A New Era for the Control Universe
Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind Control, Alan Wake, and more, is moving into unfamiliar territory with FBC: Firebreak, a cooperative first-person shooter taking place in The Oldest House. Firebreak differs from Remedy's narrative-focused games where it emphasises gameplay instead of a longer, slow-burn campaign while still retaining the iconic disturbing world Remedy has built.
Not a Live-Service Game... A "Session Shooter"
By comparing it with the existing live-service games like Destiny 2 or Fortnite, FBC: Firebreak does not explore the daily grind of battle pass rewards and without the presence of week-long and limited-time events to have an impact in gameplay. Rather, it introduces the concept of "jobs," where players fight their enemies utilising various "crisis kits" built to their styles of gameplay, whether fighting close combat or health.
Aspects of Co-op Gameplay that Are New
Firebreak offers a unique selection of mechanics, such as tuning multiple enemy levels of threats and levels of clearance and follow-up with cooperative synergy with Crisis Kits. Players can weaken enemies together or interact with the environment, such as by turning lights on or scrubbing off sticky notes.
Health and Reward Balancing Gameplay
At the end of each mission and completing the difficulty, and based on the order of completion, the player engages an Exfiltration, where if players successfully complete the mission, they earn health and in-game currency for obtaining cosmetics. Even if the player does not complete the mission successfully but drops to the threat zone and is revived by a teammate, this system creates a loop of rewarding enjoyment while also incentivising players through XP, establishing replayability.
Final Considerations
Scheduled for release in Summer 2025, FBC: Firebreak hopes to rework the co-op shooter genre with a focus on balance between approachability and depth. If Remedy is able to deliver the same level of gameplay polish and immersive storytelling it is known for, it has the potential to be another sleeper hit in the modern multiplayer space.
