FBC: Firebreak - Team Review - Take Control
FBC: Firebreak is the latest game from the minds behind the excellent Control and Alan Wake, but it is something a little different. This time, it is a three-player, PVE experience set in Control’s Oldest House. So we assembled a crack team featuring Paul James, Shaun Nicholls and Matt Hewson to see if this new direction features the same Remedy magic they are used to.
Matt: Well, here we are, a new Remedy game, and to be honest, I almost let this one slip by me. I mean, Remedy is one of my favourite developers of all time, I think Alan Wake 2 is the best game of the last 20 years, and almost all of their titles hold a special place in my heart, but there was something about FBC: Firebreak that almost made my eyes glaze over. There have been so many L4D-likes over the years that another one, even one made by Remedy, fails to excite me. How did you guys feel jumping in?
Paul: It is fairly well documented that multiplayer isn’t really my thing, but if there is to be a vertical of multiplayer experiences that I’ll get into, it is this team-based, co-operative, PvE style where I don’t feel the weight of my relative ineptitude constantly rearing its head, though gents, please let me know if that’s still apparent as we continue playing FBC: Firebreak. With all of that said, I’m fairly well enjoying my time with the game. Don’t get me wrong, Remedy not focusing on story, and going multiplayer feels wrong. FBC: Firebreak is a very clear representation of their time and skills not being pointed at the right project, but as a game, it’s still perfectly fun. For me, this is a great, bite-sized multiplayer title that I can get around, though as a live-service, I do worry that there’s not enough meat on the bone as it were, to keep its audience around, and could very easily see the game sitting on the mass grave of dead live-service games sooner, rather than later.
Shaun: A month or two ago, I would have been very likely to be in the same camp as Paul, but that was before experiencing the fresh and different gaming experience of Elden Ring: Nightreign. There, we saw what can be made when you let a team make use of existing assets to create something different. This time it’s Remedy’s turn with FBC: Firebreak, a completely different experience to the dark and mystical narratives of Control and Alan Wake. Rather than a variation of their regular single-player experience, Remedy has given its Devs the freedom to build upon the foundations of the Federal Bureau of Control, bringing something new to fans of the universe. I suppose the big question is how much overlap do we see in the Venn diagram of people who are willing to invest the time in a co-op shooter, with people who are fans of the narrative experience of Remedy’s games. Am I one of the ones who sit in either of those camps? Not really, but I can enjoy some casual co-op action and had a lot of fun taking on the Hot Zones with Matt and Paul.
The Breakout Kits
The Jump Kit - Paul
I was quite excited by the idea of having some electrical abilities at my disposal in this game, but was somewhat underwhelmed by the execution in-game. I can’t offer anything of substance for teammates, charging objects is fine, but something everyone else can do, just a bit slower, and it feels like the range I have to deal damage to enemies that are wet is quite limited. The boom box, though, I love it. The ability to lure in nearby hiss, only for it to explode on them, is awesome. Ultimately, the Jump Kit has some cool perks, but I think the balancing is a bit off. I feel it needs some tweaking before it’s as potent as it could/should be.
The Splash Kit - Shaun
Much like Paul’s experience with the Jump Kit, I was a little bit underwhelmed by the usefulness of the giant water pistol my avatar was slinging around. Being able to put out fires, whether it’s my teammates burning or the environment, is useful, but it seems like the biggest use for the splash kit is filling up humidifiers that will cover the area in a spray of healing water. It is also slightly jarring that the water from the humidifier and shower will restore health, but all my water does is make you wet, though I will admit, the charged water blast is really effective for the sticky note levels.
The Fix Kit - Matt
As for the Fix Kit, I feel like it is probably the most balanced of the classes straight out of the gate. The efficiency with which I could repair items in the world, even when being attacked by the Hiss was key to just getting things done without dying. I also found the starting shotgun pretty darn handy and didn’t feel the need to upgrade to a different weapon for ages. The Fix Kit also plays a huge support role to the other classes, keeping their gadgets and doodads running, not just sorting out environmental gadgets. I think this is the best class to start with when diving into FBC
Matt: For me, I have enjoyed my time playing the game for sure. The distinct classes are great, there are some cool enemies, the shooting feels appropriately weighty, and there is undoubtedly that Remedy weirdness everywhere. I could certainly see myself coming back to this game every now and then for a quick blast of fun with friends if I had any confidence that it would be available for a long period of time. I think it is clear that this isn’t a game that Remedy wants you to play every single day, chasing season passes and events like most live service titles, so the chances of this hanging around a bit longer seem stronger, but still, server costs add up after a while and Remedy aren’t exactly the biggest money pit in the world. Still, I think I loved all of the game types on offer, and that gives me hope that others do too.
Paul: I’m really enjoying my time with the game, and I’m dabbling with all that it has on offer, but also, I’ve done that after 5 hours of game time. I’ve put significant time into the Jump Kit, but I’ve also experimented with the Splash and Fix Kits. I’ve checked out all five initially available levels and lifted the difficulty level within those, too. It’s a bit bare bones, which, to your point about sever costs, Matt, leaves me worried that even the biggest Remedy fans won’t have enough available to them in FBC Firebreak to justify the continued playing of the game. FBC Firebreak is unique, quirky, and very, very enjoyable, but I really would’ve liked more to do, even if it did mean that battle/season passes were present to give me something more to chase, or a couple of different mode types to spice things up. I’m sure all of these things are coming down the development pipeline, but I think some of these things needed to be there from Day 1 to really hit the ground running. Am I getting too carried away?
Shaun: One of the things that could help FBC Firebreak is that it has been made available on both Game Pass and PS Plus, potentially exposing it to a much greater player base than if it were relying purely on people purchasing the game. Does it have enough meat to keep players engaged? Well, that remains to be seen, and I think it will also have a lot to do with any planned extra content coming down the pipeline. One thing that could help to keep players engaged is the different difficulty settings. I must say, whether it is just the way the game is designed or because we were woefully under-prepared, but that was a significant difficulty spike that had us hard pressed just trying to survive, let alone making forward progress. Those who like a challenge will thrive in these conditions, but considering our biggest challenge on normal difficulty was running out of ammo, there is a very real risk that the lack of challenge may turn people off the grind needed to be successful at those higher difficulty levels.
Matt: I think you are right there, the meat on the bones is the major concern. I think without extra content, and soon, things could be dire. The industry is just too cutthroat on these sorts of games at the moment. That would be a massive shame because I think there is a great game here, and like a lot of these sorts of experiences, they need time to work out how to get it to that great game. I just hope they get the chance to get there. For mine, as it is, it is a fun diversion for the occasional dabble with friends and nothing more.
Paul: As Shaun referenced, the PS+ and Game Pass bags will help give this game every chance of success. I just hope that our concerns are something that Remedy was already well aware of, such that the next big content drop is only around the corner. The foundations of the game are excellent, and there’s a lot of fun to be had. I’m still experimenting with builds as I flesh out what my Jump Kit loadout looks like. The unique Remedy flair, seen in the sticky-note levels to the pink pus balls covering others, is readily apparent, so I only hope that we can see more from the FBC Firebreak over the coming months and years. This is a multiplayer experience I want to spend much more time with.
Shaun: Only time will tell if FBC: Firebreak is not only embraced by players but also whether it can keep them engaged with the content and gameplay loop. I think a lot of the success will also come down to players experiencing the game along with their friends. I had a blast while playing with Matt and Paul, but I am also the sort of person who doesn’t tend to have my mic on when I am playing with randoms. With Control 2 still a long way off, FBC: Firebreak allows fans to run amok throughout The Oldest House, but some Old Gods of Asgard blasting while taking down a horde of Hiss wouldn’t go astray either. Will it outlast the Hiss, or be consigned to the failed co-op shooter dumpster? We just have to wait and see.
FBC: Firebreak was reviewed on PS5 with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
