FaceBreaker

FaceBreaker

• GenreSports
• Release Date09/03/2008
• PublisherEA Sports
• DeveloperElectronic Arts
• ESRBT - Teen
  

Boxing games fall into one of two categories. Either they simulate the sport, ala Fight Night Round 3, or they take a more arcade-style approach, such as the classic Punch-Out!! for the NES. Electronic Arts' Facebreaker falls into the latter category. You'll go through multiple rounds throwing punches and then finishing your opponent with a Facebreaker maneuver. It's a fun game, but a few flaws keep it from the championship.
There are slightly over a dozen characters to choose from, including a Latin lothario named Romeo, a vivaciously dressed assassin named Sparrow and a large, dreadlocked Jamaican called Voodoo. Each varies in style and size, but they all have the same basic actions. There are weak punches, strong punches, haymakers, grapples and blocks. Perform enough offensive moves successfully and you'll open up on your opponent with a super-move, followed by the opportunity to knock them out with a Facebreaker.

Oh yeah, we'd definitely say his face is broken. Click to see more images from the game...

Unfortunately, this strategy doesn't always work, since Facebreaker suffers from balancing issues. If two players enter the bout and one taps buttons like crazy, he or she will eventually score the lucky knockout over a more skilled player. This is equally frustrating through online play via Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Furthermore, bigger characters have an unfair advantage over smaller ones, despite their skill levels. Some balance tweaking here would've made the game more enjoyable.
That's not to say it isn't fun. Successfully blocking and countering incoming attacks has a nice feel to it, and executing a Facebreaker on someone is satisfying. However, the game grows repetitive. There aren't many moves in your character's arsenal. After a few rounds, you'll wish for more depth.

What, these guys can't wear a cup? Click to see more images from the game...

Along with beating up players locally and online, you can also practice your skills against a drone, changing up its settings to perfect your techniques. There's also a pair of tournaments that are worth a try, Couch Royale and Brawl For It All. Couch Royale is a multiplayer tourney where you pass around controllers and see who dominates the ring. Brawl For It All is more single-player based, where you receive belts and reveal new characters with each bout. Best of all, there's a Trophy Room filled with the heads of the characters you scored Facebreakers on. It's weird to walk through a hall filled with human heads, but the expressions on their faces are priceless.
In addition, the game looks cool, with humorously designed characters. The arenas are nice, too, although not as overloaded with personality as the boxers. That said, you can always spice things up with character creation. If you don't like the cast of fighters (including various celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and Heidi Montag), you can use your Xbox Live Camera or the PlayStation Eye to scan yourself onto a created boxer. You can also scan celebrities and family members into the game, so you can finally see how your uncle fares against John McCain or Barack Obama.
Facebreaker could've easily been a contender for best arcade-style boxing game had the gameplay been given more attention. Its lack of balance and depth is evident from the moment you pick up the controller. Still, if you can overlook its flaws, you'll find an acceptably fun boxer with a unique cast of characters and various party modes. It's hardly a knockout, but at least it doesn't throw in the towel.