When approaching a new boxing title, you have to look at it one of two ways. Either you're going to boot up another arcade title in the vein of Punch-Out or Ready to Rumble. Or you may luck into playing the next Fight Night Round 3. Now anyone who's gotten a glimpse at a single screen shot of FaceBreaker knows this game isn't Fight Night Round 4. But does that mean it can't be good just because it's an arcade-style boxing title? If you like arcade boxing and repetitive gameplay, then finish this review, start mashing buttons and unleash the FaceBreaker. Yes, the finishing move was cleverly named the FaceBreaker. Where did they get this name?
FaceBreaker sports just over twelve characters which include; the lovely Sparrow, a Latin lover named Romeo, and a computer-model of the Dolphin's Ricky Williams from 2002. The characters have about as much range as the varied cast in Sega's The Club. That is to say that the developers apparently grabbed a stereotype book and used the whole thing. Each fighter is suppose to offer a different balance in the ring. But unfortunately EA missed the rock, paper, scissor mark by creating a game with no real balance between the fighters. Instead of any real skill being needed in the fight, a button masher can win about 90% of the bouts by just mashing away at the buttons like a crazy person. Eventually the button masher will land a lucky haymaker and lay out the other fighter. Trust me. I tried out both methods. After a while it made more sense to just “swing-away” instead of trying to calculate anything.
So if you and a friend decide to actually make a sporting event out of the match and you both choose to play strategically, then the game can be fun. But once your friend finds out that mashing buttons is better than stringing together combos, you'll be have to counter with the same strategy.
Before going online to participate in heated rounds of “I smacked more buttons faster”, you can practice and hone your skills against drones. You can customize the settings, or adjust difficulties to better yourself and get better. Once you've spent a little time playing you'll find you can see the awards and accomplishments in your trophy room. Instead of gold plated pimp cups, your trophies are actually the heads of your opponents. Yup. What a great touch. EA nailed yet another fine nuance of the boxing world. Sarcasm complete if you were wondering.
The game isn't completely boring. There is some fun to be had. When playing alone, strategy comes back into play since the computer doesn't know to just mash buttons. And if you've invested in the Xbox LIVE Camera and want to use it for more than showing your privates to UNO players, you can scan your face and put yourself in the game. And once you get past the generic lineup of characters and lame C-list celebrities in the game, you'll want to spend a little time making your own.
So while this latest arcade boxing title has a glass jaw, it can last a few rounds with those less demanding gamers. But if you've been in the ring before, you'll knock this title out in one sitting. FaceBreaker tries too hard to do what Ready 2 Rumble did eight years ago and still comes up short. Down to the celebrity player models, FaceBreaker is trying to be something it can't. But since there's no version of Ready 2 Rumble for the Xbox or Xbox 360, I'll give this game a 6 for at least filling a void.
Final Score : 6.0
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Published by: Electronic Arts
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