FBC: Firebreak | Review Thread

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Game Information

Game Title: FBC: Firebreak

Platforms:

PC (Jun 17, 2025)
PlayStation 5 (Jun 17, 2025)
Xbox Series X/S (Jun 17, 2025)

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 75 average - 53% recommended

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Metacritic - 67 average based on 12 Critic Reviews

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Critic Reviews

AltChar - Semir Omerovic - 80 / 100
FBC: Firebreak isn't a revolutionary co-op shooter, but it is a very solid and surprisingly confident first attempt by Remedy to step into a new space. It borrows familiar mechanics and wraps them in the kind of surreal, stylish atmosphere that fans of Control will eat up. The shooting is solid, the content is respectable, and the tension ramps up nicely when things go sideways.​
FBC: Firebreak takes the strangeness of the Control universe and applies it to a genuinely fun and challenging co-op shooter.​
Despite being competent on many levels, FBC: Firebreak is an exceedingly familiar cooperative experience you have likely played before. Remedy's signature flair for visual design and return to a familiar and beloved video game locale might be enough for absolute die-hard fans, but it is tough to see who the target audience for this entry into the RCU was envisioned for. While not a total misfire, FBC: Firebreak feels destined to be a footnote from the world of Alan Wake.​
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An incredibly fun and engaging Horde Shooter, it isn't perfect, but it's an absolute blast to play!​
As Remedy's first co-op shooter, FBC: Firebreak is a successful experiment, and while it doesn't quite match up to the best in the genre, the Oldest House is still a good stage for some creepy, frenetic action.​


Hinsusta - Pascal Kaap - German - 8 / 10
FBC: Firebreak is a successful co-op PvE shooter with fresh ideas, charming chaos and an audiovisual style that clearly stands out from the genre standards. The title really comes into its own when played as a team. Whether during hectic repairs under enemy pressure, tactically coordinated boss battles or curious shower moments.​
FBC: Firebreak is a good option for players looking for a cooperative experience where strategy comes first.​
FBC: Firebreak stings a little, because it has so much of what we're looking for in a co-op shooter. It's got the killer world and aesthetic, it's got quirky powers and role based kits, it's got tight first-person gameplay, and doesn't require you to grind things out for dozens of hours. However, despite all of that, Firebreak's just fine, and ironically lacks the fire that we expect from Remedy's output. It's a fun, casual time, but you'll play it, you'll finish it, and before long you'll forget about it and wish you had been playing Control 2 instead.​


SECTOR.sk - Oto Schultz - Slovak - 9 / 10
FBC has deemed you worthy of cleaning the Oldest House and as a good corporate employee, you will obey. Go solo or take up to two of your friends, put on the Crisis Kit, choose the desired job site and get to the cleaning, Firebreaker! And most important of all, never forget to take a quick shower with your fellow cleaners, as the everpresent paranatural and Hiss lurk all aroound you.​


Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 7 / 10
Being set in the world of control and as a handyman is enough to sell it on its own, although some polish and content is needed.​
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Obviously I can't give definitive judgments yet and I hope with all my heart that I'm wrong, because there are interesting bases that deserve to be explored in depth with the right times. And, perhaps, also with the inevitable updates of the case, if the game is given time to grow adequately.​
FBC Firebreak is a chaotic, engaging romp that gleefully retains Remedy's quirkiness throughout.​
FBC: Firebreak is an excellent online co-op experience made by the creative minds behind Control. It is an approachable game with no FOMO systems that also includes a highly engaging gameplay loop with unique objectives and mechanics.​
FBC: Firebreak is a fun fast-paced three player co-op shooter which offers a new perspective on the world of Remedy Entertainment's Control thus separating itself from the competition. Progression could be streamlined but the core gameplay experience combined with the difficulty and clearance systems make this game an easy recommendation.​
Remember the mess Federal Bureau of Control director Jesse Faden made in Control? I'll wager you didn't consider for a single moment who mi...​
Control was a 9, and Alan Wake 2 was a 10 for me. I love Remedy's games, normally, FBC Firebreak seems to have lost their usual magic in a search for a wider audience. I get it, but I do not like it, and I think it hurts the title in the long run.​
 
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Played like an hour with a friend. First impression was bad with the smg, but once you unlock more and better guns, perks and abilities imo it gets much better. Its decent so far
 
I'll definitely try it. Co-op horde shooter is easy to jump into for a bit. I'm not expecting something that will blow my mind but The Old House is a cool setting.
 
So it turned out to be mediocre filler content.
Sounds like gamepass material, alright, just not the kind you`d subscribe for.
 
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breaking away from your usual norm to make a multiplayer game is fine. Choosing to do a horde shooter out of all things you could have done is so lame for a studio like this
 
Nothing says confidence like dropping your game on subscription services at launch.

It took AW2 over a year to break even and now this. Lots of questionable choices being made at Remedy.
Playstation and Xbox probably covered the cost of development on this one.

Similar deal to Alan Wake 2 and Epic at a guess.

Just Remedy taking some risk out of the equation, smart if you ask me.
 
People will check it out for 5 minutes and then never return. What a waste of time and resources.
Might make a small profit. Im not privvy to the financials. Maybe projects like this keep the lights on?

Then there's a chance it finds a small audience, like i said with PS and xbox money the risk seems small.
 
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Tried it on GP, utter shite, I cant believe anyone greenlit this.
One mission i kid you not is you destroying piles of post - it noted whilst waves of enemies come at you.

It reminds me of a knock off shit version of zombies.
Uninstalled.
 
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I played a round of this ealier on PC - Not a clue what i was supposed to be doing.

Bashing things to make them work or something. Shooting the hordes of Hiss was fun though. Will have to see what I'm supposed to be doing and may give it another go later
 
When I saw the trailer and that it had only 5 levels I fucking cackled and knew instatly it would get trashed on Steam. Did they not see Payday 3? Darktide? To the trash bin it goes and perhaps if they dont abandon it(they will) in 5 years it'll be worth 15 bucks.
 
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Nothing says confidence like dropping your game on subscription services at launch.

It took AW2 over a year to break even and now this. Lots of questionable choices being made at Remedy.
I think remedy cares about one lump sum payment of money instead of actual game sales.
 
Actually a smarter decision would be to make a better game instead of giving it away on subscription services in a vote of zero confidence.


1. Why is your post so hard to read.

2. Remedy isn't exactly the biggest developer, if putting out this kind of game and getting the bread from both Sony and MS helps them invest more in their marquee games like Control 2 and AW3, I'm all for it. I'd rather Remedy retain their zaniness and make games on their own rather than get acquired by a Tencent.
 
i dont get it tho. The more i play the more i like it. Its definitely not mostly negative lol. Steam reviews are once again dogshit
I'd love for this game to succeed but let's not pretend that there isn't any competition in this space, available for much cheaper with more content and polish as well. Which is what the Steam reviews are pointing out.

Amazes me that Remedy thought this was worth 40eu and then send it out to die against Darktide, Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic, etc.
 
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i dont get it tho. The more i play the more i like it. Its definitely not mostly negative lol. Steam reviews are once again dogshit
Review complain about severe lack of content (some dude claims to have run through it multiple times in barely 5 hours) and no ways of communicating with your teammates besides pinning stuff, which for a coop game seems barebones to say the least.
 
Control was one of those games where the ambience and level design combined with the amazing lore helped even out the imo lackluster combat. Now comes a game that focuses mostly on the weaker part of that game? I hope they can keep adding things and do tweaking enough to keep this going. At least it was on the paid services.
 
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