FBC Firebreak – A Strong Spark That Needs More Fuel

I’ve always loved Remedy Games. Even though I wasn’t supposed to be playing Max Payne as a kid, life finds a way. Their games played a pivotal role in shaping my interest in the medium and its potential.

So when Remedy announced FBC: Firebreak, a cooperative shooter that looked like Left 4 Dead 2 set in Control’s Oldest House, I was immediately intrigued. Leading up to release, it sounded like exactly the kind of game I needed in a multiplayer space overflowing with live service titles that waste your time and feel like a second job.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite wow me the way I’d hoped. Still, given how multiplayer games evolve these days, I’m holding out hope that the best is yet to come.

Lost Assets

At its core, the idea behind the Firebreakers is pretty novel. The Oldest House is a dangerous place that requires constant maintenance and threat management. That’s where the Firebreakers come in. Unlike Jesse, who has literal superpowers, these are regular people equipped with specific kits and firearms to take on the Hiss and other anomalies. It’s a fun premise that reminds me a bit of Viscera Cleanup Detail, where you clean up the aftermath of horrific sci-fi horror events.

That said, you could practically change the setting to another game entirely, and the experience wouldn’t be that different. FBC: Firebreak doesn’t make great use of Control’s setting, not in a way that I hoped. For one, there isn’t exactly a narrative here, and I’m not saying a campaign is necessary, but individual jobs could have a more eventful structure and personality. Characters sometimes share some dialogue, but it’s nothing that adds to the world created by Remedy.

These jobs simply feel repetitive and monotonous, and I’m not sure that was the intent. You move from one zone to another, fixing things, and shooting the same boring enemies over and over.

There’s no strong reason to choose one job over another, aside from deciding what kind of threat you’re in the mood for or which level you think you’ll finish faster. Compared to something like Left 4 Dead 2, which has a light narrative structure, Firebreak doesn’t aim to surprise or escalate in a meaningful way. It never feels like there are any real stakes. Before you know it, the mission ends, and you’re rewarded with a few points for your mundane efforts.

There are some neat ideas, like the fact that you shower to replenish health, and there are some simple but engaging mini-games for some of the tasks. The gunplay is decent, and the weapon variety is solid too, but the game makes you grind a fair bit to get the better variants.

For a game that doesn’t want to fall into the trappings of other live-service titles, it’s a shame that you’re forced to interact with a battle-pass style upgrade system, where you don’t exactly have a choice if you want specific upgrades for weapons and kits. You have to spend resources to move to the next page, and before you know it, you’re doing exactly what you would in a live-service game: playing to unlock, rather than playing for fun.

Road Ahead

For all its problems, FBC: Firebreak is still a pretty fun game, especially with friends. Yes, every multiplayer game can be fun with friends, but going back to the Viscera Cleanup Detail example, there is something very appealing to me here when it comes to the premise. I find enjoyment in the mundane, but it has to feel a bit more varied, less repetitive, and not held back by grind.

Thankfully, since its launch, Remedy has already released two major patches that directly address the game’s progression, balancing, performance, onboarding, UI, and economy. I honestly believe that if the game launched with these, it would’ve fared much better. They put out a fairly lengthy and candid statement on Steam, assuring fans that improvements are on the way and they’re listening. Here are the opening paragraphs:

It’s been exciting (and nerve-wracking) to see our first multiplayer game out in the wild. Launching FBC: Firebreak is a significant milestone for us, not just because it’s our first online co-op game, but because we’ve self-published it as well. Several things have gone well. Clearly, not everything has. 

We’ve been reading all the reviews, comments, and feedback from the community across social platforms, Discord, and our Steam forums, as well as the analytics we are getting. It’s clear there are features that need to improve. And they will improve. Thank you for the feedback. We hear you loudly and clearly. Please keep the feedback coming. 

Player numbers have dropped on Steam, but the reviews are getting more positive, especially compared to the release. I hope that Remedy continues to take the feedback to heart, and we see FBC: Firebreak reach its true potential over time.