I could tell from the first time I laid eyes on Funko Fusion that it would be a blast once we finally got our hands on it. Now, the time has come, and I got to go hands-on with levels from Jurrasic World and Hot Fuzz to learn a bit more about how the gameplay works and what the core mechanics are behind 10:10 Games’ newest title.
Funko is the brand behind the ever-growing Funko Pop toys, adorable action figures with oversized heads that come in basically every franchise imaginable. If you have been to any sort of convention in the last decade, you will have noticed that the booths are overrun by these toys, and clearly, the only logical next step was to turn it into a video game. It worked with LEGO, so why not with Funko?
And that comparison doesn’t stop there. If you have played any of the many LEGO video games out there, you will feel right at home with Funko Fusion. Everything from the completely smashable world that drops currency to cut scenes featuring nothing more than grunts and rumbles from your characters, the two IPs are very, very similar, so much so that I went to check if the same company made them.
But…imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… right? Funko Fusion will be a hit, regardless of where their ideas came from. The story follows a corrupt version of Funko’s loveable mascot, Freddy—named Eddie—who is wreaking havoc on our beloved IPs. You play as various characters from these franchises to head in and collect Crowns to eventually stop Eddie.
“Funko Fusion will be a hit…”
Funko Fusion promises over 60 playable characters, with over 20 franchises like Scott Pilgrim, Back to the Future, The Umbrella Academy and The Thing. There are also smaller, secret cameo levels, with IPs like Nope, Fight Nights at Freddy’s and Shaun of the Dead (apparently, Simon Pegg is popular here; I like it!).
I was able to get my hands on Jurassic World and Hot Fuzz. I should have gathered from the adult IPs that Funko Fusion was no kid’s game. Though the Funko Pop characters and vibrant colours might be welcoming to kids, and even the majority of the gameplay feels simple, once you dive into combat, you can be overrun quickly.
I had the most difficulty right at the beginning of the Jurassic World section, where I was meant to stop five specific dinosaurs but found myself being overrun by various other dinosaurs. Then, when I least expected it, I realized half the people around me were also enemies and attacking me. Trying to balance exploration, defence, healing, and attacking brings more challenge than I thought I would experience during this seemingly chill game.
A lot of what you will find in the LEGO video games can be found here in Funko Fusion, but just a little different. Each level is full of puzzles and collectibles, and you can swap characters during the levels. I never found an instance I HAD to be someone else, like to use a special ability, aside from the very beginning where a character said I wasn’t on the list and I needed to grab someone else, so I imagine more of that will come into play.
There are also Mould Machines to help you craft gear to get through each level. During the tutorial, I needed a bouncer to get up high, and during Hot Fuzz, I would craft gear to solve crime scenes. The gameplay loop is a lot the same, but seeing it played out through different IPs all in one game is very exciting, and I am interested to see how fans of these franchises enjoy it.
It wasn’t like each section was a completely different game from another. As Claire from Jurassic World, I ran around the Hot Fuzz lobby and then floated back down to Jurassic World. When I went into Jurassic World, I still had the items and Vinyl I’d collected from Hot Fuzz. Even though you’re a different face, you’re still the same team.
“Something 10:10 Games did not skip out on in Funko Fusion is design creativity.”
Outside of that, the franchise choices are a bit disjointed, and there doesn’t seem to be a theme…aside from Funko. As someone who isn’t really a major fan of any of the franchises listed, I still enjoyed every level and wanted to check out every corner of the maps and play every character I could. I am wondering if that will be the same for everyone or if there will be levels some people will dread. What I can say is that even though I was not up to date on my Jurassic World knowledge and my Hot Fuzz memory was…well, fuzzy, I could tell there were lots of little Easter eggs fans would enjoy.
Something 10:10 Games did not skip out on in Funko Fusion is design creativity. Every inch of the worlds were filled to the brim with detail and colour. There wasn’t anywhere you could look that wasn’t well thought out. The insides of buildings weren’t an afterthought, and even the areas between levels were packed with things to look at and ultimately destroy for Vinyl, the in-game currency. I got attacked more than once while hoarding currency or trying to read names on tiny Funko Pops. Seriously, it should be its own little mini-game.
As the game is still being completed, there were a few small visual glitches here and there, but I never ran into anything game-breaking. If anything, I would like to see a bit more balance in combat, as I would spend time running around finding nothing when I was supposed to be fighting, and all of a sudden, I would find it all at once. Funko Fusion goes from a play-at-your-own-pace puzzle and exploration game to FIGHT IT ALL RIGHT NOW, and it can be a little jarring, even if it isn’t Elden Ring-level battle. Perhaps even difficulty levels might be in the future.
I still think there are some awkward controls and points where it was difficult to line up what you’re looking at to press Y and interact with it, but these issues are pretty standard with this sort of game, and I am sure there is still work to be done before release. All in all, even if I’m not a fan of the franchises chosen, I think Funko Fusion is still going to be a great time, especially in a group, and let me tell you, it will be a collector’s dream! There is just so much to find.
Funko Fusion will be released on September 13, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, and on November 15, 2024, for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The game will be single-player or 1-4-player online co-op, with no mention of couch co-op being available.
