OK, this is going to be a fairly short review as Facebreaker K.O. Party doesn’t really have that much depth and after playing it, my wrists are killing me. Facebreaker was a game I looked forward to for a few months when it originally came out on Xbox 360 in early September. As a massive fan of Punch-out for the original NES and Fight Night Round 3 for the Xbox 360, I had high hopes that Facebreaker was going to be a mix of the two, graphically awesome and extremely fun to play. Unfortunately it was neither, while the game looked cartoony and had some cool aspects to it, it was horrible to look at, horrible to control, and just not fun. So when Facebreaker K.O. Party was announced for the Wii, I wasn’t sure if this was a resurrection of the title, or EA sports trying to beat a dead horse.

First things first, because it’s on the Wii, does not make it a party game, because you call it K.O. Party, does not make it a party game either. Basically EA sports tried to pass this title off as a great game to play with a large amount of people, the only problem is that it’s still just one on one battles, no matter if there’s a tournament mode (which is just a round robin of matches). You also run the risk that the more people are in the room with you, the greater chance you have of whacking them with your wiimote or nunchuk. A third problem is that the graphics got worse, the gameplay got oversimplified (worse) and the game is still just not fun to play.

Facebreakers is a one on one boxing mash up, fast flying fists, combos, dodges, counters and special attacks whizz by the screen like a fat kid on a waterslide and since the game values simplicity, there’s no stamina or downtime, so players will just flail until their opponent falls down. The nunchuk controls your left hand, while the wiimote controls the right, you use the analog stick to move, tilt up to charge your attacks, hold down A and attack for a special attack, B crouches, and the Z button blocks. That’s all there really is to the controls, but again, it’s really hard to block, or counter with the constant flailing your hyper-active opponent might be enjoying, so really, it’s either you flail as well or you lose.

The different modes of play are pretty simple as well, arcade and Brawl for All are the single player modes, with Brawl for All allowing you to win belts, unlock characters and venues. There is also a fairly robust tutorial and practice mode found under Fighter’s Corner, and the two multiplayer modes are T.K.O. in which up to four players choose three fighters and continuously (health wise) fight until only one is left standing, Punch-O-Matic is the ‘party’ mode of the game. With Punch-O-Matic, up to four players are given random power-ups and go at it, two on two tournament style. Unfortunately, there is no online mode to be found in this EA Freestyle franchise, but hey, once the Wii’s online features final get under control, maybe the next installment will be online-friendly. There’s also a small mini-game when you get knocked out; you shoot flying chickens pointing the wiimote at the screen to regain health, small but a fun little added feature.

Graphically I had issues with the game, the animation was fluid and detailed and there were many flares and reflections to enjoy, and who doesn’t like a mangled face (which happens as you progress through matches). However, playing with component cables on an HDTV (in HD mode), the game looks horrendous at times. Choppy edges not only on player models but words and special effects as well just made this game look like it was meant for an original Playstation with the speed of a Dreamcast! If I had access to a regular TV I feel that the sharp chopped edges would be slightly blurred and smoothed out, if this is the case, perhaps Facebreaker K.O. Party just wasn’t designed to be played in high definition. Aside from the generic EA playlist (which on average levels out to be moderately decent) the game sounded great. Each character has their own persona with different phrases and sound effects said and the voiceovers usually go well with the animations on screen, now, I say usually because by the end of the match after your opponent’s face is broken, their jaw might be to the left of their head and it’s hard to match up words with facial movements like that. The comments aren’t always the funniest, but at least their original. Sound effects, thuds, ooohs, and booms round out the audio experience to again, pretty much just average.

Overall Facebreakers seems a little rushed, there are many good aspects to the game, but at the same time there are a lot of issues that negate the pros. If the speed and counter systems were tweaked, the game was a little deeper (especially in terms of unlockable content, which you can do in one or two sittings), had more of a party aspect, and perhaps some online play, I might be more inclined to keep playing but if you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your hyper little brother or nephew, this might be the title to let them expel their crazy high energy levels and allow them that good night’s sleep that they need.

Graphics: 3.5/5

Gameplay: 3.0/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay Value: 2.5/5






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