2019’sControlwas an incredibly important game for Remedy Entertainment. After the critically divisiveQuantum Breakin 2016, Remedy needed a major hit to put it back on the map, and that’s exactly whatControlwas, bringing Remedy’s trademark narrative style and supernatural themes back to the fore. While a direct sequel toControlis confirmed to be in full development now, fans will be able to get another taste ofthe Remedy Connected Universemuch sooner with the release ofFBC: Firebreak, a multiplayer spinoff set in the same world asControl.
Currently set for release in 2025,FBC: Firebreakwill see players form a team of eponymous first responders who are tasked with clearing The Oldest House of any lingering paranatural anomalies. Based on its reveal trailer,FBC: Firebreaklooks to be aControlspinoff through and through, but it might benefit from leaning intoAlan Wake 2’s more horror-focused tone.
The Argument for FBC: Firebreak to Lean Into Alan Wake 2’s Horror Elements
Horror Has Become a Core Part of Remedy’s Identity
Taking on the role of Jesse Faden,Controlsaw players exploringthe Federal Bureau of Control’s headquartersand uncovering its otherworldly secrets. Much like the firstAlan Wake,Controldabbled in brief moments of Sci-Fi horror, using its enemies' paranormal abilities to deliver intense and unexpected shocks and scares, such as an enemy suddenly teleporting in front of the player.
Alan Wake 2fully embraced this paranormal horror, putting it front and center of the experience. ThroughoutAlan Wake 2’s runtime, players see possessed townsfolk who can teleport, ghost-like shadows that move erratically, and an array of other abnormalities designed to send a shiver down players' spines.
AfterAlan Wake,Control, andAlan Wake 2and its most recent ‘Lake House’ DLC, Remedy has firmly cemented paranormal horror as one of its staple features. As such, fans would expect the upcomingFBC: Firebreakto carry forward this tone, at least in some capacity. From the glimpse of gameplay shown during its reveal trailer, it seems as thoughFBC: Firebreakwill carry forward some ofControl’s paranormal horrorelements, with its enemy designs looking suitably chilling. ButFBC: Firebreakmay want to go a step further, and embrace horror to the same degree asAlan Wake 2.
FBC: Firebreak Could Tap Into The Ongoing Multiplayer Horror Renaissance
In the last few years, the co-op horror genre has grown increasingly popular, especially in the streaming space where viewers are given a front-row seat to the content creator’s candid screams.Games likePhasmophobia,Lethal Company,Dead by Daylight,The Outlast Trials, andSons of the Foresthave all managed to become some of the most popular games around, and ifFBC: Firebreakfully embraced its paranormal horror themes, it could become a similar phenomenon.
FBC: Firebreak Looks Like Something New for Remedy
While it could be beneficial forFBC: Firebreakto embrace the same kind of horror asAlan Wake 2, it could easily be just as beneficial for the game to offer something new, and based onthe first trailer forFBC: Firebreak, it seems like that’s exactly what it’s going to do. ThoughFBC: FirebreakhasControl’s setting and could tap intoAlan Wake 2’s paranormal horror elements, it seems to be offering a completely new type of gameplay experience for Remedy fans, and that could set it apart nicely from what’s come before it.
FBC: Firebreak
WHERE TO PLAY
FBC: Firebreak is a cooperative first-person shooter set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by otherworldly forces. As a years-long siege on the agency’s headquarters reaches its boiling point, only Firebreak— the Bureau’s most versatile unit—has the gear and the guts to plunge into the building’s strangest crises, restore order, and blast their way back from the brink.Paranatural PandemoniumDive into the Federal Bureau of Control’s (FBC) unpredictable and extradimensional headquarters during its darkest—and strangest—hours. As one of the FBC’s fearless first responders, you and your team are on call to confront everything from reality-warping anomalies to otherworldly monsters… no matter the odds. Will you contain the chaos or finally lose control?Cooperative ChaosJoin forces with friends or strangers to tackle each mission as a well-oiled crew. Survival in this three-player cooperative FPS hinges on quick thinking and seamless teamwork as you scramble to tame raging paranatural crises across a variety of unexpected locations. Improve your odds by utilizing the tools and skills that make you unique or improvising with whatever’s on hand to support your crew.Beyond BulletsBefore deploying, select your weapon and customize your Firebreaker’s Crisis Kit with specialized tools, grenades, support items, and paranatural augments… then modify them to suit your strategy and change the way you play. Experiment with different loadouts to perfect your playstyle and synergize with your team, giving you the edge to succeed in every mission, no matter the difficulty.The Federal Bureau of ControlReturn to the strange and unexpected world of Control or venture in for the first time in this standalone, multiplayer experience. Discover the iconic and unfathomable headquarters of the FBC — the Oldest House — from an entirely new perspective as a team of volunteer first responders with nothing but gear and guts to bring the Bureau back from the brink.
