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Fuse

ShooterAdventure

Overview

Fuse is a four-player cooperative third-person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was announced as Overstrike before it was rebranded in August 2012. It was released on May 28, 2013 in North America, May 30, 2013 in Australia and on May 31, 2013 in Europe. Fuse was both a critical and commercial failure for Electronic Arts.

Fuse is an action game, which features four-player co-op and a selection of weapons, akin to those which are prominently featured in Insomniac Games' PlayStation-exclusive Ratchet & Clank and Resistance series. Each character has its own powerful unique Fuse-powered weapon than can assist other players in gameplay. For example, Dalton's weapon is a mag shield that can absorb bullets, and its secondary fire can push the bullets back to the enemies, killing them. The first official released screenshots revealed that Fuse is a third-person action game with cover shooting mechanics. Characters also have a skill tree, which can be upgraded as a player increases his or her level.

The game is set in the near future and follows a team of four misfit agents collectively known as Overstrike 9, whose mission is to stop the evil Raven Corporation from gaining an alien substance called Fuse. Using Fuse powered weapons and tech gadgets and lethal teamwork to gain the energy.

In May 2010, Ted Price said Insomniac Games were at work on a multiplatform game for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. On June 6, 2011, during Electronic Arts' press conference at E3 2011, that game was revealed to be called Overstrike with a trailer and a short appearance and synopsis from Price. On August 31, 2012, the game was revealed to have been reworked and rebranded as Fuse. The game was developed at their main studio in Burbank, California, and was published as part of the EA Partners program for the aforementioned platforms. This marks the first time the developer was to own its own IP, as well as the first time they released a game with a publisher other than Sony Computer Entertainment since Universal Interactive Studios.

Fuse received "mixed" reviews on both platforms as reported by the review aggregation website Metacritic. Most praised its Fuse weapons and co-op action, but criticized its team A.I. and confusing tone. Its change in art style and tone from Overstrike was criticized by some which called its new look generic and uninspired. First week sales in the UK were low, with the game reaching number 37 on the all-format charts.