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| The Entertainment Review |
| Developer: EA Sports Publisher: Electronic Arts |
One of the first things that players will notice about the latest release from Electronic Arts, “FaceBreaker,” is that it isn’t a boxing game.
Although it does take place in a ring with scantily clad women carrying large numbered signs around the ring, and the fighters wear
traditional boxing gloves, this is simply a fighting game. This would be understandable as long as the mechanics that run the action
weren’t as unbalanced and often times extremely frustrating.
In the general sense, “FaceBreaker” is a simple game. Players need to string together high and low punches while defending
themselves with a series of blocks, parries and dodges. There are also the super punches that players can earn by stringing together
long runs of punches, with the most powerful of these punches being the amazingly disfiguring Facebreaker attack. There is a large
amount of strategy to how players need to combine attacks and defense and super punches, but there are a number of balance issues
and moments of extreme frustration that very few players will be able to get past after the first few hours.
As with most games of this type, there is a tournament mode in place that acts as the majority of the game. In the game it is known as
Brawl For It All and sends players through a gauntlet of title fights. It is at this point that frustration begins to set in. Players should know
that difficulties are much more difficult than first anticipated. The main issue many will have with the difficulty is that there are moves
and abilities that each character has that throw their balance off in one way or another. It is important for players to learn these moves
and use them to their advantage. It is through the use of the same move over and over again that makes the game so frustrating.
Players will end up reaching a certain point and won’t be able to beat that fighter, resulting in repeating the fights over and over again.
Players will find themselves relying on Facebreakers very heavily in the hopes of winning an otherwise unwinnable match.
There are a few issues with the animations in the game as well. The AI has a large advantage when it comes to reflexes, but it
sometimes will leave players feeling a bit cheated when a hit was dodged successfully, only to have the opponent parry the player’s
incoming punch with amazing speed and reflexes. Though this does still happen against other live players during multiplayer matches
as well, there is a visible rhythm to the vast amount of dodges and parries that would occur, it is different than when a player is playing
by themselves.
Luckily for “FaceBreaker,” multiplayer is the one area of the game that shines the brightest, but even in multiplayer there are plenty of
areas for players to get frustrated. As said before, there is a sense of rhythm when playing against another live opponent, which means
that players won’t feel as cheated as in single player mode. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the game play is nothing more
than players smashing two buttons over and over again, occasionally including a block, dodge or parry in the mix every once in a while,
just to keep things a little fresh for their opponent.
There are a number of other modes available in “FaceBreaker,” such as Couch Royale which puts players, two to six of them, to the
task of collecting a set number of heads for their trophy walls. There is also Boxer Factory, which is where players have the opportunity
to create their own combatant. There is no training or attribution or skill distribution system to be used in the game. However, the game
relies solely on its core character types to provide players with all of the variations that players could want. Unfortunately it doesn’t
extend anything past the cosmetic differences for the player’s virtual creations.
The game holds up to other games visually. The characters all have a certain style to them, but they are different enough that players
will not confuse one character with another. The models have decent detail and while the humor will be lost, it will remind players of
“Ready 2 Rumble.” There are some odd things that happen visually, such as parts of the models clipping through the environment, or
even other pieces of the model, but none of it will surpass the annoyance that players have probably already reached with the game play
alone. One visual that players may find enjoyable, at least for the first time that is happens, is the fact that the opponent’s, as well as
the player’s, face deforms throughout the fight. Lips become swollen, eyes start to roll, jaws begin to drop and everything starts to
bruise. Though it might not be very realistic, it is very obvious that nothing in the game is supposed to mirror reality, making it the perfect
effect for the game.
Overall, “FaceBreaker” doesn’t offer what many players would probably expect from a game of this kind. It is designed to give players a
game play experience similar to that of a game of rock, paper, scissors. Sadly, players will more often feel frustrated with the overall
game play and feel cheated in many of the fights. There are a large number of balance issues and cheap moves given to some
characters that hold players back from playing more than a couple of hours. Though the multiplayer does have some redeeming
qualities, “FaceBreaker” was knocked out before it even entered the ring.
Although it does take place in a ring with scantily clad women carrying large numbered signs around the ring, and the fighters wear
traditional boxing gloves, this is simply a fighting game. This would be understandable as long as the mechanics that run the action
weren’t as unbalanced and often times extremely frustrating.
In the general sense, “FaceBreaker” is a simple game. Players need to string together high and low punches while defending
themselves with a series of blocks, parries and dodges. There are also the super punches that players can earn by stringing together
long runs of punches, with the most powerful of these punches being the amazingly disfiguring Facebreaker attack. There is a large
amount of strategy to how players need to combine attacks and defense and super punches, but there are a number of balance issues
and moments of extreme frustration that very few players will be able to get past after the first few hours.
As with most games of this type, there is a tournament mode in place that acts as the majority of the game. In the game it is known as
Brawl For It All and sends players through a gauntlet of title fights. It is at this point that frustration begins to set in. Players should know
that difficulties are much more difficult than first anticipated. The main issue many will have with the difficulty is that there are moves
and abilities that each character has that throw their balance off in one way or another. It is important for players to learn these moves
and use them to their advantage. It is through the use of the same move over and over again that makes the game so frustrating.
Players will end up reaching a certain point and won’t be able to beat that fighter, resulting in repeating the fights over and over again.
Players will find themselves relying on Facebreakers very heavily in the hopes of winning an otherwise unwinnable match.
There are a few issues with the animations in the game as well. The AI has a large advantage when it comes to reflexes, but it
sometimes will leave players feeling a bit cheated when a hit was dodged successfully, only to have the opponent parry the player’s
incoming punch with amazing speed and reflexes. Though this does still happen against other live players during multiplayer matches
as well, there is a visible rhythm to the vast amount of dodges and parries that would occur, it is different than when a player is playing
by themselves.
Luckily for “FaceBreaker,” multiplayer is the one area of the game that shines the brightest, but even in multiplayer there are plenty of
areas for players to get frustrated. As said before, there is a sense of rhythm when playing against another live opponent, which means
that players won’t feel as cheated as in single player mode. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the game play is nothing more
than players smashing two buttons over and over again, occasionally including a block, dodge or parry in the mix every once in a while,
just to keep things a little fresh for their opponent.
There are a number of other modes available in “FaceBreaker,” such as Couch Royale which puts players, two to six of them, to the
task of collecting a set number of heads for their trophy walls. There is also Boxer Factory, which is where players have the opportunity
to create their own combatant. There is no training or attribution or skill distribution system to be used in the game. However, the game
relies solely on its core character types to provide players with all of the variations that players could want. Unfortunately it doesn’t
extend anything past the cosmetic differences for the player’s virtual creations.
The game holds up to other games visually. The characters all have a certain style to them, but they are different enough that players
will not confuse one character with another. The models have decent detail and while the humor will be lost, it will remind players of
“Ready 2 Rumble.” There are some odd things that happen visually, such as parts of the models clipping through the environment, or
even other pieces of the model, but none of it will surpass the annoyance that players have probably already reached with the game play
alone. One visual that players may find enjoyable, at least for the first time that is happens, is the fact that the opponent’s, as well as
the player’s, face deforms throughout the fight. Lips become swollen, eyes start to roll, jaws begin to drop and everything starts to
bruise. Though it might not be very realistic, it is very obvious that nothing in the game is supposed to mirror reality, making it the perfect
effect for the game.
Overall, “FaceBreaker” doesn’t offer what many players would probably expect from a game of this kind. It is designed to give players a
game play experience similar to that of a game of rock, paper, scissors. Sadly, players will more often feel frustrated with the overall
game play and feel cheated in many of the fights. There are a large number of balance issues and cheap moves given to some
characters that hold players back from playing more than a couple of hours. Though the multiplayer does have some redeeming
qualities, “FaceBreaker” was knocked out before it even entered the ring.
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