Fuse
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Social co-op shooter has bloody, gory violence.
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Fuse
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What’s It About?
Designed to be experienced in groups either locally or online, FUSE is a third-person shooter in which four separate characters are meant to play specific roles as part of a team in frenetic firefights. The quartet -- a group of private military contractors hired by the CIA to retrieve alien technology stolen by a rival outfit -- each have their own special talents and weapons. One can create a one-way shield that stops enemy bullets while letting friendly fire through, another has a bow that pretty much vaporizes anything it hits, and yet another has a gun that creates tears in the fabric of space-time to suck foes into the void. You can gradually evolve your characters' abilities via skill trees and learn how to combine their attacks, eventually developing an all-but-unstoppable offensive force. Gamers without any friends available can play alone, leaping between characters at will. A second mode called Echelon takes place outside of the story and simply lets players face wave after wave of enemies, earning credits all the while.
Is It Any Good?
Fuse doesn't have a particularly memorable visual style and its characters are little more than military stereotypes. It's not for people who play games for their stories or who want to be swept up and lost in a marvelous virtual world. That said, if you're looking for a polished action game with solid covering and shooting mechanics, a healthy array of original and imaginative weapons, and cleverly designed cooperative play, then you could do a lot worse.
The controls feel great and multiplayer strategies are often innovative and original. And while the action is clearly best experienced as a team with two or three friends, the ability to leap between characters while playing alone means even solo gamers can have fun creating and tinkering with tactics. Fuse may not be a must-play, but it is worth considering if you're an older gamer looking for slick action and fun times with friends.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. How do you talk to your kids about what they see in the video games they play? How do you make sure that they're ready for the violence they see?
Families can also discuss playing games together. Do you enjoy playing games with friends and family, or do you prefer play games alone? What sorts of games are better suited to be played in groups?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360
- Skills: Collaboration: cooperation, meeting challenges together, teamwork, Thinking & Reasoning: strategy
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Release date: May 28, 2013
- Genre: Third-Person Shooter
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Last updated: August 26, 2016
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