FBC: Firebreak

Remedy's co-op FPS is a fun Control spin-off when everything goes right, though such circumstances can prove elusive early on.

FBC: Firebreak has plenty of potential, but feels like early access in its current state. Remedy's patented surrealism, the core gameplay, and class synergy are high notes in particular; however the game is let down by a lack of content and technical issues. Hopefully, over time, FBC Firebreak can live up to its potential.

No summary available

The biggest issue that FBC: Firebreak has is that it’s far too ordinary for its own universe.

Remedy's paranormal playground becomes a paperwork simulator in FBC: Firebreak's chaotic but colorless co-op experiment.

FBC: Firebreak is a compelling co-op shooter that, despite its good looks, doesn’t have the depth to keep things interesting long-term.

FBC: Firebreak's madcap mission conceits are delightfully silly, but balancing issues and limited replay value hinder the fun.

A bold approach to the concept of work marks this game out as a singular enterprise.

FBC: Firebreak is a tedious co-op shooter, lacking in moment-to-moment fun gameplay and rewarding progression. The mission objectives, while unique, are deeply boring to actually engage with, and the shooting itself doesn’t meet the standard set by other games in the genre. The story connections to Control are easter eggs at best, making FBC: Firebreak an experience not worthy of your time.

Control without the superpowers was always going to be a tough sell. Sadly, FBC: Firebreak makes a pretty appalling case. Moments of supernatural whimsy are few and far between, bogged down by repetitive objectives centering around shooting some pretty mediocre feeling guns.

As the studio's debut multiplayer game, it comes with the expected warts and wonders of a first effort. But it's how Remedy was able to blend the game's unique experiences with the unpredictability of online co-op play that makes FBC: Firebreak the weird one-of-a-kind game it is.

Still, they could serve as an opportunity to de-boring the lower Clearance Levels, by replacing the simple repair tasks with more unique and substantial objectives. That would both sweeten the deal of replaying jobs for XP, and steer Firebreak back towards to the ideal of shorter deployments that are still worth playing. Would such an approach risk overstuffing a full, three-stage job? Maybe, but then this is the studio that made We Sing and the Ashtray Maze, and I’d very much like to see F...