Funko Fusion is a playful mashup of pop culture and action-adventure, offering players multiple worlds to explore, filled with characters from Universal’s biggest franchises. Developed by 10:10 Games, this game lets you hop between worlds inspired by Jurassic World, Umbrella Academy, Back to The Future, Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz, The Thing, and more, all wrapped up in Funko Pop’s signature big-headed, small-bodied charm. However, beneath its collectible exterior, Funko Fusion both delights and frustrates in equal measure.
A Familiar Playground
Visually, Funko Fusion embraces its cartoonish style with gusto. Stages based on beloved franchises deliver eye-popping, colourful environments that are a joy to explore, where nearly every object is breakable and can be smashed for loot. The sense of satisfaction from destroying the environment is undeniable, even if it can feel a bit mindless at times. Whether you’re running from velociraptors in Jurassic World or punching your way through the quirky chaos of Scott Pilgrim, there’s no shortage of nostalgia here. It’s a lot like LEGO games in that sense: the worlds themselves are tributes, leaning heavily on fan service. Characters are lovingly detailed in Funko Pop form, each with their unique abilities and weapons, making every level a chance to switch up your approach.
As you accumulate vinyl (in-game currency), you can spend it on useful items to aid your quest. Whether it’s a bounce pad to reach higher areas or a soda to replenish your health, the variety of options available keeps the gameplay somewhat fresh. You’ll also have the chance to pick up alternative weapon items if you tire of your default ones, adding a welcomed element of surprise to the mix.
Unfortunately, the game fumbles when it comes to guiding you through these pop culture playgrounds. There’s very little in the way of onboarding or instructions, which leaves players often wondering, “What now?” That would be fine if Funko Fusion trusted you to figure things out through creative exploration—but it doesn’t. Instead, you’re met with vague hints, brief snippets of dialogue, and a little speaker that occasionally mumbles advice in passing. Quests are similarly frustrating: they lack descriptions and feel like the developers didn’t hire a copywriter to flesh out the experience. As a result, there’s often more confusion than clarity, which can turn what should be a laid-back experience into a guessing game.
A Rollercoaster of Worlds and Characters
One of Funko Fusion’s biggest draws is its variety. You can choose from over 60 characters from 20 franchises, and each world feels distinct. The Jurassic World stage, for example, is expansive and teeming with life—larger, grander, and more cinematic than Scott Pilgrim’s comparatively cosy and limited levels. The range of worlds keeps things fresh, but it’s also inconsistent. Some areas have more polish and depth, while others feel like afterthoughts. This imbalance trickles into gameplay, too. Completing objectives in certain worlds feels straightforward, while others present challenges simply because the mechanics aren’t well explained.
Despite these quirks, the game shines in its humour. The dark wit, especially in moments like watching the early-game character Foxxo meet a rather grim fate, gives Funko Fusion a surprising edge. It’s family-friendly but laced with enough cheeky and occasionally macabre humour to keep older players engaged. The cutscenes, though scarce, bring delightful surprises, adding a refreshing break from what can otherwise be a repetitive quest structure.
The random collectibles, such as e.g. a bucket of KFC lost in Jurassic World, or random Cameo Quests across other worlds, and secret characters, also bring an element of surprise and delight, making the grind worthwhile and leave you wanting more.
Fun But Flawed Gameplay
At its core, Funko Fusion borrows heavily from the LEGO games formula, but with more gameplay left to exploration or guessing, which sometimes might get you stuck and force you to switch up the characters to try their unique abilities and solve the puzzles. You’ll run through stages completing simple quests or solving riddles, to ultimately collect crowns as your most important reward in game progression (its equivalent of Mario’s collection of moons in Mario Odyssey), and allowing you to unlock the other worlds in parallel. The gameplay is fast-paced and action-heavy, but the lack of dialogue or voice acting can make the experience feel empty at times.
Combat is fun, with each character offering different and unique ways to approach battles. Swapping characters keeps things interesting, but like many aspects of the game, the repetitiveness starts to creep in after a few hours, namely if you struggle to unlock more worlds or characters while still having fun. Without deeper mechanics or meaningful narrative hooks, Funko Fusion becomes more about the grind than a thrilling adventure, especially if you find yourself getting stuck often and needing to look up outside of the game for help. The lack of a solid tutorial system exacerbates this problem, making the early game harder to grasp and unnecessarily slow.
Verdict
Funko Fusion delivers on its promise of fun and nostalgia for fans of both Funko Pop collectibles and Universal franchises. Its worlds are vibrant, the characters are charming, and there are just enough witty moments to keep you chuckling. However, for players looking for a more robust, well-rounded game, Funko Fusion might feel lacking. With somewhat unclear objectives, an absence of real onboarding, and repetitive gameplay, it struggles to balance style with substance. Still, if you’re a fan of LEGO games, enjoy pop culture franchises and amassing collectibles, and can overlook its rough edges, there’s plenty of lighthearted fun to be had. Surely, once the developers launch the co-op feature, the game will become much more fun to explore with a friend, and share the spoils and excitement to your heart’s content.
Funko Fusion available now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Review written by Jo Costa
