As it stands, Remedy Entertainment’s latest entry into their Connected Universe, FBC: Firebreak, is not doing so hot. Across the board it’s not been received entirely positively (including by our own James, you can read his review here), not exactly the ideal launch for a live service game. All the same, it being a live service game might ultimately be its benefit thanks to the power of that mystical force called “updates.” In a Steam post shared by the FBC: Firebreak team, some planned improvements were outlined, which certainly sound like they’d make for a better experience.
First of all, the team made one thing clear: the game “will improve.” Remedy explained that they’ve been listening to all of the feedback so far, and asked for any more that anyone might have. In terms of immediate plans for changes, the first thing they list is improving the first hour experience. They acknowledge that this is due to a “combination of things,” like poor onboarding, how the shooter’s systems actually work, clarity in what to do in jobs, and there being too much of a grind for higher-tier weapons.
In terms of onboarding, Remedy plan to better communicate the “synergies between Crisis Kits and giving players much better information on what to do in the Jobs and how to be more effective in doing the work that Firebreakers must do.” That means harmful conditions, like being on fire, being more readable.
A new patch that arrived yesterday has already made it easier to access jobs, as you no longer need to play the first two clearance levels of each job, and completing the full job unlocks the next full job. The patch has also made Lost Assets and Research Samples more highlighted visually, so that it’s harder to miss them. It’s also rebalanced how much all of the unlockables cost too, and things like Altered Augments, Improvised Devices, and powerful weapons are easier to access. All of this was done to help with dealing with that grind.
There’s a few more specifics in the Steam post you can read for yourself, and you can check out the full patch notes here.