Regardless of platform or format, the space combat genre is still one that is sorely under-represented. Doubtless because Elite was released many years ago, no-one either wants or cares for this most overlooked of scenarios. But Starfire Studios has decided to do something to remedy the situation with their Xbox Live Arcade release, Fusion: Genesis.
A mixture of twin-stick shooter and Massively Multiplayer Online elements from a top-down viewpoint, Fusion: Genesis would appear to be confusing to would-be players, as they try to make sense of the melding of seemingly disparate genres. Somehow it manages to pull off what should, at every possible turn, end up a train wreck, managing to engage the player instead.
The story is classic Science Fiction; Humanity has finally left the confines of Earth for outer space, and been taken under the wing of a loose association called The Convocation. The player takes command of a pupil of Dr. Tyre, a scientist who is being pursued for his work on a device called The Sentinel. The tutorial mission that establishes the story sees player runs the gauntlet of aggressors long enough to escape with said Sentinel and hook up with Judah whose story missions drip feed new information regarding an age-old threat named The Legion. And no, it isn’t about retired war veterans gathering in local boozers quaffing subsidized drinks all day.
While this story might sound hoary at best, what makes it interesting is the ability to side with any of the six different factions that inhabit the universe. There is literally not enough space to list the various twists and turns involved with the different factions the player will encounter along the way. While they can stick to the more rigid, linear path of only belonging to one side and seeing all missions through to the end, the ability to change at will provides a real welcomed change in how game narratives have conveyed themselves of late, giving the player the ability to turn from a humble member of the Consortium faction to a marauding, evil Dominion.
That each and every faction has a fully formed storyline speaks volumes to the care and attention given to Fusion: Genesis. The breadth and variety on offer in both Faction and Story missions varies from simple fetch quests to charting new unexplored areas of the galaxy in close proximity to a factions base of operations. From going head to head with gigantic cruisers that dwarf the players ship in size and ability, there is little in the way of downtime regardless of what path the player chooses to take in any given play session.
Accompanying the player on their quest is the Sentinel. Best described as a take on the MAG from seminal Dreamcast classic Phantasy Star Online, these units can be deployed in different manners depending on the situation. From providing shields to aggressive/defensive postures, they have myriad uses and can be upgraded by mining asteroids for various gems and ores. In fact mining provides a great deal of the experience as it provides not only raw material for Sentinel, but commodities that can be traded at various space stations located in the different regions of space.
Whether mining for ore or completing missions for their chosen faction, all actions earn Experience Points (XP) which the player can then use to upgrade their spaceship and their Sentinel. The slow drip-feed of XP might be fast becoming a trope that developers are falling over themselves to implement but in Fusion: Genesis it makes perfect sense, adding a nice layer of complexity which sits nicely alongside the frenetic shooting when it occurs.
That every action is condensed onto a joypad is a remarkable feat and it’s understandable that sometimes it can feel as if it would benefit from a keyboard and mouse. There’s a learning curve that, once the initial bewilderment is surpassed, feels clever and well implemented and it’s to the developer’s credit that it works so well. It would’ve been far too easy to make excuses for a poor control system but here they’ve produced something pretty cool. Even when it comes to combat, the muscle memory of those used to twin-stick shooters kicks in as the player flicks the right stick, steering with the left, while boosting out of trouble. The way that the mini-map has been integrated into a halo style ring which encircles the ship, displaying health, shield strength and location of friend or foe is executed with finesse.
All of these elements come together to make Fusion: Genesis an incredibly engaging experience. In fact it becomes a time sink, whether it’s investment in the story, doubting the motives of their chosen faction, or the sights and sounds of the galaxy presented to the player Thoughts will drift towards it once the game has been turned off, as the player wonders if they need to purchase a different Sentinel or upgrade the one they have; it all feeds into the compulsion that grows the more the game is played.
Fusion: Genesis is utterly unlike anything on Xbox Live Arcade, brave enough to forge its own path and that confidence is apparent all the way through the game. In a style reminiscent of the classic Choose Your Own Adventure game books, it seemingly caters for all types of players, daring to break the mould and also manage to rival many disc-based games for breadth of content and value for money.
