Funk of Titans review for Xbox One

Very rarely, a game comes along that gets so many things wrong, you wonder how it got made in the first place. On Paper, Funk Of Titans seems like a fun and challenging platformer with a cool concept, but in reality, it?s nothing more than a cheesy, auto running mess with horrendously boring gameplay.

In Funk of Titans, you have to defeat the Music Titans of Pop, Rap and Rock in the name of funk. As Perseus (wielder of Funk-Fu, ugh) you will play through 40+ levels through the 3 different worlds of music, fighting enemies and collecting gold records throughout each level. As you progress through each level you can find alternate paths that may lead you to a bonus stage icon that will unlock a mini game once the current stage is completed. It all sounds fantastic, until you actually pick up the controller and begin playing, as this game does not work like a normal platformer should.

First off, you DO NOT have full control of Perseus, but rather press buttons on the controller to keep him from dying. He constantly runs at full speed and all you can do is press Jump when he comes to a pit, or Attack when he comes to an enemy. Sometimes you may have to press Jump to bounce on an enemy or perform a wall jump, or press attack to break down a door, but this is where the control variety ends. Perseus can take two hits from the enemies (which are all the same in every level) before he dies. Falling down a pit will be instant death, but since there are NO Checkpoints in any level, if you die ? it?s back to the beginning.

There are no stock of lives, instead you just keep trying by repeating the same button presses over and over again until you manage to get through a level. Sometimes you may come to a door that you cannot open without a certain weapon. If you have enough gold records, you can acquire new weapons via the in-game store, but opening these doors is all they are used for. They do not make you stronger or affect gameplay in any other manner. unlocking these doors will only lead you to a Bonus Stage Icon or maybe a different path to complete the level, so this entire play mechanic is a pointless attempt to add replay value. Besides the boring free running gameplay and the bonus stages you can unlock, you will also have to fight Boss characters from time to time. These Boss fights are made up of nothing more than QTE?s or Quick Time Events where (you guessed it) simply press buttons at the right time to win. It?s all simplistic, boring and sometimes feels like an actual chore to complete anything in this game.

The visuals are another story, as they are just OK. Definitely not something representative of the Xbox One?s power, but not too ugly that it?s a turn off. there are some interesting lighting effects in some of the levels, and the art style for the character models are somewhat nice. Overall, it?s just average looking and will not blow you away by any means. Audibly, there?s really nothing to mention. You have your typical grunts from killing enemies, and occasionally are treated to one of Perseus? “Funk-o-delic” catchphrases as you ?play? thought a level. Music is just the same 70?s style track for every level, while the boss fights get a slightly different version of the same track. It?s all very repetitive and gets annoying after a short while.

With almost no control, repetitive gameplay, and overall lackluster presentation, I cannot recommend Funk Of Titans on any level. It feels more like a free to play game for iOS or Android, rather than a console title. I did not enjoy playing through this and barely had enough strength to complete some levels, not because they were challenging or anything, but I was falling asleep while playing.

The only reason why Funk Of Titans did not receive a failing grade is due to the fact that it does what it is programmed to do. No glitches or problems that hinder gameplay (what little of it there is) and everything works as it was intended. If this game had been free to play, I probably would have dismissed many things and given it a higher score, but at $8.99, this is one you can definitely skip.