Fuse

Fuse grabs you with a straightforward co-op shooter rhythm: pick an Overstrike 9 agent, push into a fight, and use their specialty to crack the enemy’s defenses. The early hook is the constant temptation to swap characters through LEAP, especially when Dalton’s bullet-catching shield or Jacob’s heavy-hitting crossbow looks like the smarter answer to the problem in front of you.

It is a better fit for a group than for someone hoping for a deeply personal solo campaign. Two-player split-screen and four-player online co-op give the squad concept real value, while experience, weapon upgrades, and separate skill trees give you reasons to keep refining a favorite agent. The core shooting is competent, but the teamwork is where Fuse earns its time.

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Fuse works hardest when you stop treating its four heroes as interchangeable guns and start using the squad as a toolbox. You can switch among the Overstrike 9 members with LEAP during battle, and that simple freedom is the game’s strongest idea. Dalton Brooks can play defense with an expandable shield that catches incoming fire and sends it back, while Jacob Kimble brings immediate damage through his crossbow. The first hour has a clear pull because you are testing which answer fits each combat problem rather than merely holding onto one loadout.

That flexibility has its frustrations, too. A four-person squad only feels as interesting as your willingness to rotate through it, so sticking stubbornly with one agent risks making the experience feel more ordinary than it needs to. Fuse asks you to pay attention to what each character is built to do. Dalton’s defensive angle and Jacob’s damage focus are not just bits of flavor; they are the reason to use the LEAP system instead of ignoring it.

Co-op is the real recommendation. Two people can play split-screen, and online co-op supports up to four, which gives the team-first structure a natural home. With friends, calling out targets and dividing attention among different agent abilities should make each encounter more lively. Solo, the character swapping remains useful, but you are carrying the burden of making the squad dynamic yourself.

Progression gives the shooting some welcome forward motion. Experience unlocks abilities and weapon upgrades, while each agent has a distinct skill tree for further customization. That is enough incentive to experiment and develop a preferred role rather than simply reaching the next mission. It is not a reinvention of the third-person shooter, but it has a solid loop for anyone who enjoys improving a co-op character over time.

Graphics

Fuse uses a behind-the-back camera suited to a futuristic shooter, keeping your chosen Overstrike 9 agent and the immediate fight in view. The most visually distinct details come from the weaponized abilities themselves: Dalton’s expandable shield and Jacob’s crossbow give two squad roles an immediately different on-screen presence.

Story

The story is a clean, pulp-friendly excuse to put four mismatched agents on the same mission. Raven Corporation wants control of Fuse, an alien power source, and Overstrike 9 is assembled to stop it and its leader, Fable. There is no ambiguity about who you are fighting or what is at stake, which keeps the campaign moving with shooter-game efficiency.

The squad has enough built-in contrast to support the premise. Dalton is a mercenary, Naya Deveraux is a former Raven employee, Izzy Sinclair is a young scientist, and Jacob is a decorated detective. Those backgrounds give each member a place in the operation and help the team feel less like four anonymous multiplayer classes.

Still, the setup is more functional than gripping. Raven, Fable, and the alien fuel source establish a familiar futuristic conspiracy, but the real interest lies in the group composition and how their specialties feed into play. Come for a direct action story about stopping a corporation from acquiring dangerous power, not for a densely layered sci-fi drama.

Overall Experience

Fuse is a decent co-op shooter with one genuinely useful hook: it lets you move between distinct squad roles in the middle of combat. When you embrace that, the game has a pleasant tactical snap. Switch to Dalton to handle pressure, move to Jacob when raw damage is needed, then invest in the abilities and upgrades that suit how you want to contribute.

The payoff is strongest with friends. Split-screen is a valuable option, and a full four-player online group is the clearest way to enjoy a game built around a team of four specialists. If you have regular co-op partners and want a science-fiction shooter that rewards changing roles instead of locking into one, Fuse is worth a look.

On your own, its strengths are still present, just less immediate. The campaign’s villain-and-power-source plot is serviceable, and the shooting progression gives you something to work toward, but neither eclipses the squad mechanics. At 6.4, it lands as a capable, occasionally satisfying game that is easy to recommend to the right co-op group and harder to champion as a solo must-play.