Your feelings on Funko Pop probably fall into one of two categories: you either hate the black-eyed, copy-paste figures modelled on pop-culture characters with a burning passion, or you own enough of them to construct a small fortress and defend your newfounded Funko nation from the government. Either way, it looks like the first video game starring the ubiquitous toy collectables might somehow scratch your itch.
Funko Fusion stays true to the kitchen-sink approach of Funko Pop to gathering every recognisable (and often niche) movie, video game, TV show and somewhat celebrity from the last 40 years and slamming them together. The list of 60-plus playable characters in the game spans over 20 different universes – from classic movies like The Thing, Chucky and Jaws, through eighties nostalgia of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Back to the Future, though to 21st century additions from Battlestar Galactica, Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, Edgar Wright movies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead (plus Scott Pilgrim), recent horror gems in Jordan Peele’s Nope and dancing-murder-doll flick Megan, comic books-turned-TV series Invincible and The Walking Dead, and Jurassic World (not Park). Phew.
So far, so Funko Pop – it’s not like the line of figures has any original characters of its own to mine for rich inspiration here. What surprised me more is how violent the upcoming co-op shooter looks to be, with the trailer showing the dead-eyed dolls torching a Thing monster with flamethrowers, being dismembered (though I’m fairly certain that blood splattered everywhere is ketchup), eaten by The Mummy’s scarab beetles, chomped by Bruce the Jaws Shark, and literally having their balloon-headed brains blasted out of them in third-person shooting sections.
And honestly, while I hate to admit it, it looks… quite fun? While this is the debut release from developers 10:10 Games, they recently have the pedigree to back it up, having formed from alumni out of TT Games, including studio founder Jon Burton. Arguably you’d be hard-pressed to find a better fit for a cheeky-yet-totally solid take on a bunch of pop-culture franchises, going by the very enjoyable Lego games. I’m personally down to romp around in the frozen Antarctica of The Thing for the first time since its own underrated video game 20-plus years ago – if being a bobble-headed Kurt Russell is the price to pay, so be it.
Funko Fusion will be out on Steam this September 13th. If you’re especially keen on The Walking Dead’s Rick and Michonne, pre-ordering before then will get you both characters and some costumes in a free pack.