On paper, the concept of EA developing an arcade-style boxing title looks fantastic. It turns out to be a thing of beauty, but has gameplay as thin as that sheet of paper. The rapid-fire button-mashing action of FaceBreaker makes it a twisted combination of a boxing game and a fighting game. The problem is that it works poorly as either. It lacks the nuance of a boxing game, with punches flying about as a hummingbird flutters its wings, and the control depth of a fighting game. The simplistic control scheme fails to include combos, leaving you pounding away on the buttons without purpose.
The boxers' lack of mobility is also an issue, with your movement limited to a 2D plane and sluggish movements. There is a 'dash' ability, tapping the left stick in the direction you want to move, but it is badly unresponsive. The lack of depth continues to the decent-sized roster of boxers. Though the cartoony caricatures look different enough, they all play the same. The unique art style of the game is a microcosm of the game itself, style without substance.
