I would say I’m a mild to casual fan of the Funko brand, but am always very impressed with the countless pop culture franchises they have turned into vinyl figures over the years. But now, they’re swapping out plastic for pixels and my first impressions with the trailers honestly, weren’t great, although I still felt compelled to give “Funko Fusion” a try. The game does swing for the fences by the sheer number of iconic characters it pulls together under one roof. This is a third-person action game at heart, and it’s all about celebrating (maybe exploiting) fandom and nostalgia. The idea of playing through scenes from classic movies and TV shows with Funko Pop versions of beloved characters sounded like a blast, especially with IPs like “Jurassic World,” “Scott Pilgrim,” and “Back to the Future,” and many more. But as much as it offers in terms of fan-service, I couldn’t help that the roster was predominantly from Universal Pictures films. Hard to say why other studios didn’t want to participate, but maybe they found themselves in a similar boat as me, ultimately, I ended up walking away with mixed feelings.
The plot of “Funko Fusion” is serviceable, but certainly nothing groundbreaking. It’s the classic fetch quest formula, this time with the crown of the Funkos shattered into pieces that you must retrieve from various worlds. While the premise might serve to tie together the different franchises, it doesn’t really go beyond being a basic narrative scaffold. The real draw here is supposed to be the nostalgia of revisiting your favorite moments from these properties, but without a compelling story to back it up, the experience feels a little hollow. It’s self-aware, poking fun at the source material in a playful way, and fans of these IPs may appreciate the Easter eggs and references scattered throughout, but it’s all very surface level. The core mechanic is built around third-person shooting, with some light puzzle-solving sprinkled in. At first, it felt familiar in a good way, like a spiritual successor to the LEGO games I grew up loving. But as I got deeper into the game, that familiarity started feeling more like a limitation than a comfort. While the shooting mechanics themselves are solid—fun, responsive, and smooth—the repetitive nature of the game started to wear on me. The basic loop of mowing down hordes of generic enemies in level after level was less thrilling than I’d hoped. Despite the large roster of characters from dozens of franchises, most of them play very similarly, with minor tweaks in weapons and special moves. Some characters do offer unique abilities to help solve puzzles or unlock secrets, but it wasn’t enough to make each character feel distinct.
Visually, Funko Fusion is pretty okay. The art style, with its Funko Pop aesthetic, is charming and works well for the type of game it’s trying to be. The worlds are colorful, and the characters are instantly recognizable despite their stylized designs. Unfortunately, where the visuals succeed, the technical performance leaves something to be desired. I encountered a handful of glitches and frame drops that pulled me out of the experience. While not game-breaking, it was beginning to show that this whole game was a bit undercooked. So, about that multiplayer, something that could have been a big selling point unfortunately falls short. It’s limited, both in terms of options and execution. I was excited at the thought of teaming up with friends to explore these beloved universes, but the multiplayer mode feels tacked on, lacking the depth and fun that should have come with co-op play. Personally, I’m kind of shocked the developers chose to go this route. I would have expected a more free-to-play online multiplayer style of approach, which maybe could have been to its benefit, even if that can be a risky endeavor to take.
Let’s talk about that price. This is a full price game, when it feels like I’m playing a half price game at best. “Funko Fusion” feels like a game with fair potential, I don’t blame the company for attempting to make a video game, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark. The vast roster of characters and the opportunity to explore beloved franchises will be enough to entice some fans, probably the younger ones, but the repetitive gameplay, uninspired mission design, and technical shortcomings hold it back from being truly enjoyable. It’s just hard to have fun in a game when you can’t help but notice its soullessness.
5.5/10
For more information, visit https://www.funkofusion.com/
Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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