Fuse is the first multi-platform (PS3, Xbox 360) game from Insomniac Games, the long time PlayStation exclusive developer. Known previously for their more lighthearted Ratchet & Clank franchise and post-WWII sci-fi Resistance trilogy, Fuse is another take on the shooter genre. Previously titled Overstrike, Fuse tells the story of four agents known as Overstrike 9 and their mission is to stop Raven, an evil corporation, from gaining an alien substance called Fuse.

Like previous Insomniac Games, Fuse incorporates fantastical weapons, features local and split-screen online/campaign co-op, and humor that will bring you back for more. But chances are that the reviews you’ve read for Fuse paint a more bland and forgetful experience. While some have complained about yet another shooter, others have collectively predicted that the sky is falling and that Insomniac Games has lost their touch. Is Fuse truly a lackluster experience or is this a misunderstood game that’s worthy of your purchase? I’m here to tell you that it’s most definitely the latter and here is why.

The story of Fuse is truly limited to the synopsis given above. Unlike the Resistance franchise which commands a deep narrative and rich world with many back stories and events, Fuse opts for a more Summer blockbuster flick narrative. While throughout the gameplay, you’re given more information about the four operatives and the world that the events take place in, the truth is that it doesn’t really matter. That’s not where the game’s focus is and nor should yours be. This is important on two accounts. While I value rich sci-fi tales like that told in Resistance and Killzone, the majority who show up for an shooter games don’t care. So while yes we can deduct value from Fuse for having a ‘generic’ storyline, are you telling me that gamers tune into Call of Duty or Battlefield for a rich narrative? Instead, Fuse gives  you just enough to move the story along so that you can enter the next area to do what you wanted to do when you purchased a shooter: shoot people.

And that is where Fuse shines. Fuse features four characters (Dalton, Naya, Isabelle, and Jacob) with four unique guns. While each character is able to equip the same small and large gun, it’s the 3rd gun, known as a Xenotech weapon, that sets each player apart. Dalton, a personal favorite, commands a Magshield which allows for your team and yourself include to hide behind to be spared from enemy bullets. Naya on the other hand goes the stealth route with cloaking abilities and a Warp Rifle that basically opens a small black hole in your enemies. Izzy is capable of crystalizing enemies which makes for easy kills for the entire team, especially Jacob who shoots from a crossbow with magma-like bolts. This alone sets up a unique playing style, similar to that of the Resistance franchise with Dalton as the tank while others follow in support.

A lethal combination is to have Dalton set up a shield for the team while Naya and Isabella unleash a black hole and freeze enemies which Jacob can in turn finish off with his red hot arrows. Like games of the same genre, Fuse includes a skill tree which allows you to customize your character traits as you wish. Equally, unlike Resistance there is no healer this time around and when killed, anybody can help revive you. Fans of Resistance will surely see the evolution between the two games. While not as in depth, Fuse allows for an easier pickup and play experience where if your Medic or Marksmen wasn’t up to par in Resistance, you’d be in for a world of hurt.

After you’ve finished the game’s 8-10 hour single player campaign, depending on how good or bad you are, rest assured that there are more things to do. Besides a traditional online multiplayer mode which again allows for local and online co-op, Fuse includes a survival mode called Echelon. In Echelon, it’s you and your buddies, be it controlled by your friends or the A.I. against countless waves of enemies. The objective is simple: move around and shoot. Kill or be killed. It’s simple and to the point. In fact, many of use have played games where we wished the level would have lasted longer so that more enemies could have been victims of our weapons and Insomniac gives this to you.

Speaking of A.I., it’s been noted by IGN that:

 A.I. buddies tend to run into walls or ignore your cries of pain when you’re dying on the floor waiting for revival. In nearly every instance I fell to enemy fire, my team was wiped. 

I’m not entire sure why their experience was so vastly different than that of mine. From beginning to end, I played through Fuse with Allegra Wilson (@Allegrissima), our Managing Editor, reducing our A.I. reliance to two and during our time with the game, the A.I. was nothing but helpful. While in some games, your A.I. pals may shoot at the enemy just enough to hurt them, but not kill them, I found many instances where the A.I. in game would help wipe out the oncoming waves of enemies. And healing was a non issue as well, especially during the Slovenko (pictured left) boss battle. To better put things into perspective, Allegra has probably played one other shooter in her life for 10 minutes and for some reason, neither of us could figure out how to dodge the huge wave attack the boss dealt to us. This resulted in more then our fair share of deaths and who to the rescue but our A.I. counterparts.

I don’t want to say that Fuse isn’t without its faults. Yes the story is bland and yes the world and levels are not anywhere near the caliber of Resistance. As others have even pointed out, there seems to be a personality disorder within Fuse and my own personal theory on it is as follows. I believe the game Insomniac wanted to make was OverStrike which featured more lighthearted, silver-tongued characters while EA, their publishers wanted the more proven route of a darker world with more buff characters, ala Gears of Wars and you can see that between the dark deeds that Dalton has done in the past and his witty, Nathan Drake like remarks. But in the end, none of that mattered enough to take my attention from what Fuse was trying to be and is. A fun game and excels exceptionally when played in co-op. In a world where we are pushed more and more towards online death match rounds, Fuse dares you to invite your friends over to grab a controller and game together.

Verdict:

If you’re looking for Ratchet & Clank in a shooter or Resistance with more R&C in its DNA, you will walk away disappointed. Equally, if you think that Fuse will replace your Call of Duty or Battlefield trigger finger and satisfy those urges, you will once again fail to see the promise of the game. However, if you’ve found yourself enjoying Ratchet & Clank and want to play a shooter with friends or want to jump into a sci-fi world that isn’t as depressing as the Resistance franchise, than Fuse is the game for you. After spending many hours playing through Fuse with our Managing Editor, Allegra Wilson (@Allegrissima), I can’t help but be reminded of the days where you’d visit a friends house, just to play GoldenEye on the N64. Like GoldenEye, Fuse has just enough of a story to carry you through but what you really comeback for is the fantastic co-op modes that the game allows for which result in you being lost in the game for countless hours, over and over again, and isn’t that what gaming is all about?

Bonus Round Verdict:

You should purchase Fuse if:

You enjoy shooter but don’t want another CoD/BF game.

Team Fortress on a console sounds like a good time to you.

You enjoy popcorn Summer blockbuster films and want to play in their world.

TimeSplitters is a game you know and love.

You go to high school/college and have friends who come over and want to game it up, co-op.

You enjoyed GoldenEye on N64.

You like pie (I mention pie because after eating a slice, I always have a delicious taste in my mouth and want to come back for more and Fuse leaves me with the same feeling).

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You can purchase your copy of Fuse by clicking our link. Ordering with Amazon links from our site helps pay for the site’s content and servers.

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Update:

Some of our eagle eyed readers have pointed out that Fuse is a 3rd person shooter and not a first person shooter. While I’m aware of that, I made a conscious decision to categories the game under FPS. While to hardcore crowd, there is a difference, the casual consumer will look at a game like Gear of War and SOCOM and place them in the same category as Call of Duty and Battlefield which are considered FPS. Thus, why I lumped Fuse with other shooters and call it an FPS. With that said, I’ve updated the above article and changed FPS to shooter to better reflect the game and avoid any confusion.

Discuss:

What do you want out of your shooter?