Last year, 10:10 Games took Traveller’s Tales’ tried-and-true LEGO game formula to the world of Funko Pops through Funko Fusion. The title brought together an assortment of popular IPs into one massive crossover adventure, which made for an intriguing premise. However, Funko Fusion ultimately failed to impress audiences and critics, and the studio has since suffered layoffs. Because of that, it seems like this concept might not be expanded upon further, but it really should be.
Funko Fusion was hardly a perfect game, yet the concept could lead to an exciting new co-op franchise. Traveller’s Tales has spent over two decades bringing its LEGO formula to all sorts of IPs, which is exactly what Funko Fusion was aiming to accomplish with the Funko Pop brand. Not only did it put a new twist on the formula, but the franchises on display were unlike anything LEGO has ever touched before. With a few tweaks and changes, it has the potential to spawn its own exciting franchise.
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Funko Fusion Comes Close to Being a Modern Toys-To-Life Game
Funko Fusion may be a pretty standard collect-a-thon, but it also seems to come extremely close to being a modern toys-to-life experience.
The Funko Fusion Concept Could Still Spawn a New Co-Op Franchise
Funko Fusion Had the Keys to Succeed
Leading up to its release, Funko Fusion seemed to be brimming with potential. For starters, the studio behind it was created by ex-Traveller’s Tales’ developers, which meant that it had experience working on the massive LEGO franchise. Additionally, unlike those games, it was set to bring together so many unique franchises into one multiversal adventure, much like LEGO Dimensions. And if that was not enough, said franchises were unlike anything LEGO would ever touch, which made for an incredibly unique adventure.
However, upon release, players found Funko Fusion to be lacking in many areas. The story itself proved lackluster, the gameplay left much to be desired, and the overall experience just paled in comparison to what LEGO has refined over the years. Because of that, the game ended up being a commercial failure and 10:10 Games has suffered layoffs. So, while there has been no news on the future of this concept, it currently seems like Funko Fusion will not be spawning a franchise after all. But the concept does not deserve to be left gathering dust.
Another Developer Could Do Wonders With the Concept
With some tweaks and changes, Funko Fusion could make for an incredibly exciting series of co-op collect-a-thon. For one, the franchises on display here could really help set it up as the antithesis of LEGO. Besides Jurassic World, the franchises that 10:10 Games adapted were far more adult-skewing than anything Traveller’s Tales has ever touched. Not only that, but LEGO itself has also never made sets around many of these IPs. It was giving fans something brand-new, which really helped to set Funko Fusion apart, so if that continues, there’s no telling what franchises the studio would explore.
On top of that, there doesn’t currently seem to be any major competition for the LEGO games, as there are hardly any titles like them. Funko Fusion felt like the first real competitor in a long time, but sadly, it failed to make an impact. However, if a studio was able to craft a much stronger experience by honing its take on the crossover collect-a-thon, then it has the chance to really give LEGO a run for its money. With strong competition, both franchises would have to try their hardest to one-up each other, which could lead to some exciting new additions to the formula.
It does not seem like there is a future for Funko Fusion, but hopefully, someone will consider taking on the concept again. If not with Funko Pops, then maybe another collectible could fill that void. There is so much that could still be done with the concept, and now that LEGO seems to be overhauling its approach to video games, it’s the perfect time for another collectible to make its mark.
3/10
- Released
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September 13, 2024
- ESRB
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e
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
