Facebreaker (PS3) Review
Posted by Gregory McDougal on 10.01.2008
Your face might break after this.
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports
Players: 1-2 Offline and Online
When EA Sports changed their division from “BIG” to “Freestyle,” it should have symbolized a change in a positive direction. EA Sports BIG had such great titles as “SSX,” “NBA Street,” and “Def Jam Vendetta.” The change so far however, hasn’t yet delivered however. The game aptly titled “Facebreaker” is without a doubt a bit of a disappointment. There are some neat gems hidden in this game, but because EA wanted to focus more on the extras of the game and not the game itself, that’s mostly where they have remained.
Let me elaborate. “Facebreaker” is a boxing game, running in the veins of “Ready 2 Rumble,” and “Mike Tyson’s Punchout,” though this one doesn’t quite live up to those two. It’s sad because one has been out for almost a decade, while the other over a decade. You basically smash your opponent to near death in a flamboyant style. The more damage a person takes, the more it is shown on his or her face. For instance, if you are badly beaten in the first round, when you go back to your corner, that character’s face will be lumpy and the screen will blur a bit.
Raise you glove if you want to be in a better boxing game
Gameplay
This game is button mashing to the fullest. There is absolutely no…I repeat, NO SKILL involved in “Facebreaker.” It also doesn’t help that the game has balance issues. It will be either smooth sailing against the computer, or extreme cheapness. Most times it seems no matter what “strategy” you use; the computer will counter it in almost every way. For example, there is the single player mode known as “Brawl for It All,” where you must unlock various belts, while unlocking the games unique characters along the way. It should take about a few hours or so to unlock them, however, what makes it longer is the fact that at around the second belt it becomes frustrating. When I fought the character named “Ice,” it took me no less than 20 attempts to defeat him. No matter what I did or how I changed my strategy, he seemed to have something for everything. My fingers were sore after that battle, because the button mashing is the most intense I have ever played in a game. That’s not a good thing. So along with the game being frustrating, it’s also not fair. To be fair (no pun intended), the game can be fun for the first hour, but after that it becomes redundant. A bit more variety in the features department would be good for the next outing.
The mechanics for “Facebreaker” are quite simple. Each character has four colored mini squares on the bottom of the screen. Each time you land an attack or two, a square will light up. When all four are lit, you can perform your ultimate move or “Facebreaker,” allowing you to knock out your opponent instantly. If the game wasn’t so cheap, I would be able to pull off those moves more than three times in the game. On your way to lighting up those squares, you can perform various moves such haymakers, high and low punches, and you can parry. The game has a variety of unique looking characters. However, because they all play the same, their look is overshadowed.
One great note in the game is the fact that not only can you create your own fighter, but also you can upload your own face via a network cam and put it on a boxer. The likeness is actually quite detailed and it’s amazing how the end result looks. Seeing your face get two-pieced is hilarious.
Unique visuals help the game out a bit
Graphics
"Facebreaker" has a unique look as characters have that cartoon appeal to them. It reminds me of a more evolved look to “Celebrity Deathmatch.” They look okay, however, putting this game on an HDTV doesn’t do it any justice. The animations on each character as they are beaten to a pulp are funny to look at as they remind me of something from a “Looney Toons” episode. As stated earlier, whenever your character is badly beaten, their face wobbles and the screen blurs up. That is another one of my favorite parts of the game. Seeing that on an opponent gives me the satisfaction that I have accomplished something. Other than that, the visuals are just average at best.
Sound
The voice work is not serviceable at all. When you hear “Ice” say something like “stay in school” as a victory line, we have a problem. The soundtrack is good only because the music is licensed, and they only play that at the options screen or when a character is introduced. The sound effects match the look of the game. Take that however you want.
Lasting Appeal
With the inclusion of online play alongside the usual two-player offline, there is some lasting appeal to be had. Interesting enough, because you are playing with another person, the game feels more balanced.
The 411
It’s really tough to recommend this game. Hopefully, there will be a “Facebreaker 2,” because the game has some interesting features that just weren’t fully fleshed out. If there were as much time spent on the gameplay as it was on the character creation, we would be looking at the perfect arcade alternative to EA’s own “Fight Night” series. As is, this game is nothing more than a unique looking tech demo.
Graphics
6.5
Cartoony look give the game a unique appeal. Other than that, it is nothing to write home about.
Gameplay
3.7
Neat concepts that just are not fully realized and the end result is who can button mash the fastest.
Sound
3.0
Good licensed music that is overshadowed by horrendous voice overs.
Lasting Appeal
3.5
You can play this game with a friend, but why would you want to drag them into this.
Fun Factor
3.5
Repetitive gameplay makes the overall experience not fun at all.
