FaceBreaker
Encyclopedia
FaceBreaker is a fighting game (contrary to popular belief of it being a boxing game) created by Fight Night developers, EA Canada
. It was released for the PlayStation 3
, Wii
, and Xbox 360
and was announced on January 30, 2008 by 1UP.com
. The game was released on September 4, 2008. As of October 2008, the game has sold 52,000 units in Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 combined.. EA announced in January 2010 that they will close down online services for this game on February 2, 2010.
and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
) and allows players to break their opponents faces as the game will feature 'real-time facial deformation'. The game also uses the same face-capture technology as Tiger Woods PGA Tour
to allow players to capture their own image using peripherals the Xbox Live Vision Camera and the PlayStation Eye
. The game also contains a Couch Royale mode in which you can play with your friends in a tournament type game mode.
released the World Premier Exclusive Debut trailer.
gave the game a one out of five, citing the broken AI
being so difficult to beat to the point where it makes the game basically unplayable. IGN.com rated it a 5 out of a 10. Game Informer
however, gave it a rather positive 7.75 out of 10.
Aaron Thomas at gamespot.com gave the game a poor review, scoring it a 3.5/10. Thomas felt that the game featured "Cheap AI," "Very few game modes," and "Bad, button-mashing gameplay." He did say that of the game that "It looks pretty good, and the deep customization options mean you'll never want for new brawlers..." However, "Unfortunately, there's nothing fun to do with your boxer."
Matt Cabral in his Xbox 360
review of the game for teamxbox
was overall favorable, scoring it a 7/10. He said that "the game actually becomes quite satisfying once you climb the steep learning curve." He did note of the games difficulty that "While the controls aren’t complex, FB’s AI boxers give you little room, especially early on, to learn them. Their endless pummeling will leave many frustrated far too soon." He ultimately stated that "There’s no question FB has style to spare... those willing to put up with the early beatings will find lots to enjoy both offline and over Xbox Live."
EA Canada
EA Canada is a video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The development studio opened in January 1983 and is EA's largest and oldest studio...
. It was released for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and was announced on January 30, 2008 by 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
. The game was released on September 4, 2008. As of October 2008, the game has sold 52,000 units in Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 combined.. EA announced in January 2010 that they will close down online services for this game on February 2, 2010.
Gameplay
FaceBreaker has a "cartoony" artistic style (similar to Punch-Out!!Punch-Out!!
is a 1983–1984 boxing arcade game by Nintendo. It was the first in a series of successful Punch-Out!! games that produced an arcade sequel known as Super Punch-Out!!, a spin-off of the series titled Arm Wrestling, a highly popular version for the NES originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,...
and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing is a boxing game for the Dreamcast, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, and Nintendo 64 and it was released in 1999 by Midway. The success of the Dreamcast version led to it becoming one of the few Sega All Stars titles....
) and allows players to break their opponents faces as the game will feature 'real-time facial deformation'. The game also uses the same face-capture technology as Tiger Woods PGA Tour
Tiger Woods PGA Tour
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR is a series of video games developed and published by Electronic Arts featuring professional golfer Tiger Woods, among other pros on the PGA Tour....
to allow players to capture their own image using peripherals the Xbox Live Vision Camera and the PlayStation Eye
PlayStation Eye
The PlayStation Eye is a digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 3. The technology uses computer vision and gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera. This allows players to interact with games using motion and color detection as well as sound through its...
. The game also contains a Couch Royale mode in which you can play with your friends in a tournament type game mode.
Marketing
On February 9, 2008, GameTrailersGameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
released the World Premier Exclusive Debut trailer.
Reception
G4's X-PlayX-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave the game a one out of five, citing the broken AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
being so difficult to beat to the point where it makes the game basically unplayable. IGN.com rated it a 5 out of a 10. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
however, gave it a rather positive 7.75 out of 10.
Aaron Thomas at gamespot.com gave the game a poor review, scoring it a 3.5/10. Thomas felt that the game featured "Cheap AI," "Very few game modes," and "Bad, button-mashing gameplay." He did say that of the game that "It looks pretty good, and the deep customization options mean you'll never want for new brawlers..." However, "Unfortunately, there's nothing fun to do with your boxer."
Matt Cabral in his Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
review of the game for teamxbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
was overall favorable, scoring it a 7/10. He said that "the game actually becomes quite satisfying once you climb the steep learning curve." He did note of the games difficulty that "While the controls aren’t complex, FB’s AI boxers give you little room, especially early on, to learn them. Their endless pummeling will leave many frustrated far too soon." He ultimately stated that "There’s no question FB has style to spare... those willing to put up with the early beatings will find lots to enjoy both offline and over Xbox Live."