The fundamental principle at work here is to pick a cartoon-like character and proceed to knock the living daylights out of someone. This could be ideal for any frustrated office worker after a day at work, least we forget those that love simple, straightforward experiences that don't really justify a game manual. In an era of videogames being justified in terms of length or multitude of options, a release that warrants the overused phrase 'pick up and play' is a rarity.Upon playing Facebreaker it is clear that this is an attempt to cater for the arcade market, whilst Fight Night keeps the enthusiasts amused. Clearly this is a tactical decision to divide and conquer by EA. By pursuing this formula the danger is that one title becomes under-developed and not fully realised. This is the case with Facebreaker, which cannot justify anything other than a budget price point given the underlying feeling that this is nothing more than a fleshed out demo. For the debut release in what we expect is the first of many, this featherweight entry is in need of serious conditioning. Coming from the same developer behind the Fight Night series, Facebreaker contains many similarities in terms of presentation, venues and the focus on model damage, yet the depth is sadly missing.This really hits home the first time you boot up the game and realise the lack of options on offer. To say its a stark, streamlined vision is being extremely diplomatic, as there is no real story mode to speak of and this is a must-have in most beat 'em ups nowadays. Instead you are expected to take each character through a handful of bouts via the 'Brawl For It' option. Your reward for doing so ranges from new characters, costumes, gyms or occasionally achievement points. In other words the actual enjoyment factor should be enough to guarantee many hours of playtime, Gamestyle begs to differ.The characters themselves are outrageous and reminiscent of the cartoon styling so successfully used in Ready 2 Rumble. The range is limited, but amongst this group there is enough scope for all fighting styles including bruisers, speed merchants and the plain weird. The opponent AI is disappointing and encourages a typewriter approach to pressing buttons, as quite often the first flurry will result in a dramatic advantage. The CPU character will often square up, unleashing volleys and rarely stepping backwards or using the option to block or dodge. Strangely the dual stick option seen in Fight Night is not implemented here, instead one stick and the buttons will suffice, as you rapidly press each and every one. Such a limited fighting system introduces a random element into results and the guarantees a fast and furious playing experience.This at least prepares you for the online mode, which using the EA servers is extremely slick and just as fluid as playing offline: in fact you'd be hard pressed to notice a difference. Bouts can be over in a matter of seconds, with many skilled fighters building up their energy bar almost immediately (thanks to landed punches), before launching into the killer Facebreaker move. The real problem with ranked matches is your opponent from what we experienced is selected at random, so initially your skill level 1 will be up against players rated several times more. Generally the multiplayer options on and offline are of a decent calibre, enough for repeated play to some hardened journeymen fighters.Facebreaker lacks any of the training elements that you would associate with boxing and the option to build up your own character into something new and more powerful. You are able to create your own character and even map your face onto it thanks to the face-capture option offered by the Xbox Live Vision Camera. The 'Boxer Factory' as its known is the area where you can create your own fighting machine. Initially Gamestyle was disappointed with this aspect, as customisation is a key selling point nowadays. The range of options merely focuses on the appearance of your creation, the option to go beyond this and personalise your own introductions, moves, taunts etc is not on offer. However this has not prevented the Facebreaker community from taking such a restricted feature and delivering some memorable boxers. Some of the best include politicians such as Clinton, Bush and film characters like the Joker, Rocky, or even famous historical figures. As with Forza it is clear a limited tool, can in the hands of a skilled player prove useful. You are free to upload your own boxers, download others and rate those that you think are the best. The problem is that voiceovers, introductions and so on, are taken from those bundled with the game, which can soil the illusion to a degree. Another limited option exists allowing you to upload video replays from any bouts you have for others to enjoy. Here you are able to select the angle but little else. The whole package is rounded off by a large selection of music tracks and a reasonable level of graphical prowess. Facebreaker is a strange release from Electronic Arts, Gamestyle can appreciate why it exists and that the younger generation are arguably unaware of Ready 2 Rumble or its sequel. Even with the Freestyle mantle there is not enough of a game here to warrant a purchase. It'll need serious steroids and gym work before it can be considered a contender.
You might also like to check out Awesomenauts for the Microsoft Xbox 360.
or alternatively Fez for the Microsoft Xbox 360.