FBC: Firebreak Review - Trouble In The Old House

Remedy is often known for creating artistic games that are loved across the industry. You don't have to look too hard to find out why many people love games like Control or Alan Wake 2. Funny enough, both games are within a shared universe that's ever-expanding. This time around, Remedy decided to try something entirely different with its newly released multiplayer shooter FBC: Firebreak.

Instead of being a third-person game where players are controlling a washed-up writer or a director of a top-secret organization, they play a member of the FBC in first person while trying to survive the onslaught of Hiss that is coming their way. For better or worse, the game often forgets that it can get very dull very fast.

I had a lot of hope when I initially loaded into FBC: Firebreak. After all, throughout the years, I've found myself getting more and more invested in the world that Remedy has been creating. To see more of the Old House, which is the main location where Control takes place, seemed like a no-brainer. FBC has a simple concept, too; in short, the Old House has been in lockdown for quite a while now because of the Hiss, and due to this, anyone who can take up arms has in hopes of driving them back.

Unfortunately, that's where a lot of the main story ends, too. But little tidbits of lore can be found throughout the game if you really look for them. One example can be seen in the game's loading menu, where notes are signed off by Alex, Jesse, and other characters from Control, offering a glimpse into what's happening. On top of that, every so often, the game's announcer will drop clues on what's going on overall.

But getting story beats like this seems like a major disservice to a studio that has prided itself on telling compelling stories. A lot of the core gameplay loops players into doing the same thing more and more until they've done it enough to progress further in the level.

For example, in one of the main stages, I was tasked with destroying a bunch of sticky notes because of how dangerous they were. At first, this task seems easy enough, but it quickly becomes dull when you find yourself shooting yellow pads for what feels like five to ten minutes. Even more so when you realize that's the only objective for one level, and you find yourself doing it all over again once you load into the next level.

The game does try to keep things fresh with the Clearance System, but it ultimately falls flat. The way it works is if it's your first time playing a level, you'll have a Clearance Level 1, it'll and the task will be simple. But the catch is that, oftentimes, the job you're assigned can drag, and once it's completed, you'll unlock Level 2 and 3. To get to the extended parts of the level, you'll need to essentially play through all of Clearance Level 1 and 2, which is always the same extract thing.

Getting to the end of a Clearance Level 3 can be a lot of fun because it's where the full level truly shines. In one of mine, when I got to the end, I found myself fighting a giant sticky note monster the size of a kaiju. Getting to that point can be such a drag, it's easy to drop said level and try a new one altogether. 

But it's not all doom and gloom. Because the Corruption System is sometimes enough to keep things interesting, even if you've played the same level three or four times. This effectively works as another difficulty modifier. The level you put it on will often change things drastically.

For example, when using it, it can sometimes buff enemies, make them fly, or even move around key locations, such as the showers and ammo stations, which can cause a bit of anxiety to arise during a fight. So if you're looking to challenge yourself, the Corruption System is definitely worth checking out.

While playing, you'll have the chance to pick between three main Kits. By all accounts, these serve as classes for players to pick from. The three players can pick from Splash, Jump, and Fix. In short, Splash allows you to spray water at objects and allies via a water hose, which can be useful when you need to clean someone off. Fix gives players a wrench that lets them instantly fix any machine that is broken, and Jump lets them power up key locations on a moment's notice. The thing is, though, FBC: Firebreak does a poor job of explaining the significance of these, and oftentimes it can be easy to forget to use them.

It's a real bummer because a lot of the game follows the same formula. You unlock a level and are tasked with doing a remedial task over and over until you've unlocked a second stage in it. But by that time, it's extremely easy to feel burnt out in the game. It's clear FBC: Firebreak took a lot of inspiration from games like Left 4 Dead or Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, but one of the main things that separates those games from FBC is the gunplay.

This is another part of where the game handicaps itself. I found myself bored whenever I was getting swarmed by hordes of enemies. It was because the guns felt dull. Oftentimes, you want them to feel powerful or have some kind of kick to them. However, that wasn't the case with FBC; in fact, many of them felt janky and run-down. Although that may have been by design, it doesn't translate into good gameplay.

To make matters worse, upgrading weapons and perks is a drag. The way the progressive system works is rather odd and feels more like a battle pass system than anything else. After each level, players are awarded in-game points, and they can sometimes gain more by picking up files as they run through levels. Once you've reached the end, you'll be able to spend these points on various things.

But there's a catch. To unlock more of the high-end gear, they'll have to unlock everything leading up to that. This means that if pages two through four have nothing but cosmetics, you'll have to purchase every single one of them before you can get to page five and unlock an upgraded weapon or something new to use in the game. So, it can often feel as if you're stuck with a pointless weapon or perks for quite a while, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

This is especially true when you realize that the same points you use to unlock weapons, upgrades, and gear are the same points that are needed to unlock better perks. I often found myself asking questions like "Do I need to heal faster, or do I need to upgrade my Spray Kit?" Even though this can be a fun way to challenge yourself for each run, it does make things unnecessarily complicated. 

FBC: Firebreak isn't all that bad, though. If Remedy is good at one thing, it's nailing down aesthetics. Walking through the Old House in first person does give the game a fresh coat of paint that I didn't know it needed until then. And the game isn't afraid to get weird with itself, either. There are still plenty of moments where you'll be confused about what you just shot at or did, and that's all part of the Remedy charm that a lot of folks have come to know and love.

FBC: Firebreak Review | Final Thoughts

FBC: Firebreak seems like a giant swing and a miss. It's straightforward. Remedy attempted to step out of its comfort zone, but it failed in the process of doing so. The progressive system is dull, the gunplay is boring, and the overall loop isn't enough to keep players coming back for more.

FBC: Firebreak was reviewed on PC with a copy provided by the developer over the course of 10 hours of gameplay - all screenshots were taken during the process of review.