A Fun and Quirky Cooperative Shooter Experience

One of the best ways to judge a co-op shooter is by the inside jokes and memorable moments you and your friends create during gameplay. After spending around seven hours exploring The Oldest House in FBC: Firebreak, I can confidently say that if humor and camaraderie were the only metrics, this game would easily earn a perfect 10. The game’s setting and the bizarre enemies you encounter fuel this fun, curiosity-inducing atmosphere. From battling a sticky note giant to confronting possessed traffic lights, the game constantly surprises with its absurdity. I’ve also carved paths through pink goop and loaded mannequins onto ski lifts—do I understand why? Not really. Does it matter? Not at all.

With smooth combat mechanics, stunning graphical effects, and a variety of objectives, FBC: Firebreak offers a silly, entertaining experience perfect for playing with friends. The question I’m still pondering is: how long can Remedy keep this level of wackiness engaging without losing its charm?

Set in the Control Universe with a New Twist

Taking place six years after the events of Control, FBC: Firebreak invites players back to the enigmatic and strange architecture of The Oldest House—but under very different circumstances. Instead of stepping into the shoes of Jesse Faden, the game puts you in the role of a trio of first responders tackling bizarre emergencies that would make OSHA officials faint. For instance, radioactive leeches infest a quarry, and your team must transport them to a specialized furnace resembling a payload cart from Team Fortress 2. After your shift, you’ll need to navigate back through the environment and survive until the elevator takes you home. It’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it.

Fighting the Hiss and Other Quirky Enemies

Despite the time since Control, the threat of The Hiss—the game’s interdimensional antagonists—remains ever-present. While handling the odd jobs, you’ll also face hordes of possessed office workers and bizarre creatures. Although enemy variety is somewhat limited at this stage, the diversity of encounters keeps gunplay fresh and exciting. Whether it’s a glowing ghoul sprinting at you or flying desks zipping through the air, eliminating these enemies remains a satisfying challenge.

Teamwork and Specialization with Crisis Kits

Playing cooperatively, you’ll team up with two other players, each equipped with a unique ‘Crisis Kit.’ These kits function similarly to class systems found in other co-op shooters, granting specialized skills to accelerate objectives. For example, on the map called Hot Fix, the Fix Kit operator can quickly repair broken equipment with a high-powered wrench, while the Splash Kit teammate provides healing support through globs of restorative ammo. Meanwhile, the Jump Kit user can sprint across the environment, activating generators with an electro-kinetic charge impactor, and perform rocket jumps to control the battlefield.

There’s already plenty of replay value in the current lineup of Jobsites, and more are expected to be added post-launch.

Customizing Your Playstyle and Progression

Interestingly, there are no restrictions on role repetition, meaning your team can focus on one or multiple skill sets based on your preferences. Although the combat style remains consistent across all roles, the combination of Crisis Kits allows for tailored strategies and varied approaches to each mission. As you progress, leveling up and upgrading your perks unlocks new weapons and modifiers. As a Fix Kit operator, I invested in perks like ‘Shower Thoughts’ to accelerate healing and ‘Greasy Fingers’ to switch tools faster. These upgrades, initially perceived as minor, noticeably improved my performance during intense firefights.

Variety and Challenge in the Jobsites

The game currently offers five unique Jobsites, each with increasing difficulty levels called ‘Clearance Levels.’ As you advance, the objectives become more complex, enemies grow tougher, and the environment expands. One memorable map, dubbed the ‘Mr Blobby level’ by my friends due to its pink goo, became a humorous nightmare thanks to our clumsy mistakes. Conversely, the Paper Chase mission, involving sticky notes and risk versus reward, kept us coming back for more Lost Assets.

Each level features multiple layers of difficulty, adding more enemies like winged horrors and tanky monsters, forcing your team to communicate effectively to survive. Safe zones such as decontamination showers and ammo stations exist but aren’t foolproof—they can malfunction, demanding quick fixes or strategic repairs, which sometimes involve rhythmic quick-time events that ramp up the tension unexpectedly.

The Importance of Communication and Team Dynamics

What keeps FBC: Firebreak addictive is how quickly poor communication can turn a mission into chaos. During one mission, I was caught in enemy fire and flames while trying to retrieve Lost Assets. My Splash Kit teammate responded heroically, putting out the flames and reviving me—only for a second wave of enemies to appear, reigniting the fire and knocking us both down. Despite the chaos, I appreciated that the game doesn’t overly punish mistakes, offering multiple lives depending on the difficulty setting.

A Glimpse into the Future of FBC

While my time with FBC: Firebreak has been thoroughly enjoyable, I felt a bit disconnected from the larger Remedy Connected Universe. The story primarily unfolds through loading screens and brief voice lines, leaving me eager for more lore to deepen the experience. As I complete each Jobsite and experiment with difficulty modifiers, I anticipate uncovering additional story elements and unlocking rare Research Samples to enhance my build.

There’s still much to explore, including playing solo, testing new weapon upgrades like the upcoming ‘Functional’ Submachine Gun, and discovering how the game’s chaotic universe continues to evolve. Despite moments where the story feels sparse, wrangling bizarre monsters in Remedy’s delightfully absurd bureaucratic setting remains a blast. I plan to keep playing and pushing the limits of this chaotic cooperative job simulator in the coming weeks.

Emma Blake

Emma is a tech-savvy news editor who thrives on staying ahead of the curve. With a background in digital journalism and media studies, she brings readers up-to-the-minute updates on gaming, tech, and entertainment trends. Emma’s writing is sharp, insightful, and always backed by credible sources. Her mission is to keep the community informed and curious about the fast-changing digital world.