Since the masterfulControlandAlan Wake 2, I’ve developed a strong trust inRemedy Entertainment’s ability to create incredible games. After playing an early build ofFBC: Firebreak, I feel confident my trust is well-placed. I had the chance to go hands-on with the game for a few hours, teaming up with a fellow journalist and a member of Remedy’s development team, and mere hours after this session, I felt the itch to get back and play more.
If you’re unfamiliar, FBC: Firebreak is a multiplayer co-op shooter for up to three players set after the events of Control. With the Oldest House sealed and those still inside doing what they can to survive, you’ll take on the role of a member of Firebreak, a task force equipped with makeshift gear to delve deep into the facility to hold back the Hiss.
Complete with varying locations, appropriately strange and horrific creatures, and Objects of Power, it’s a game that demands strategy and teamwork to survive, while also offering a range of modifiers to make it easier should you need it - or, on the other end, to ramp things up to a hellish suicide run.
It Feels Like A Spiritual Successor To Left 4 Dead
Extraction shooters seem to be all the rage nowadays. Helldivers 2 and Hunt: Showdown are more recent examples of successful titles in the genre, but more continue to show up every couple of months, likeBungie’sMarathonandDevolver Digital’sMycopunk. Despite the slight oversaturation of the genre, FBC: Firebreak stands apart in one key way: it feels more like the classics of the genre, rather than a product of live-service trends.
Between levels (called Jobs, here), you can use experience and in-game collected currency to unlock upgrades, gear, and better weapons. It’s all fairly streamlined, with perks for you to get stuck into if you’re eager to handcraft a certain build, while the overall system is simple enough if you’re not bothered about the small details. If you just want to drop in and play the game, you can, but if you want to ramp up the difficulty, then you’ll need to prepare a little more.
Jobs themselves are simple: get in, complete your objectives, and get back to the elevator to extract. I got to try out three different kinds of Jobs, but at launch, there will be a total of five, with two more coming later in 2025.
All future playable content and updates for the game will be free of charge, including the upcoming Jobs in 2025 and 2026.
There are no guarantees of safety throughout each level – I got swarmed by a horde of Hiss in a bunker, which I assumed would be a safe zone – so you’ll have to keep active and aware at all times. There are showers to heal yourself and nullify status conditions, and ammo stations to restock, but on higher difficulties, these will be more sparse and randomly placed, instead of set at the start of each area.
The Loadouts And Jobs Are Refreshing, But Not Limiting
When preparing for missions, you can choose one of three loadouts, which will determine your gear, abilities, weapons, and general playstyle. While they each focus on specific specialisations, they also won’t be completely necessary to complete Jobs, and they can also be customised as you play. That means if you play solo or in duos rather than a full trio, you won’t miss out on the loadouts not being used.
My build was mainly centred around my Humidifier for healing teammates, and my Teapot flamethrower for dealing with large hordes of Hiss. It was perfect for those more intense moments, and as you turn up the difficulty, you’ll need to be ready for plenty of those moments.
Before a Job, you may set the Threat Level and the Clearance Level. The Threat Level will determine how intense and strong the actual Hiss are and the difficulty you’ll face there, while the Clearance Level will determine the length and complexity of the Job. I tried out a range of these combinations, and having everything set to low means the Job can be finished within a matter of minutes, while higher means you could be struggling through everything for upwards of 30 minutes only for it to all fall apart at the end.
This Is An Extraction Shooter That Understands Fun Over Profit
There’s so much fun to be found in beginning a Job and wondering at how strangely quiet everything seems, only for terrifyingly large hordes of Hiss to suddenly swarm your team from all angles. The fact that this game provides a purely enjoyable and terrifying experience is a wonderful thing, especially when it’s also set to arrive on Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass for PC, along with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium.
The game itself will cost $39.99 / €39.99 / £32.99 and will be available on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
For Remedy’s first dive into the multiplayer scene, and one that, on the surface, follows in the steps of titles chasing modern trends, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my time with the game. It’s a high-quality title, described by Remedy as “double-A” production prior to my hands-on, and even in this earlier build, it feels incredibly polished and complete. I’m eager to dive deeper into the Oldest House with friends in June.
With a low price and subscription services making it more accessible than many other titles, along with already planned free content for 2025 and 2026, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of extraction shooters, those looking to get into the genre, or just fans of Remedy’s games overall.
