Mere hours after my first dive into FBC: Firebreak, I found myself face-to-face with a delicious cream cake. Unfortunately, my clumsiness got the better of me, and a dollop of cream ended up in my blood orange cocktail, melting into it. As I watched the swirls, I was transported back to the eerie halls of the Federal Bureau of Control, firing bursts of energy at the glowing red enemies that haunted its corridors. This kind of surreal connection is exactly what a visit to Remedy’s headquarters does to your mind.
Remedy Entertainment, known for titles like Alan Wake and Max Payne, has always embraced a playful approach to game development. Firebreak, their latest venture into first-person and co-op multiplayer action, continues this tradition with its delightfully absurd elements. During my two-hour play session, I unleashed chaos with a murderous garden gnome and battled a towering sticky note behemoth. It’s this unique blend of humor and creativity that sets Remedy apart in the often-serious world of online shooters.
FBC: Firebreak - Gameplay Screenshots
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Set six years after the events of Remedy’s 2019 hit, Control, Firebreak returns players to the familiar setting of The Oldest House. The game retains both the grand architecture and subtle details of the original, from the brutalist design to the Finnish folk music echoing through the bathrooms. In Firebreak, players join squads tasked with tackling localized outbreaks of the Hiss, the inter-dimensional threat from Control. Armed with double-barreled shotguns instead of proton packs, you and up to two teammates are essentially this universe's Ghostbusters, where crossing the streams is not just allowed, but encouraged.
Let me elaborate. Beyond the standard pistols and rifles, players can choose from three unique “kits,” each serving different roles within the team. The Fix Kit enables quick repairs of machines like ammo stations and healing showers (yes, FBC employees restore health by getting drenched – it's all part of the silliness). The Splash Kit comes with a hydro cannon that can heal teammates and drench enemies, while the Jump Kit offers a short-range Electro-Kinetic Charge Impactor to stun foes. When these kits are combined, they can create devastating effects – imagine the impact of sending a high-voltage charge through a water-soaked enemy.
Although Firebreak can be played solo, the game clearly thrives on teamwork and communication, especially when the action heats up. Missions, known as "jobs," follow a straightforward structure: enter the level, complete your objectives, and return to the elevator. My first job involved fixing three faulty heat fans in the building's furnace while fending off waves of enemies, a task that required quick thinking and coordination.
But things can escalate quickly. The "Paper Chase" mission, for example, involved destroying thousands of sticky notes scattered across office spaces. To succeed, we had to remove a specific number of notes while battling relentless Hiss attacks. The notes themselves could attach to us, causing damage – a literal "death by a thousand paper cuts." While melee attacks could destroy them, using the elemental kits to soak and electrify the notes proved far more effective. This synergy, combined with solid gunplay, ensured that even solo players could contribute effectively. I found myself drawn to the machine gun, reveling in the satisfaction of mowing down the glowing red enemies, which burst into the familiar oily haze from Control.
The third mission, set in The Oldest House's Black Rock Quarry, demanded the highest level of teamwork. We had to shoot leeches from the cavern walls to obtain lethal radioactive pearls, which needed to be secured and transported deeper into the quarry. This mission was the most challenging, with radiation exposure, enemy swarms, and instakill astral spikes complicating our efforts. Despite the chaos, I found it incredibly engaging.
While I'm pleased with the mission objectives, I have mixed feelings about Firebreak's map design. The Oldest House in Control was a labyrinth of shifting corridors and secrets, but Firebreak's maps are more straightforward and linear. This design choice makes navigation easier in first-person view, though it does reduce some of the original's unpredictable charm. Don't expect the wonder of the Ashtray Maze here; instead, you'll find more grounded environments.
These missions might seem simple at first, but completing them unlocks higher clearance levels, adding more objectives and extending playtime. The maps expand with each revisit, introducing new chambers and more complex challenges. Bosses, ranging from bullet-sponge behemoths to creative monstrosities like the giant sticky note creature, gate your progress. The latter was particularly thrilling, requiring both communication and teamwork to defeat – a perfect blend of puzzle-solving and action reminiscent of Space Marine 2's expeditions.
The everyday objects turned into monsters are one of my favorite aspects of Control, and I'm thrilled to see this quirkiness continue in Firebreak. Randomly spawning corrupted items add another layer of intrigue, though I didn't encounter any during my session. A rubber duck that could divert enemies was mentioned, but its small size made it hard to spot – an issue the developers are addressing before launch. Another intriguing item was a set of traffic lights that could deal heavy damage if you were caught in its red beam, adding a dash of Squid Game flair to the game's brutalist setting.
Firebreak's strong foundation is tempered by my concerns about readability. The game's vibrant chaos can sometimes make it hard to discern objectives, avoid friendly fire, or identify bosses amidst the frenzy. The developers are aware of these issues and are working on improvements before the June 17 launch.
Firebreak will launch with five jobs, with two more promised by the end of 2025. These are more akin to game modes than traditional missions, offering replayability and depth through multiple clearance levels and evolving objectives. Priced at $39.99 / €39.99 / £32.99 and available on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, Firebreak offers good value for both Control veterans and newcomers looking for a fun, quirky shooter.
Navigating the crowded landscape of always-online co-op shooters is no easy feat, but after playing Firebreak, I'm confident in its potential. With a solid foundation and Remedy's signature quirky charm, Firebreak has the makings of a unique addition to the genre. Just like that dollop of cream added an unexpected twist to my cocktail – and yes, I still drank it all.
