In the second of our Switch Player previews about FUZE4 on the Nintendo Switch, this writer delves into the sheer wealth of content available once those informative tutorials have been completed.
The world is your oyster in FUZE4, with a coding language that is easy to pick up and an intuitive control scheme that has been embedded within it. It will be all too common for those looking to create their first game to ‘run before they can walk’, and it very much feels as though the developers behind FUZE4 have sought to support players in doing so.
By selecting ‘Media’ from the main menu, you are presented with some excellent resources that have been made available for use. With over 10,000 examples of 2D, 3D and audio gaming assets with a value that stands at over $1,000, the statistics speak for themselves. It is abundantly clear that the contributions to FUZE4 have been carefully selected to promote the best that FUZE4 has to offer, whilst also catering to the vast and varied needs of developers and players alike.
Alongside this content are a number of tools which players both beginning their coding journey or in the more advanced stages can make full use of. From developers to 3D artists and freelance animators, there is a lot to play around with. Each comes with SFX, animations and images that can be imported into your project for full, independent use, or edited beforehand to tailor it to what you were looking for. This is just one of a number of examples that highlight the comprehensive and detailed coding collection that FUZE4 is.
If, like this writer, a spark of inspiration is needed before delving into your own project, the development team have that covered too. By selecting ‘Programs’ from the main menu, you can choose from a number of different 2D and 3D games that have been created and verified by the FUZE4 team. Platformers, Kart Racing and 3D shooting all make an appearance, and provide that moment of magic someone may be looking for to decide on their next big project.
Each of the projects can either be run or the code deciphered, or better still, modified to make them your own. FUZE4 is very much a game for the players, and encourages creativity and freedom of expression. Tweaking some of the variables or figures can make for significant changes to the outcome of the game, and this is an excellent way for those less confident to learn whilst doing. The coders have even commented on their code using the ‘//’ convention so that an understanding of what the code does can be established quickly and efficiently.
The care and attention that has been poured into FUZE4 is plain to see, and there is a lot to like here. There are many avenues to explore and opportunities to develop your skills as a coder in this modern world. Has it resulted in a coding kit that is accessible by all, or is the niche representation of software such as this a reflection of its place in the market? Find out in our review of FUZE4, out this Friday.