Why You Should Replay Control Before FBC: Firebreak

FBC: Firebreak launches June 17, taking players deep into the corridors of the Oldest House for the first time since Control. With the House in lockdown, and the Hiss still dominant, it’s up to the Firebreak to clear up the mess left behind. This time, though, things are different, as players will be taking control of operatives who don’t have the benefit of Jesse’s super-human powers, showing what life in the House is like through the eyes of normal people.

A long time has passed since Jesse first entered into the picture, and with FBC: Firebreak less than two months away, there couldn’t be a better time to replay Control. Remedy’s single-player action game set up most of the world-building for its multiplayer successor, establishing concepts such as Altered Items, resonance, and the all-important sticky notes. Before lifting the lockdown, it would be a good idea to get a reminder of how it all began.

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By Martin Wood

Control Laid the Groundwork for FBC: Firebreak’s World

Control puts players in the shoes of Jesse Faden, summoned into the Oldest House by the mysterious Polaris, a resonant being that has been with her ever since a traumatic event in her childhood. Finding the House to be home to the Federal Bureau of Control, she gets caught up in the fight against a multidimensional entity, taking her place as the next director of a government organization she’d never heard of before. Along the way, she met embattled staff, Hiss-corrupted Altered items, and mazes that defied space and time, all in search of her missing brother.

FBC: Firebreak shares the same setting as Control, but from a perspective that could not be more different from Jesse. There’s no flying around, shooting desks at enemies, it’s just pure determination and some strange gadgets getting the Firebreak through their missions. Remedy’s new game explores what it is like to have both feet firmly on the ground, showing just how easy Jesse has it, and it would give a real sense of whiplash coming from gliding around empty corridors to being swamped by Hiss hordes in first-person.

With Control’s single-player gameplay comes moments of quiet, where Jesse can find lore documents around the world, or talk about the strange nature of the chaotic world's NPCs around her. It’s been six years since the game, so getting a refresher on the difference between Altered Items and Objects of Power might be quite helpful going forward. A few of these have already been spotted in the trailers, such as the Teapot Altered Item, and Control provides a great primer for these concepts.

FBC: Firebreak Could Bring In New Players and Expand the RCU

Control helped to establish the Remedy Connected Universe, featuring an entire crossover DLC with Alan Wake. It’s unclear yet who will be turning up in FBC: Firebreak, but Remedy loves to sprinkle in some references to its other games. Perhaps Alan himself will be related to a particular mission, or players get to see Jesse the way NPCs did. Going back to Control would give a clearer picture of who could be involved in Firebreak, and show what's changed in that time.

It’s not just good for replay value, though; Control would be a great start for new players, almost like a tutorial game to prepare them for joining the Firebreak. Control has aged pretty well, with it still looking gorgeous today, and with a gameplay loop that is incredibly satisfying. The lore community around the game has also decoded plenty of the game’s secrets, offering some fascinating insights that should make anyone going back into the Oldest House more excited, ready for FBC: Firebreak releasing on June 17.

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