Firebreak – a promising experiment, but still half-baked

Łukasz Grochal

FBC: Firebreak, built on Remedy’s Northlight engine, is a three-player cooperative FPS set in the anomalous Oldest House six years after Control. It introduces physics- and element-based mission design, leveraging water, fire, electricity, and environmental props across five unique “jobs”—from clearing sticky-note carpets to neutralizing ice anomalies.

Players pick one of three kits (Splash, Jump, Fix), a weapon, grenades, and perks, enabling synergistic combo tactics (e.g., soaking enemies then electrocuting them) However, combat feels deliberately slower than Control, weapon handling varies in quality, and missions suffer from erratic difficulty spikes tied to the Clearance system and short mission length.

While emergent gameplay shines in moments, balance issues and limited replayability hold it back. Fixes and additional jobs planned post-launch may address these concerns .

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