Swords and sorcery, science fiction, and superheroes - massively multiplayer online games have conquered all the major areas of gaming, save for one: the cartoon kingdom. FusionFall is Cartoon Network's attempt at grabbing a piece of the MMO pie. Geared towards younger gamers, casual gamers, and players that can't stand incessant level grinding, FusionFall feels more like a platform game than an online RPG. While Cartoon Network believes that this gameplay style makes the game attractive to a broad audience, throwing in ample doses of Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, and more should up its appeal even further.
Leveragingthe popularity of its numerous animated franchises, FusionFall has no shortage of (cartoon) star power. The game features more than 50 characters from its various series. Some of them are companion characters that adventure with the player's avatar. Others are "power-up" types that grant additional powers. Several of the game's levels are also based on Cartoon Network shows.
The gameplay feels more like Ratchet & Clank than EverQuest. Gamers won't be tasked with slaying dozens of rats (or the Cartoon Network equivalent of vermin) in order to advance. Instead there's lots of running, jumping, collecting, and fighting. If you were to look at a few minutes of gameplay, you'd think that FusionFall is a 3D platform game rather than an MMO. Cartoon Network is banking on this style to appeal to its core audience, as well as gamers looking for an online experience devoid of tedious level grinding.
