Shacknews Most Overlooked Game of 2020 - Fuser

What's the general gaming audience going to remember the month of November for? They'll largely remember it for two things, especially since Cyberpunk got bumped to December. They'll remember it for the PlayStation 5 and for the Xbox Series X. It was the dawn of the next-gen console wars, so woe to anyone who attempted to release anything for the current console generation. Anything that released in these few weeks was bound to be overlooked.

Harmonix had the unfortunate timing of releasing their latest effort, Fuser, right in the middle of the next-gen hoopla. As everyone was either opening their new console boxes or frantically hitting "Refresh" in an effort to find the new hotness, there was a great music game sitting right under their noses.

Fuser is the DJ simulator for everyone. It's easy and accessible enough for people with no semblance of turntable skills. There's a full campaign dedicated to teaching players the ins-and-out of what it means to mix music. On the other side, there are enough features and details that seasoned mixers can appreciate it. Players can change beats, tempos, make their own instrument loops, and so much more. That it tries to embrace outdoor music festival culture and emulate shows like Coachella or Lollapalooza is a bonus.

We're hopeful that as the initial rush of excitement over the new consoles starts to subside, more people will look into what they've been missing with Fuser. Like Rock Band and Dance Central before it, Harmonix is making a concerted effort to add new DLC tracks on a regular basis, meaning there's even more to play it. Get on the turntables and make your own masterpiece! Or make your own nightmare fuel. Really, it's all up to you!

Check out the other winners from The Shacknews Awards 2020 in our Year of the Games: 2020 article.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?