-based video game. With a plethora of fantastic nerd brands featured and bobble-headed characters to play, this should be a crossover game for the ages, but alas, that isn’t the case.
The Funko Pops universe is in jeopardy following an attack by an evil purple alien. The noble leader of the Funkos, Freddy, is injured and unable to leave the factory, and the crown that carries the kingdom’s authority is missing. As one of several well-known characters, it is up to you to blast your way through themed worlds, find collectibles, and rescue the day for vinyl figure fans everywhere.
Your first decision before being faced with this sight is to select your first character, who will open your first themed world. For some, this selection will be very difficult, because how can you choose between Battlestar Galactica, Scott Pilgrim, and The Thing? These are only a few of the franchises that have Funko Fusion characters, each with its own set of weapons and powers.
At its core, Funko Fusion is a third-person shooter with a lot of big-headed plastic characters. Aiming and firing with your preferred weapon is totally adequate, but the battle will quickly get more than a little unpleasant when a slew of virtually identical foes charge you, leaving you almost completely overwhelmed. Melee fighting can help in this case, but you’ll still suffer a lot of damage, especially if you’re playing alone.
When you’re not blasting pop culture villains, you’ll be exploring pop culture stages, which are generally poorly conceived. They all have a main goal, which will most likely involve making stuff and becoming stuck due to a lack of advice on what to do next. Crafting is something you’ll do a lot in Funko Fusion: in The Umbrella Academy, it’s usually a phonograph to cheer folks up, whereas in the Jurassic World stages, it’s more likely to be a battery to unlock doors. You’ll do this repeatedly, solving basic puzzles to get toward objectives or collectibles.
If you enjoy collecting every shiny glowing orb in video games, Funko Fusion has you covered. Each stage has a large number of silver crowns to gather, which unlock secret characters, as well as a range of pop culture items that NPCs in the hub area will enjoy you bringing. Not all of them can be obtained on the first run, as they require a selection of characters from other worlds, similar to how the LEGO games work.
You’d like to think that in a game with so many intriguing characters, rotating between them would be worthwhile, yet they’re almost always the same. Occasionally, you’ll encounter a special character like Alison who can use her talents to persuade someone to do her bidding (which usually entails stepping out of the way of a door or dropping a key item), but for the most part, they only wield varied and pretty generic types of guns. I wish I’d known how to discern which characters had abilities before unlocking my first planet, because my initial Hot Fuzz themed journey yielded nothing valuable and prevented me from backtracking to get extra bits for hours.
The majority of my complaints about Funko Fusion so far arise from the fact that it’s uninspired and uninteresting, but it also has some firmer and more annoying faults. Many types of enemies acquire immune to various forms of damage for no apparent reason. So you’ll be happily shooting them until you stun them, at which point their damage will halt and you’ll have to get up close with melee to deal damage. Bosses do this even more frequently, and because of how long they take to defeat, they are perhaps the least enjoyable component of the entire game.
Although it would be less of an issue if the game were more enjoyable to play, the fact that the worlds inspired by huge brands feel so soulless is extremely disappointing. I shouldn’t be roaming around The Umbrella Academy trying to figure out whose bedroom is whose; instead, it should be a simple discovery that makes a fan happy. Jurassic World levels should not be generic, unrecognisable jungles with no landmarks; instead, they should be filled with references and recognized sights. There are several other notable stages, although they are the exception rather than the rule. Even the cutscenes struggle to capture the ridiculous fun that the LEGO titles so often did (though they certainly try), and the fact that they can’t be avoided on subsequent playthroughs is another issue entirely.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 65%
Controls: 70%
Aesthetics: 75%
Content: 68%
Accessibility: 72%
Value: 67%
Overall: 69%
FAIR
Summary: “Funko Fusion” offers a fun, nostalgic experience, but the gameplay lacks depth and becomes boring with time. While the controls are intuitive and simple, the game lacks challenge and inventiveness. The visuals are appealing, especially to Funko enthusiasts, but they do not compensate for the low content and repeat value. Despite its wide appeal, “Funko Fusion” may fail to capture the attention of players seeking a more engaging and dynamic gaming experience. A decent pick for casual fans, but it falls short of providing long-term delight.