Player skin from game showing the detailed artistry in the graphics of the game from Embark Studio
‘THE FINALS’ is a Free-to-Play FPS game that was announced at the 2023 Game Awards. The game was released December 7th, 2023, although being in development since 2018.
Who developed The Finals?
The Finals was developed by Embark Studios, which according to IGN, was created by former Battlefield developers. The Battlefield games are known for their unique map destructibility, and it carries over into The Finals very well.
Engine and Graphics
The Finals was developed using Unreal Engine 5, and the graphical fidelity is great. The style has a cartoony feel that definitely highlights the theme of the game. The Finals is set in a virtual game show that you participate in, so the style only adds to the game. The game runs really well on somewhat lower end devices, and is pretty well optimized for most systems.
Classes and Gadgets
The Finals has 3 different classes, each with their own unique weapons and tools to use. Light class gets to choose from SMG’s, a shotgun, semi-automatic suppressed pistol, a dagger, a semi-automatic rifle, an MP5, a sword, throwing knives, and a sniper. Medium class has access from a grenade launcher, two assault rifles, a revolver, a riot shield, and a shotgun. Heavy class has access to 2 LMGs, a flamethrower, a sledgehammer, a revolving-action grenade launcher, and a burst shotgun. The gun play feels good. The recoil is high, but manageable if you know how to. The sound effects are good as well.
Each class has some different and some of the same gadgets. Light class being able to use items like flash bangs and invisibility bombs (which is more of a cloaking bomb). Medium class having access to stuff like a place-able zip-line and tracking dart. Heavy class is given more explosive type items such as the RPG-7 and C4. This all gives variety to the game play and classes that you can choose.
At the beginning of each game, you choose which class to play as and cannot change it again until the next game. You also select your weapon and gadgets that you want. Although you can’t switch out to any gadget mid-game, in the main menu, you can edit your ‘contestant’ and change the gadgets in the reserve. Mid-game, you can switch gadgets from what you’ve selected in the reserve.
Game Play and Mechanics
There are currently 2 main modes: Quick Cash, and Bank it. Both of these game modes are played with 2 teammates. Quick Cash is a game mode where the objective is to reach a vault and be the first to open it. After initiating open the vault, you’ll have to wait a few seconds before a cube pops out. Your team must take this cube to a cash-out station. Once you’ve done that, you must hold down the cash-out station from other teams. If another team infiltrates and steals the cash-out, their team will complete the objective unless stolen back.
The Bank it game mode is similar, but every player you kill drops coins you need to collect. Your coins build up and you need to cash them out at a station. If you are killed before then, you lose your coins and the enemy is able to pick them up. There are also vaults that drop coins, similar to Quick Cash. There is an experimental mode at the moment, it consists of parts from the Bank it game mode but you have no teammates, and there are a total of 12 people in the game.
Maps
The maps in the game are large, futuristic iterations of real life locations like Las Vegas. Each map’s building is able to be destroyed with enough force or explosives. If a cash-out station is in a building, it is likely to be destroyed by all of the fighting that will take place. Having destructible maps can alter the game-play in many ways, ranging from having to get up a building a different way, or even blowing up beneath a cash-out station in order to drop it a floor below, adding to the ability to use your environment to your advantage. Another thing about the map and its game-play is that it has little containers that resemble gas containers or canisters. The players are able to shoot, or pick up and throw them to their advantage. Some of these containers provide cover, similar to the goo grenade. Some catch fire, and some explode or produce toxic gas. This offers somewhat unique, dynamic game-play, with the destructibility being similar to Battlefield.
Overall
Overall, The Finals is a fantastic FPS game compared to the failed-likes of the new Modern Warfare III. The game being free and decently well optimized allows more accessibility to the game. The game’s objectives are easy to understand after a game or two. Anyone can catch on to this new FPS game.
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