FBC: Firebreak's First Update Is a Great First Step

FBC: Firebreak hasn't had the acclaim that Alan Wake 2 had at launch, nor has it had the decent reception Control experienced. Instead, FBC: Firebreak is the lowest-rated Remedy game in over a decade, with an OpenCritic score below even 2016's Quantum Break.

There are a lot of issues with FBC: Firebreak's launch day build. Its progression systems are too convoluted and grind-y, it has just six weapons, it suffers from a lack of missions and poor enemy variety, and the entire experience is wrapped in some very confusing design choices that aren't explained well during the game's onboarding process. But while FBC: Firebreak has had an undeniably disappointing start, Remedy isn't giving up at the first hurdle. FBC: Firebreak has just received its first patch, and it could be the first step towards a much brighter future for the co-op shooter.

FBC Firebreak Missing Key Component Remedy Universe

FBC: Firebreak Is Missing One Key Component of the Remedy Connected Universe

FBC: Firebreak doesn't do a lot to move the Remedy Connected Universe story forward, and it's missing a key component that ties the universe together.

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By Cameron Swan

FBC: Firebreak's First Update Is a Hopeful Sign of Things to Come

FBC: Firebreak's First Patch Addresses a Ton of Criticisms

Just three days after launch, Remedy released a statement on FBC: Firebreak's Steam page addressing the community's concerns with the game's launch. Remedy thanked fans for their feedback and admitted that "It’s clear there are features that need to improve. And they will improve."

This statement was released alongside FBC: Firebreak's first patch, which delivered an assortment of fixes and tweaks geared towards the community's biggest issues with the game. Some of the most important changes in FBC: Firebreak's first update are as follows:

Progression: Requisitions were split into Essentials (gear) and Expressions (cosmetics), allowing players to more easily access upgrades for their loadout. The speed of gear progression was also generally increased.
Job Structure: Players no longer need to play through Clearance Level 1 and 2 to unlock a Job's third and final Clearance Level.
Currency: Lost Assets have been given a more obvious visual indicator, and unlock costs have been rebalanced.
General UI, balancing, audio, and visual improvements

FBC: Firebreak Has a Long Road Ahead of It

It's great to see Remedy trying to get ahead of FBC: Firebreak's launch day woes, and providing so many substantial improvements just three days after launch is no small feat. Firebreak is already in better shape than it was on release day, but plenty of problems still remain. Thankfully, Remedy is more than aware of the task ahead, stating in its patch notes that "While [Remedy] can improve some features today and in the near term, some others will take longer and require more thinking."

FBC: Firebreak's journey is just beginning, and while some of the game's biggest issues might run too deep to be fixed entirely, Remedy has made it abundantly clear that it's going to try its hardest to turn things around. Firebreak already has two major updates lined up this year, with a Fall and Winter update set to add new Jobs, new enemies, and new gameplay systems.

In its current state, it seems unlikely FBC: Firebreak will retain enough players to make those future updates worth the development effort, but there's a chance – albeit a slim one – that they could breathe new life into the co-op shooter when they eventually arrive, especially if they arrive after a bevy of performance-improving patches.

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