Fusion Frenzy 2 (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Greg Bruno on 03.23.2007
Instantly Suck The Fun Out Of Any Party! Just Add Fuzion Frenzy 2!
Ok, we all love party games. They let us play competitively against friends in many different types of mini games. See, that way, everything is changed up and no one can dominate all the time. Mario Party nailed this down to a tee. Of course after 8 installments, it may seem a little repetitive. But what about Microsoft's party game series? The original Fuzion Frenzy seemed to be a bit of a cult classic. Although I haven't ever played the original, I still know a bad game when I play one. Fuzion Frenzy 2 is one of those games. Keep reading to find out exactly why this one sunk.
Warning! Do Not Open!
Graphics
Let me start by saying that I know very well that it isn't the graphics that makes a good game, but rather, the gameplay. So keeping that in mind, these graphics certainly are not next-gen. Texture work is either slim or non-existent. The characters that you play resemble the generic players you'd find in pretty much any game. The big black guy, the dorky white guy, the cocky guy, the hot chick...yea, they're all here. They also look like they've been pulled out of a PS2 game. The only good thing for me to say about the graphics in Fuzion Frenzy 2 is that the animations are smooth and single player doesn't lag or drop frame rate. Everything is very fluid while playing.
The stages that you play mini-games on look very generic and bland as well. Of course there are the water, fire, earth, metal, and ice levels, but they aren't all that different from each other. More or less, just different colors.
Gameplay
Ok so now that we've established the sub-par graphics of this game, let's move on to something that actually makes or breaks a game; gameplay. While I'd love to sit here and say "Well, the graphics weren't all that good...but the gameplay rocked!" I just can't. That'd be lying to myself and to you. So, the gameplay was boring. the mini-games do have some fun moments, but they are so few and far between you won't want to sit through the bad ones to get to the (few) good ones. Out of about 40 mini-games, I'd say I enjoyed about 5 of them. Most of them are bad for simple reasons. For example, one game has 4 players scrambling to pick up a ball and put it into a moving basket. Player with most baskets wins, naturally. Sounds fun, right? The way the mini-game plays ruins it. You seriously need to be in the exact same spot as the ball to even pick it up, and by then someone has knocked you down. It isn't fun, it's frustrating. To make things even more complicated, they've added a "card" feature that allows players to use a card before a battle. This can, for instance, double your points. That's good and all, but most of the cards aren't explainable from the picture on them. I had no idea what card I was playing half the time.
Luckily, for those of us...err...you who don't have friends, there is an online portion of the game. While I'd love to write about my online experiences with Fuzion Frenzy, I can't. I was unable to find anyone else playing this game online. I spent a good half hour searching for games only to come up with nothing. I even started my own game in hopes of people joining, but alas, no one did.
Sound Ok Greg, compose yourself. The sound and voices weren't that bad...were they? Yes, inner self. Yes they were. The "voice acting" in this game will make you want to shave your eyeballs. Not since Jar Jar Binks have I felt the need to punch a digital being in the face. Repeatedly. The announcer in this game will drive you insane. "Keep going (slight noticeable pause) PLayer 2!" Ok, fine. I can handle the lame encouraging sentences every so often. But when they are back to back?! Come on! "Looks like (pause) Player 4(pause again) is almost out of energy!" "Oh no (pause) Player 3 (again...pause) Watch out!" Someone stop the insanity!
The music couldn't be more generic if it tried. The background music is slightly less irritating than MIDI ring tones, but only slightly. It's your typical guitar thrashing music to play to. Nothing you couldn't easily get rid of by streaming from your computer or hard drive. For the ultimate test of sanity, try playing with Britney Spears music in the background. See how long you last. Good luck, soldier.
Lasting Appeal
There are over 40 mini-games in Fuzion Frenzy 2, so if you feel like sitting through and playing them all, it'll keep you coming back. Achievements, as usual, are also a plus on replay value. Some of them are easy to complete (play 5 mini games) and some are more difficult (beat tournaments with all players). You may want to bust this one out every now and then to play with some friends, but you'll probably end up putting in Mario Party within an hour.
Fun Factor
If you enjoy bad attempts at party games, you'll love this. If you can maybe find a game online, you may have some fun. If you play this alone, you'll hate it. The A.I. will drive you crazy. The computer players are either too easy or too hard. I played against the computer on normal and won a game 40 to nothing. The next game, I got owned hard. It's very inconsistent on the A.I. difficulty.
The 411
If you feel the need to buy this game, stop and hit yourself. Rent it first, at all costs. If you enjoy party games, stick with Mario Party. This one sinks and sinks fast. The graphics are poor, the gameplay is frustrating, and the sound will make you want to punch a baby
Graphics
5.0
I thought this was the next-generation of gaming? What is this stuff doing on my Xbox 360? Frame rates and animations are smooth and fluid, though.
Gameplay
4.0
Boring, repetitive, and frustrating. What's not to love?
Sound
1.0
My ears were raped.
Lasting Appeal
3.0
Fun with friends, but not for long. Achievements are a plus, but you'll get bored with that as well. Good luck finding an online session!
Fun Factor
4.0
You and your buddies will play this for...maybe an hour. Then you'll pop in Mario Party or Barbie's Magical Horse Adventure.
