We analyze FBC: Firebreak, the new proposal from Remedy and its first multiplayer cut game.
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In recent years, it has become common for all developers to seek their share of the pie in the multiplayer sector. The trend, in general, has been a series of games that, although fun experiences, did not meet the standards of the companies and ended up succumbing. Examples like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League by Rocksteady still resonate on networks as one of the most evident.
Despite everything, development teams continue to bet on games of this caliber, and the latest example is FBC: Firebreak, the new online multiplayer game from Remedy. Yes, the creators of Alan Wake and Control are venturing into uncharted territory for them with a game that shares a universe with both.
The so-called Remedyverse continues to add chapters, and although this new proposal does not bring new details about the overall plot, it does allow us to revisit some scenarios already seen in Control. Not in vain, we will take on the role of a member of the FBC cleaning team responsible for eliminating and fixing any problems that arise in the central.
A title that has wanted to ensure a good base of players from the start and, to do so, has made a curious bet. First, it has not been a free-to-play, like many other games of the same style, but Remedy has decided to include it from launch in both Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus. Additionally, it has moved away from the typical seasonal pass content, allowing us to unlock almost everything by playing. That said, there are microtransactions.
Technical Section
For this game, Remedy has chosen, as we could expect, its usual development engine: the Northlight Engine. With this, they have achieved several things. The first, that the game reminds us of Control in its visual aspect, with a very continuous aesthetic and artistic direction. On the other hand, it does not achieve a high technical feat, but it meets the essentials: 60 FPS at all times, even in moments of maximum action.
We have enjoyed it on Xbox Series X, where it meets all our expectations for a game in 2025. Reduced loading times, Quick Resume (although being online it’s not that useful) and stability in FPS are worthy of praise.
Perhaps the only negative point in the technical section is the sound. Although Remedy usually presents impeccable work (at least in the original versions), in FBC: Firebreak, it leaves much to be desired. The music goes almost unnoticed, including in the menus, and the sound effects do not take the protagonism they deserve when they occur.
In short, a very flat sensation in the sound aspect that does not make any moment unforgettable.
Gameplay
FBC: Firebreak is a first-person shooter, something unusual for Remedy, with cooperative matches for three players where we will have to face AI-controlled enemies. Can it be played solo? Yes, but the experience is designed to be played with company, and in the higher levels, it is almost essential.
In total, we will have five jobs at our disposal, where we can select a series of parameters. First, the level, which will allow us to play longer or shorter matches, as it adds more rooms to overcome. Of course, difficulty, where we have a wide spectrum, and modifiers, which will add various elements like explosive corpses.
Of course, the higher the difficulty, the greater the reward, and not just experience, because we will also get documents and other materials that will allow us to buy weapons, upgrades, and abilities. A system very similar to the one seen in Helldivers 2, since these do not disappear over time and we can obtain them whenever we want.
But customization goes beyond choosing the type of grenade or abilities, because we have three crisis kits to choose from. These are the character classes that we can select for each mission. Each one has a special weapon that performs necessary functions to advance in each map. The combination of them is fundamental, although we can overcome all challenges without the presence of the specialist.
On one hand, we have the Repair Kit, armed with a wrench, which allows us to repair any object we find in the maps. The electric kit returns and reactivates electrical mechanisms with powerful discharges, and finally, the cleaning kit, which can put out fires and clean our companions of any interdimensional dirt.
There is a certain synergy between the three kits as we said, and the combination of all will be significant. Teams that have all three have more options for victory, since all are essential in various moments in each map, although of course, there are areas where one is needed more than the other.
The missions are the typical ones we can expect: fixing machinery, collecting objects, etc. But Remedy has given it its personal touch, and we have, for example, a zone where we will have to clean it up with shotgun blasts or destroy a pink fluid of dubious origin. Of course, the elements typical of the saga are not missing, and beyond the enemies already seen in Control, we find possessed objects that we must neutralize.
Duration
Since it’s an online game without any kind of story mode, talking about duration is complicated. Because, as we always decide, it depends a lot on each player.
The rounds will vary between a few minutes to almost twenty or thirty, depending on the levels or modifications we include in each match. We have five maps at the beginning, and two more will arrive in the coming months, but beyond this, there are no more options.
With all this, it’s a game that we can dedicate a good amount of hours to, along with two friends. It’s, without a doubt, the classic game that stays installed on the console or PC, which we don’t pay attention to, but to which we sometimes return to play a relaxed match with friends.
Conclusion
FBC: Firebreak falls short as a Remedy game. It’s true that being their first multiplayer, it’s a title that’s not bad and meets what’s expected of it. But it arrives short on content and incentives, with a simple gameplay system that doesn’t innovate or propose anything new.
The sensation it leaves us with is that it could perfectly pass as an online mode from the past, which accompanied the big releases. In this case, this FBC: Firebreak could be a great addition to Control or the future Control 2, as an online aspect within the main game that incentivizes the player. But far from that, we have an individual title that seeks to make a place in a saturated market.
For all this, although the experience is pleasant and fun, FBC: Firebreak raises serious doubts about its long-term projection when the wave of its debut passes.
Javier collaborates in writing news about videogames in general. He has covered large analysis embargoes and is very versatile.
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