FUSE

18cert, Insomniac Games, Xbox 360 (also PS3)
Insomniac's latest game breaks a couple of boundaries for the firm. The former Overstrike has become the firm's first cross-platform game appearing on both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

And then there was the much talked about change in graphic style for the new game. Insomniac's previews for Overstrike showed a more cartoon style than the gritty graphics that eventually ended up on the game.

Fuse has been the subject of a lot of debate. At heart, it's a good game. The premise is simple: there is an alien element known as Fuse that, in the wrong hands, could be lethal. You are part of Overstrike 9, a four-person team who are trying to stop this from happening. There are wisecracks and special abilities and plenty of blood is spilled.

Fuse is made for multiplayer campaigns. In fact, even as a solo player, you're still forced into the multiplayer dynamic, just with AI players in place of real-life teammates.

The AI is supposed to be smarter than your average third person shooter, but the game is more fun if you can rope in some friends to help. That is especially the case when playing in Echelon mode; you’ll need some highly skilled friends to play by your side to make sure you don’t meet an untimely end (although it’s likely you still will).

The most original of the game's elements is the weaponry. The guns can be modified by using Fuse, which transforms them into amazing weapons that can cause chain- reaction explosions and tear your enemies apart.

There’s also the capacity to switch between characters, which makes for an interesting dynamic if you’re playing with three AI teammates.

The change in art style has been heavily criticised, right from the time it was announced. But for those who haven't been following Insomniac's work, Fuse will look like your average shooter. Perhaps that's the problem – it blends in too well.

Still, Fuse is fun and fast-
paced; grab some like-minded friends for maximum effect.