FBC: Firebreak marks a rare multiplayer effort from Remedy Entertainment, known for single-player titles like Alan Wake 2. Set just weeks after Control, the game places players in the FBC agents’ shoes, maintaining The Oldest House amid a Hiss invasion.
The narrative is minimal, offering few story beats beyond a brief setup. Players jump straight into cooperative first-person missions involving tasks such as repairing ventilation, storing radioactive spheres, and clearing infestations.
Gameplay revolves around three kit classes:
- Fix Kit: Engineer role focusing on repairs with a wrench.
- Jump Kit: Uses electrical charges to activate stations and traverse environments.
- Splash Kit: Employs a water cannon to extinguish fires and cleanse teammates.
While players can perform tasks outside their kit’s specialty, these actions require complex input sequences, leaving them vulnerable to enemy hordes. Proper team coordination and kit roles are crucial.
Technically, the game runs smoothly on PS5 and PS5 Pro, maintaining a stable 60 FPS with responsive DualSense haptics. Visually, the blend of brutalist architecture and mundane office elements captures the Remedy aesthetic, with familiar UI touches recalling Control.
However, early missions feel repetitive and lack excitement, especially in solo play. The game gradually opens up with five missions available at three clearance levels, adding rooms and boss encounters. Difficulty levels and “corruptions” introduce modifiers that increase challenge.
Progression rewards XP and Lost Aspects for unlocking weapons, gear, and perks, allowing gradually more intricate loadouts with up to nine perk slots per kit. Higher difficulties offer currencies to enhance perks further.
When combined, these systems bring depth, requiring attention to ammo, health, and status effects like fire, frost, or radiation. The game’s distinctive quirks emerge through ultimate weapons—such as a lava-spewing teapot or coin-shooting piggy bank—and level hazards like expanding pink goo or aggressive sticky-note enemies.
Combat against large Hiss hordes introduces occasional performance dips but adds frantic energy. These moments showcase Remedy’s trademark eccentricity, though they are not frequent enough to sustain momentum.
Remedy has emphasized avoiding a live service model, aiming instead for a self-contained experience with planned post-launch content. This approach is commendable but highlights Firebreak’s struggle to engage players consistently from the start.
Unlike games like Elden Ring Nightreign, which remain compelling throughout, Firebreak peaks late but often fizzles out. Successful mission completions lack the tension or reward to inspire extended play.
“FBC: Firebreak offers a solid foundation with its world, roles, and gameplay, but it lacks the spark that defines Remedy’s best work.”
In summary, Firebreak delivers enjoyable cooperative shooting with interesting mechanics and a strong visual identity. Yet, it ultimately falls short as a captivating multiplayer experience, leaving players more eager for Remedy’s single-player projects like Control 2.