Superfuse melds the action RPG loot-n-grind loop with comic book aesthetics to create an incredibly compelling package
As an avid action RPG fan, I’m always on the lookout for a new game to grind and loot in, so I was surprised that I hadn't heard of Superfuse before I checked it out at PAX East. Developed by Stitch Heads Games, Superfuse combines the vibes and aesthetic of a science fiction comic book with the loot-grind loop of games like Path of Exile and Diablo into a surprisingly deep package.
You play as an Enforcer, a genetically enhanced superhuman under the command of “The Gods” - eternal corporate billionaires that now lead humanity. These groups of anti-heroes are sneered at and looked at more as necessities to protect the human race that are spread across the stars, not idols of the people. Superfuse will span multiple acts, all fully voiced, with each act taking place on another planet around the universe. Stitch Heads Games has gone so far as to even make the human inhabitants of each planet unique after having evolved to deal with that world's environment, such as giving some longer limbs.
As fun as cruising around the universe, and visiting strange worlds, it's important that your Enforcer looks the part too. The gear you will find is far more science fiction inspired as opposed to the genre's far more common high fantasy motif. You can expect to see cybernetic headpieces, leather vests, neon glowing knuckles, guns, and more to outfit your Enforcer with. During my short time with Superfuse, I came across a fair amount of different-looking loot, adopting a similar colored rarity for items that is a common sight in action RPGs.
In the demo, I had the chance to try out the massively-muscled Berserker and two of his three class trees. The Berserker can spec into lightning-based attacks, allowing him the hurl bolts of energy, and ground slams which are rather self-explanatory. As someone who has never been a big fan of the barbarian/berserker style in ARPGs, the intriguing addition of a lighting tree spoke to me, and so I went hard into that option.
The build I was playing granted me infinite skill points to use to invest in skill trees. In minutes I went from your basic level one character to a nigh-invincible lightning god, hurling lightning and vanquishing my foes in the blink of an eye. It was at this point that I also discovered what interested me the most about Superfuse, its skill system.
Superfuse’s skill fuse system allows you to modify and augment your skills, using the aforementioned skill points. It has a lot of the customization that Path of Exile has, with its gems with the ease of use of Diablo 3’s skill runes where you just select the modifiers to apply. For my lightning throw skill, I augmented it so that instead of a single projectile being thrown, multiple would be thrown out in an arc both in front and behind my character and would then ricochet upon hitting an enemy. Encountering a mob of enemies meant my screen would soon fill with blood and lightning. It was glorious.
The number of options that were present in the demo was incredibly impressive and the promise of more for the final release boggles my mind with the potential variations players will have access to. I really appreciated the melding of Diablo 3’s ease of use from its skill runes and Path of Exiles' plethora of skill augments to create something as expansive and full of possibilities that are present in Superfuse.
With exception of the now-shuttered Marvel Heroes title, it's surprising just how barren the ARPG genre is when it comes to comic-based games. Superfuse proves that this mixture can be a match made in heaven and was one of my biggest surprises of PAX. I will be keeping my eyes open for future news on Superfuse and fans of action RPGs should too, as it is planned to release in early access this year on Steam!