What’s the storyline behind Fuse?
“It starts with a group of four agents investigating a US government facility that has been ransacked. The facility had been experimenting with an alien substance called Fuse and using it to create experimental prototype weapons. The group discover the facility is under siege. At the end of the first level, the source of Fuse is taken away by a paramilitary group called Raven. Thus begins a chase around the globe and eventually into space. During that time, you discover more about the four agents’ back stories, their relationship with other antagonists you meet in the game. Other twists come into play.”
How have you incorporated the four characters into co-op gameplay?
“The goal was to buck the trend in co-op shooters where you’re just playing a clone. A lot of co-op games today offer you the same soldier, equipped in the same fashion. We have two female agents, two male agents, different ethnicities. More importantly, they all have different roles to play in the game. It’s two-player couch co-op, online and offline.”
Insomniac is known for exotic weaponry in franchises like Ratchet and Clank. What’s the armoury like in Fuse?
“In Fuse, we were trying to come up with weapons that were fun to use on their own but could also be combined in strategic ways by all four players. We came up with the Magshield, which allows Dalton to project a barrier that blocks incoming attack. Naya can set up a chain of black holes with her Warp Rifle. Jacob has the Arc Shot crossbow. And Izzy can crystalise enemies – very similar to what druids do in World Of Warcraft. Four very different weapons that use Fuse in exotic ways. Players can combine them in close to 60 different combos. They give each character a different archetype.”
Insomniac created iconic franchises such as Spyro The Dragon and Resistance. What’s it like working on a new IP in a market full of sequels?
“It’s scary and exciting at the same time. We’re going up against games in their fourth, fifth iterations. We have to work even harder to explain to players what Fuse is. Players are pretty vocal about their need for something new. Being the new game on the block is an opportunity to provide something new.”