If you have never heard of Funko, then you must have been hiding under a rock. Funko are the brand responsible for bringing to life your favourite franchises, but in vinyl figure form. The lovable big heads on small bodies are great to have on the shelf, and more recently in your gaming library. Funko Fusion is the creation of 1010 Games which both developed and published the game.
Everyone is a fan of something
This review is purposefully vague, there is so much to find and discover during your playtime with Funko Fusion that it would be wrong of me to give away too much! Enjoy!
Gameplay
Aside from all the cool collaborations and fan favourites, you may be wondering what exactly Funko Fusion is about. It all boils down to the game’s villain. Eddy. Eddy is everything that Freddy Funko is not, and he despises Freddy Funko and everything he stands for! After staging an attack on Freddy and the Funko Wonder Works factory, Eddy is armed with the power of Freddy’s Crown. With this power, his rampage and destruction across your favourite worlds of entertainment will be absolute…unless you can stop him.
This is where the fun begins. You start the game by choosing from one of seven worlds to start your chase down of Eddy. Surprising no one who knows me, I picked the Hot Fuzz world as my starting world. Taking control of Sergeant Angel you have to carry out tasks and complete puzzles to complete the levels. It’s all pretty straightforward and fun to play through.
There’s a whole host of things to collect throughout the levels including Silver Crowns, Fossils, and KFC Buckets. It all becomes clear what you collect these for as you progress through the game.
Worlds Apart
So what Franchises are you able to dive into while playing through Funko Fusion? Well, as this is a real game for fans I won’t spoil any of the hidden secret worlds that you might encounter. Instead I’ll just tell you the ones accessible from the beginning: Jurassic World, Scott Pilgrim, The Thing, Battlestar Galactica, Hot Fuzz, The Umbrella Academy and Masters of the Universe. These are al unlockable and thankfully you don’t have to complete one before starting the next. Upon completing a level you collect a Gold Crown, use these to unlock extra levels at the Wonder Works Factory. Opening up the option to jump between worlds easily and relatively seamlessly.
In total, there are over 60 playable characters from over 20 of your favourite franchises to discover and use. All are lovingly created in giant head form. Each world has memorable sections, ready for you to have those “Look at that!” moments. And believe me, you’ll have plenty! Playing through the Hot Fuzz world I got to follow a Swan around Sandford. I had to try and solve the murders that kept happening around the village. I even took on Lurch in the supermarket. Each section had the Hot Fuzz fan in me very giddy.
Weapons
During your time with Funko Fusion, you will get your hands on a myriad of weapons. Each character has their own main weapon and a melee weapon, with Nicholas Angel having pistols and a Peace Lily. However dotted around the environment are chests. Some of these do cost to open but in turn they usually contain a special weapon and a couple of drinks. My favourite thing about this is that the health cans are shaped like the Funko Soda Pop collectables that you can purchase in the shops.
Some characters are able to interact with certain objects, creating ongoing puzzles that you are required to solve. For example, Scott Pilgrim can use Amplifiers to break through glass, so while on your journeys keep an eye out for cracked glazing. It might need a revisit later on!
Graphics & Audio
Funko Fusion quite frankly looks awesome! From the actual Funkos themselves to the amazing environments you find yourself in. Everything looks great. 1010 Games have even taken the time to design and build areas outside of the immediate play area which just breathes more life into the worlds in the game.
From an audio point of view, there’s nothing really to complain about. The game isn’t voiced in any way, which completely aligns with the fact that Funko Pops do not have mouths. Let’s face it, it would be pretty strange to have this game voice acted. Instead, you get a few grunts and groans and you are left to read everything else through wonderfully written captions. Musically Funko Fusion has a great soundtrack, with the typical music you would expect from the world. Listening to the Jurassic Work Theme whilst wandering around a hidden area of that world was a particular treat.
Longevity
Funko Fusion provides over 20 hours of gameplay right out of the box. Although nothing has been announced, 1010 Games have confirmed that there are some extras lined up post-launch. They have also said they want the community to tell them what franchises they would like to see. Obviously Funko Fusion has a destiny to be the video game equivalent of its collectable counterpart! Watch this space for more!
Final Thoughts
If you’re a fan of the vast majority of franchises in Funko Fusion, you’ll have an incredible time playing through the game. However, if you aren’t then I’m not sure how appealing this game is going to be for you. Fortunately for the game I am a massive fan of the included worlds and as such enjoyed every second of my play time. Playing through the worlds that I have either grown up with (The Thing) or just from my favourite movies (Hot Fuzz) was an absolute joy. Thankfully for all gamers out there a recent patch also made it easier to unlock worlds and expand your gameplay.
Funko Fusion receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received to write this review.
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