‘Fuse’: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

Electronic Arts and Insomniac Games are close to putting the finishing touches on the upcoming co-op, third person shooter known as Fuse. Here’s what you need to know about the game’s original name/look, the plot, and the unique mechanics of the game’s characters.

1. Fuse Was Originally Called Overstrike

Fuse was originally called Overstrike, which was initially introduced in a debut trailer (seen above) at E3 2011. The game’s look focused on a more cartoony presentation that was bit more slapstick in its nature. Xbox 360 Achievements spoke with Insomniac CEO Ted Price about the game’s shift from less humorous to more serious:

It’s less campy, there’s definitely less slapstick humor. And it was pretty slapstick originally, and while there’s still humor in the story, it’s a little bit more muted and more sophisticated, but we spent a lot of time in the game with emergent dialogue explaining who the characters are, and you definitely see humor in their interactions and the characters don’t take themselves completely seriously either.

2. It Was Rebranded and Reintroduced With A New Look

Around August 2012, Overstrike was reintroduced to gamers as Fuse. It retained its focus on third-person shooting mechanics and co-op gameplay, but the overall presentation of the game moved over into more serious minded territory. The rebooted trailer for the game can be seen above.

3. It’s A Co-Op, Third Person Shooter With Four Separate Characters

Fuse is primarily a third-person shooter that features four separate characters to control. Gamers will be forced to work together on the battlefield as they shoot down various enemies, upgrade their weaponry, and unlock new abilities through the game’s Fuse-based progression system/skill tree. Each character fits a specific agent class during gameplay – Dalton Brooks is the tank of the team (named “Overstrike 9”), Naya Deveraus is the stealth agent, Jacob Kimble is the deadly sniper, and Isabelle Sinclair plays the role of the team medic.

4. Each Character Has A Specific Weapon

The game’s official website offers a description of every playable agent and their unique Fuse weapon. Trailers for each character can also be seen above:

Dalton Brooks – A former Raven Sentinel, Dalton joined Overstrike 9 after a failed assassination attempt by his former employer. Despite his checkered past, Dalton is the de facto leader of the elite team of agents charged with tracking down and containing the Fuse compound. Never one to hold back, Dalton’s answer to most problems is to come out swinging and figure it out after the bodies have hit the ground. He charges head first into most conflicts using his Magshield to catch and redirect enemy projectiles.

Isabelle “Izzy” Sinclair – What Izzy lacks in experience she makes up for in intelligence. Izzy joins Overstrike 9 after serving as an intelligence broker. Izzy is an effective support operative, using her Shattergun to lift enemies from cover and tossing a Med Beacon to revive downed teammates.

Jacob Kimble – Former LAPD homicide detective Jacob Kimble is no stranger to violence and covert operations. He joined Overstrike 9 because he detested the bureaucratic nature of traditional law enforcement. Armed with his Arcshot, Jacob can systematically pick apart enemies from a distance or create chaos by setting fiery traps of molten mercury.

Naya Deveraux – Overstrike recruited Naya because she is the daughter of Raven Captain Luther Deveraux. However, this former assassin and close-quarter-combat (CQC) specialist brings a new dimension to the team as well. Naya’s weapon of choice is the Warp Rifle, which can create singularities to tear apart groups of enemies. The weapon also allows her to cloak herself. Once she gets behind enemy lines, Naya’s stealth and CQC expertise are invaluable.

5. The Plot Centers Around A Substance Called Fuse

The game’s official website provides some info on the backstory. A story trailer can also be viewed above:

What happens when humans gain access to powerful alien technology they were never meant to have? When a volatile energy source called Fuse falls into the wrong hands, the CIA calls in an elite contact team to retrieve it: Overstrike 9. Join up to three friends in team-based co-op play as you take down the rogue paramilitary corporation behind the theft. Use lethal teamwork, coordinate devastating attacks, and provide cover for one another with fringe-tech weapons and gadgets. The unique LEAP feature lets you instantly shift from agent to agent during combat, allowing you to take advantage of each one’s special arsenal. You’ll need your teammates and their firepower to stop a global arms race from spinning out of control.

6. It Features A Horde-Like Game Mode

Fuse will include a Horde-like game mode called “Echelon Mode.” IGN sat down with Insomniac Games’ brand development director Ryan Schneider about the mode and ended up nabbing some gameplay, which can be seen in the video above.

7. The Developers Behind This Game Are Known For Their First Party PS3 Games

Insomniac Games is well known for its work on the Ratchet & Clank series, which were a collection of third-person shooter/platforming games for Sony’s PS2 and PS3. Insomniac Games originally worked on the PSone line of Spyro The Dragon games, along with the Resistance series on the PS3. Insomniac’s non-first par games (besides Fuse) were 1996’s Disruptor and 2012’s Outernauts.

8. It’s Being Published Under The EA Partners Program

Fuse is being published under the EA Partners program, a co-publishing company that works to put out games that are developed by third-party developers. Ted Price provided some details in his Xbox 360 Achievements interview about his studio’s decision to make this their first multi-platform game:

It was Brian Allgeier’s (Fuse’s Creative Director) original idea, to create a four-player co-op game with four unique agents. And part of it was seeing that there’s not a whole lot out there right now where players can team up as four unique agents. What we see a lot are games that have clones where everyone has the same abilities and it’s all about pointing the same gun at the same enemy, and that’s fun, but we saw an opportunity. Plus, we have heard a lot from our fans that co-op is becoming more and more important, as the world is becoming more connected and there’s more opportunities to play together. All of us who have grown up in a less connected world see this co-op as a really fresh experience and something we weren’t able to get when we were younger.

9. It’s Already Been Unboxed

For anyone who wants to get a peek at what’s inside the game’s packaging, check out the unboxing vid for the game above.

10. A Demo Is Now Available

As of May 7, 2013, a demo for the game is available for download through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The official description for the demo can be read below:

Experience the devastating power of co-op teamwork as you and up to three friends join forces in the Fuse demo from Insomniac Games. Overstrike 9 has tracked the stolen Fuse source to a remote Raven base in Pakistan’s treacherous Karakoram Mountains. The team must stop rogue paramilitary corporation Raven from carrying out its horrific plan to form a new world order. Taking place midway through the game, the demo gives players a chance to play with and level-up all four Overstrike operatives along with their Xenotech weapons. The demo supports 1-4 players with online and split-screen drop-in-and-drop-out-co-op.

Insomniac Games’ studio in Burbank, California is the main team behind the creation of the game. The full game will available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 28, 2013. Check out the game’s “Hired Guns” trailer above.

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