Funko Fusion – the very name promises a cross-franchise extravaganza with enough pop culture references to make even the most die-hard collectors squeal with delight. Developed for current and previous-gen consoles, this sprawling third-person action-adventure mashes together cult-favourite universes, from the comedic chaos of Scott Pilgrim to the dino-stomping madness of Jurassic World and beyond. This concept sounds irresistible on paper—like a Saturday morning cartoon cameo fest that never ends. But does it deliver on the lofty promise of Funko-fied worlds colliding?
Funko Frenzy
When you think of Funko figures, you think of bright vinyl collectables adorning gamer shelves or proudly lining convention booths. Enter Funko Fusion, a licensed love letter that aims to transform that “I gotta collect them all!” fever into an expansive storyline. The game takes these big-headed figurines and drops them into iconic worlds, letting you blast your way through sets from The Thing, The Umbrella Academy, Masters of the Universe, Hot Fuzz, Jurassic World, Battlestar Galactica, and, my personal favourite, Scott Pilgrim.
Right out of the gate, Funko Fusion emits that same playful charm that LEGO Dimensions fans know and love. The difference is that the fusion here isn’t quite as polished. Where LEGO’s tongue-in-cheek puzzle platforming clicks like a well-oiled machine, Funko Fusion occasionally stumbles, trying to do everything at once… without the necessary quality control to pull this off.
Erratic collectathon
Imagine if the LEGO series and Disney Infinity had a hyper-caffeinated child—Funko Fusion would be that child, but one who never quite learned to stay in its lane. It’s a third-person action affair where each stage is a new universe. The biggest hitch here is the erratic nature of the gameplay. Mashing buttons to take down waves of plastic baddies sounds fun in theory, but the control scheme and camera can turn it into more of an exercise in frustration. Movement doesn’t always feel smooth, platforming bits can cause you to slip off ledges at inopportune times, and the shooting mechanics lack the satisfying oomph of bigger-budget titles. I died so many times because of janky lock-on targeting that I started questioning not just my life choices, but also the structural integrity of my poor controller.
Redeeming presentation
The environments are undeniably charming, each level chock-full of Easter eggs referencing the franchise it’s set in. The Scott Pilgrim stage, for instance, practically oozes 8-bit and indie-rock flair, which had me smiling ear-to-ear. You’ll see pop culture nods to everything from iconic panel references to blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos. However, the overall feel is slightly less polished than its brick-based cousin. Character animations sometimes clip or feel stiff, and the camera angles have a bad habit of going rogue. Aiming with those big heads filling a chunk of the screen was not beneficial either.
the audio design tries its best to keep things light and breezy. Each franchise-based level carries musical cues reminiscent of its source material, and some of these are genuine nostalgia bombs. Sound effects are cute yet passable: the pew-pew of laser guns in Battlestar Galactica, the comedic bashing noises in Hot Fuzz, and the roar of dinosaurs in Jurassic World. Special mention to the audio designer who made sure the bass sound from Scott Pilgrim’s “bass-gun” was a hefty low E.
Safe Funko Freddy
You might’ve wondered how Funko Fusion ties all these worlds together. Well, they went the route of the evil counterpart for this one. Freddy – Funko’s mascot – has beef with his menacing evil counterpart Eddy. When Eddy messes with the universes and takes control of all the “bad guys” in those universes, it’s up to you to take control of the heroes and remove the influence from Eddy in those worlds. The narrative itself is somewhat forgettable. However, it does effectively tie together disparate franchises. Don’t expect deep emotional arcs; do expect some giggles courtesy of a few clever references that fans of each franchise will appreciate.
Hope you’re not an avid completionist
Each world is filled to the brim with hidden collectables (some even sponsored by KFC and others), alternate characters, and Funko flair to unlock. This definitely scratches that “gotta catch ‘em all” itch, especially if you’re a devoted collector in real life. But once the novelty of exploring your favourite IPs in Funko form wears off, the repetitive combat and platforming can hamper the drive to replay. Maybe some completionists will endure these levels over and over again to collect it all but for me, the novelty wore down a bit too fast.
The game’s biggest conundrum is its intended target audience. Its cutesy, toy-like aesthetic suggests family-friendly fun, yet the mature themes (like references to The Thing) and clunky combat mechanics don’t quite fit that – vinyl – mould. It’s a mix that struggles to balance cartoonish chaos with a combat system that’s too shallow for hardcore players but too awkward for younger ones.
Conclusion
For fans of collectables and quick crossover fixes, Funko Fusion could be a worthy addition to your library. For those expecting a slick, genre-defining action-platformer… you may want to keep your expectations in check. Funko Fusion is a charming curiosity, but it might leave you wishing for just a bit more polish, a bit more clarity, and maybe a lot more variety.
