Overstrike Ditches the Humor and Personality, Becomes Fuse

Overstrike circa Summer 2011

During E3 2011, a game called Overstrike was announced via non-gameplay trailer. While details never really surfaced, we were able to surmise that Overstrike had something to do with a team of super-spies, dripping with personality, kicking all kinds of ass amidst colorful backdrops; think Team Fortress 2 meets Borderlands. Nary a shred of information regarding Overstrike released from that day until now. Unfortunately, humor and personality doesn't sell games, or so some of these companies think.

Overstrike has been cannibalized into Fuse, a shell of its former self that puts the focus on third-person shooting action and completely strips every endearing part of the source material. Insomniac Games what the fuck are you thinking? You've taken a new IP that had tons of buzz and made it a grey-brown shoot-and-snore fest. Oh but you can use different types of ammo and work as a team of four players! And what? That's nothing we haven't seen before, in fact it's something we see almost every damn day. Witty dialogue, colorful locales, characters with real personality and a sense of humor? Something gamers rarely see. So what happened? Did the boys at EA drop the hammer on your mockups, squeezing out every inch of life to fit their standards? 

Obviously, I'm pissed off about this. Feels like I just finished playing Inversion, one of the most lifeless games I've played in a while, but it looks like Fuse is challenging for that title. Take a look at the Overstrike trailer above and the Fuse trailer below and tell me: do you think these changes have been made for the better? 

Like Most Spies, Overstrike is Smart, Sexy, and Stylish

I know it's just another CGI trailer, but at least it offers more than just pretty colors! Overstrike is Insomniac Games' first dealing with a multiplatform title. It's based on a team of four super spies with over the top style and over the topper gadgets. The characters seem well thought out and smart. Cool weapons are on display, as well as cool senses of humor. That's about all I can gather.

If I were a gambling man, I'd say Overstrike will end up being a four player online cooperative first/third person shooter with a strong focus on team tactics. In addition to having their own unique personality, each character will have a unique set of skills that will help get the ahead in increasingly hairy situations. Maybe there will be some sort of skill tree where you can assign experience points to unlock new skills depending on how you want to play one of the four lively characters. You would play this type of game, right?

Or it could be a browser based 8-bit platformer. Who knows. Either way, if the trailer is anything to go on (which it shouldn't be, but we don't learn our lessons), Overstrike is one to keep your eyes on.