Funko Fusion thinks the Lego games are just for kids, and the adults really want to play something edgier. Thus, Funko Pop intends to give you an adventuring collect-a-thon featuring characters from The Walking Dead, The Umbrella Academy, Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz, Nope, Battlestar Galactica, Jurassic Park, and He-Man. Everything you love about Lego games is present here: open worlds, secret missions, multiple collectibles, puzzles involving different characters, and hack-and-slash fighting. While Funko wants a piece of Lego’s kid-friendly formula, Fusion has significant speed bumps that keep it unworthy.

Funko Fusion doesn’t hold your hand, and maybe that is the criticism that the developers had with LEGO. Instead of clear-cut missions and push-button puzzles, Funko dumps all of its elements into an open world and gives you minimal direction. What results is your character farting around, slashing things, collecting nameless powerups, and looking for the one clue that will get you to the next level. In Scott Pilgrim’s world, you can choose between Scott, Knives, Stills, or Ramona to stop the evil ex-boyfriend. The level gives you four goth chicks you have to defeat to find the level boss. To defeat them, you have to collect blue light bulbs from treasure chests, feed them into a vending machine to make an amplifier, use your projectile powers to open doors, and find a wheel to open a grate. All this sounds straightforward, but the way the game throws you in, spreads multitudes of vending machines, and doesn’t explain the importance of projectiles makes the levels frustrating. You will spend levels shooting doors, looking around aimlessly, and opening treasure chests until you realize that the one door to your left can be shot open. In the He-Man levels, you need to protect your castle from ghosts and goblins, and then Skeletor attacks you on the Landshark mobile. You need to figure out that you can purchase portals, activate them by hitting Y, and turn into a super-powered He-Man by finding a He-Man statue that is only activated once the ghosts are beaten. Until you figure that out on your own, you are shooting things, opening things, and derping around in consternation. Meanwhile, you collect vinyl to open up special chests that reward you with weapons, healing items, and knick-knacks. LEGO keeps things simple by closing off levels, keeping puzzles simple, and making the adventure linear. Funko power dumps on you and hopes you stumble into the answer.

The fighting mechanics are sloppier than LEGO games. Each character has a melee and a projectile attack. The enemies are bullet sponges, taking several button bashes to take down. When you are attacked, your health slowly depletes, giving you some time to survive. When you finally die from hundreds of projectiles raining on you, you can pay the respawn fee and try again. Combat isn’t fun because it feels so sloppy.

The character selection is not used cleverly. Each world you enter has four characters you can choose, but the levels will only require you to use one or two. In Scott Pilgrim’s world, you only need Stills or Pilgrim to activate the amplifier puzzles. Ramona and Knives are not integral to the gameplay. In Umbrella Academy, you only need Number Five’s teleportation powers and Allison’s hypnotism, despite having access to Klaus and Diego. It feels pointless to include them at all (though I am sure they are essential later).

I had to rage-quit twice in the Umbrella Academy and He-Man levels because the level design is so convoluted. I am still unsure if the Umbrella level is broken, or I can’t figure out how to get Luther in the theater. I love the creative use of characters and the potential they offer to play with them, but the cost of the gameplay and its chaos is too high. This game is worth skipping before I check out the Jurassic Park and Walking Dead levels.

Review:

Positives:
+ A colorful and fun array of characters
+ Environments and music are faithful to the worlds

Negatives:
– Fighting is spongy
– Puzzles are overwhelming
– Imbalanced use of characters

Score: 2 out of 5