The throne of online shooters is one everyone aspires to. Fortnite is the king, Call of Duty is the emperor, and Destiny is that unruly prince with followers as faithful as they are incomprehensible. This makes challenging their crowns extremely complex. They are well-established, with a very defined audience, and competing with them is a challenge few can meet. However, Embark Studios have decided that if anyone can do it, it’s precisely them.
Embark Studios, a subsidiary of Nexon comprised of former Battlefield developers, has launched their first game, The Finals, following The Games Awards conference. It’s a hero shooter that just debuted its first season and promises something unprecedented in gaming: complete destructibility of the environment.
In development since 2019 and with several open betas, the game has left a strong impression on everyone who has had the chance to play it, ourselves included. With fast-paced, squad-based action where players choose from different character classes with various equipment options, the game perfectly blends chaos, tactics, and fun. It achieves something rarely seen in other online shooters: being enjoyable even when on the losing side.
Set within a sort of televised program where we form part of a team of three aiming to steal the most money possible from a series of targets while three other teams attempt the same, the game is brimming with personality. Inspired by classics like The Fugitive, as well as more modern works like Squid Game, The Hunger Games, or grand spectacles like Formula 1 or Eurovision, everything in The Finals carries that sense of urgency, spectacle, and, let’s not deceive ourselves, a charmingly kitschy touch. It’s what makes it absolutely fascinating.
The Finals is available right now for free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC via Steam. So, if you’re on the lookout for a new shooter to dedicate your hours to, Embark Studios has crafted plenty of buildings to demolish and safes to loot just for you.
