I’ll be honest, I thought FBC: Firebreak was something completely different. Since its initial announcement in 2021 under the name Condor, I had completely forgotten that it was meant to be set within the Control universe. Ironically, its surreal and somewhat terrifying visuals are exactly what captivated me about it four years later, and that’s probably due in large part to its setting.
In truth, FBC: Firebreak is so fundamentally different than the game that preceded it—despite taking place in the same universe—that it very well could stand on its own without any kind of comparison. What’s on offer is a fast-paced and somewhat lighthearted co-op shooter that feels both familiar and truly unique.
What little plot exists in FBC: Firebreak exists mostly in its setting and small snippets of worldbuilding you get from your dispatch officer, Hank. Set in the iconic headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control—the Oldest House—players take on the role of a crack team called Firebreakers who are called in to deal with the anomalous threats that occur within as a result of its paranormal nature.
That’s basically all there is to it, but unlike Control, which had a much more serious and mysterious tone, FBC: Firebreak feels a bit more tongue-in-cheek, playing out a bit more like an office comedy where even all these dangerous and unexplainable occurrences are just standard fare at the FBC—just another day at the office, as they say. There are quite a few fun bits of flavour dialogue regarding filing the right paperwork, and requisition of workplace supplies that add a jovial sense of mundanity to the insanity.
“Visually, FBC: Firebreak blends a retro-futurist aesthetic with a kind of grungy, comic book style that utilizes a lot of bright colours and punk-rock style.”
Gameplay is a satisfying mix of simple objective completion and frantic first-person shooting. Depending on the job selected, players will traverse different floors of the FBC, completing various tasks while defending themselves from the corrupted enemies known as Hiss that will spawn in during their work hours. Players can take on one of three roles: a Fixer, a Jumper, or a Splasher, with each Kit equipped with its own special weapon that suits its role. Fixers excel at fixing damaged machines instantly, Jumpers can charge things with electricity, and Splashers can fire rapid burst water shots, or charge for giant globules.
While FBC: Firebreak is at its best played with a full team of three players, it’s also designed in such a way that players can not only take it on solo, but mix up their playstyle no matter which Kit. Being able to customize their weapons, grenades, and unlockable perks gives players a lot of freedom for how they build their Firebreaker and a lot of room to approach any Job.
But what I really like about FBC: Firebreak’s missions is how well they lean into those aforementioned weird office themes. Whether you’re cleaning pink goop from the power generators or clearing out a collection of ever-spawning Sticky Notes, there’s a lighthearted charm to each mission that feels both ordinary and profoundly weird.
But every mission comes with its own unique challenge that makes the gunfighting tense and exciting. For example, if players walk through those aforementioned Sticky Notes, they’ll start getting covered with them, which can obscure vision and eventually cause damage, so players need to either destroy them with fire
I will make a point to say FBC: Firebreak gets MASSIVE points from me for being one of the few shooters I’ve played on the PlayStation 5 that ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTS GYRO AIMING. It’s something I’ve complained about in so many reviews, and I can’t stress enough how satisfying it is to have the increased level of freedom and control that gyro aiming allows on a controller.
Actually, FBC: Firebreak utilizes all the features the DualSense 5 has to offer—using both the haptic feedback to provide a lot of precise sensations for some of the game’s more subtle features, and adding the adaptive triggers for a real sense of weight behind each gunshot. For someone like me, who likes more precise weapons like revolvers or rifles, every kill was extremely satisfying thanks to some pretty basic controller implementation.
“While FBC: Firebreak is at its best played with a full team of three players, it’s also designed in such a way that players can not only take it on solo, but mix up their playstyle no matter which Kit.”
Visually, FBC: Firebreak blends a retro-futurist aesthetic with a kind of grungy, comic book style that utilizes a lot of bright colours and punk-rock style. Furthermore, an excellent use of lighting makes certain moments feel genuinely unnerving, especially when paired with the more demonic forms of the Hiss. The game’s soundtrack enhances these punk-rock sensibilities with intense guitar riffs that accompany every battle.
You can add FBC: Firebreak to the list of co-op multiplayer games I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with, right up there with Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. It was a genuinely engaging and seriously fun experience that I’d love to jump back into once the game goes live and servers are more populated. If you’re a fan of Control and want to see more out of its crazy universe, or a fan of co-op shooters looking for something different, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one.
