Fans of the incredibly popular Funko brand rejoice! Funko Fusion is coming—a video game based on the brand, coming from people with a stellar reputation for making IP-based games. You’ll have the opportunity to play as characters from a number of iconic movies and TV series in the upcoming Funko Fusion, coming out on September 13, 2024.
Funko Fusion comes from 10:10 Games, the studio founded by Jon Burton, multiple-time BAFTA winner and founder of TT Games, the studio behind the classic LEGO video games. 10:10 Games is teaming up with Funko, Universal, and Skybound to bring this game, filled with classic NBCUniversal franchises, to fruition.
Funko Fusion is a third-person action-adventure game that can be played as one player or up to four players online (local multiplayer is not available). You’ll enter the worlds of some of your favourite movies like Jurassic World, JAWS, Back to the Future, Shaun of the Dead, The Thing, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and the Child’s Play series, as well as classic series such as Battlestar Galactica, Masters of the Universe and The Umbrella Academy. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, with over 60 characters from over 20 different intellectual properties.
Much like the old LEGO games, Funko Fusion’s worlds are full of items that can be interacted with to collect vinyl, which helps you unlock more tools down the road. You play through the levels in a non-linear fashion, so while you may start playing in Jurassic World, someone else may start on The Thing, meaning that the characters you unlock at certain times and how you can interact with levels will be a totally different experience.
You’ll also have the opportunity to unlock Cameo Levels, wherein you enter a completely different world from within the level you are playing. We saw the Cameo quest on The Thing’s level, and while I won’t spoil what it was, it looked like a lot of fun. Unlocking the Cameo quest and moving between the two worlds is a seamless experience.
“…you will hear authentic soundtracks to the movies and TV shows in Funko Fusion, with remastered tracks and original scores peppered in.”
What stuck out during the gameplay demo was the accuracy of the scene designs. Fans with a keen eye will see that the layout of the Arctic station in The Thing is authentic to the 1982 John Carpenter film. The Co-founder of 10:10 Games and Head of Publishing, Arthur Parsons, who demonstrated the game to us and was very excited to finally include He-Man in a video game, said, “Funko Fusion is the ultimate celebration of fandom, blending beloved movie and TV properties for every generation with humour, fun mechanics and fast-paced high-adrenaline action. Funko Fusion is the experience we believe fans are waiting to play.”
Expanding on the normal gameplay, you can unlock tools from the various franchises to solve puzzles that you may not have been able to solve the first time around. The puzzles in the game are designed to reward multiple game styles, so there isn’t just one way to get through a level. You’ll also be able to unlock weapons and buffs that come in the form of Funko Soda. Each character comes equipped with a melee and ranged weapon for whatever fighting style you need or want at any given time.
“Characters in Funko Fusion will be affected by the choices you make as you play. Your characters have to deal with the consequences of your mistakes. If you get bitten by a zombie, guess what? You become a zombie. “
Characters in Funko Fusion will be affected by the choices you make as you play. Your characters have to deal with the consequences of your mistakes. If you get bitten by a zombie, guess what? You become a zombie. The way characters interact may be different depending on which ones you are using in a level at any given time. Within these choices are also ways to unlock more characters and character variants.
I asked if Funko Fusion was going to be closer to the style of the old LEGO games, where there was no voice-over, and they told the story through visual gags. Parsons responded that this was discussed, and in the end, they elected to go with no voice-overs. On a personal note, I was delighted to hear this news as I far preferred the older games’ humour when they weren’t relying on dialogue. Parsons also pointed out that you will hear authentic soundtracks to the movies and TV shows in Funko Fusion, with remastered tracks and original scores peppered in.
10:10 Games confirmed that there will be DLC offered to expand the game and that some additional content would also be released for free. Regarding how long they intend to support the game post-launch, Arthur Parsons responded, “We will support the game as long as players want us to.”
Funko Fusion will launch on September 13, 2024, on PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X|S and the Nintendo Switch. The game’s rating is yet to be determined, but 10:10 Games is aiming for a Teen rating despite the mature nature of some of the properties in the game. Parsons said that to get to their desired rating, they have been taking those moments and “treating them tastefully.” People who pre-order the game will be rewarded with some additional free content. Rick and Michonne from The Walking Dead will be made available to those who pre-order Funko Fusion and each will come with a variant of skin.
Make sure to keep up with all the news for Funko Fusion on their website. Fans of the Funko franchise and the ability to cross over some of their favourite brands will be very excited to get their hands on this game when it drops.
