Review: FusionFall by Cartoon Network

FusionFall by Cartoon Network is a new online game geared towards children and young adults. It has caused quite a stir all across the country, and this is clearly one of the biggest hyped-up multiplayer online games to be released in beta in a while. Cartoon Network and Grigon Entertainment teamed up to create the game.

The game is currently released to the public in a free beta version, and the game may eventually have a cost involved to it. It is not expected to be released until mid-January of next year.

The game includes characters from several shows currently found on the Cartoon Network. These characters include, but are not limited to, Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory, Ed, Edd, and Eddy from their show, the Powerpuff Girls from their show, Courage from Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Jack and Aku from Samurai Jack. The characters appear in an anime-style on the game, which should be a hit amongst children and young adults who enjoy anime as a separate entity. These characters, which show up in "Nanos," can provide special powers and abilities for the player. Therefore, Nanos are a key part of the game, and younger players should enjoy going out and expanding their "Nano" collection.

The basic idea behind the game is to stop Planet Fusion from destroying the Earth (and the Cartoon Network itself). The player, along with a significant number of other online players, must strop this seemingly unstoppable force from taking over. For a child and young adult, it is a highly engaging storyline that seems to provide a good foundation for the online game.

Each online player creates what is known as an avatar, which represents the players identity in the game. This is similar to other massively multiplayer online games, such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. Customization of your avatar seems to be fairly straightforward.

I had a fun time working with the beta version of this game, but I have a few issues with certain aspects of the game that parents may want to make a note of. First, this game seems like a World of Warcraft specifically geared towards children, and I could see the potential for this game to become addictive, even for the youngest players. Also, weapons are present in the game, and parents will want to consider that violence is present, even in this hyped-up children's game. Be careful if you let your child play this game, as it could interfere with studies or time spent doing other activities.

All in all, I had a positive time playing the beta version of the game. Hopefully, the Cartoon Network will be able to refine the small kinks and release a great first version in January.