The Finals Review

The Finals reviewed by Justin Koreis on PC, also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The Finals does a great job standing out from the competitive shooter crowd thanks to its fast-paced action, excellent environmental destruction, and gameshow-meets-squad shooter vibes. The way flying through the battlefield with a grappling hook or hulk-smashing through buildings mixes with its strict, objective-based modes is a breath of fresh air. It’s a concern that there are only two of those modes total right now, and it definitely feels like both in-game balance and the overall reward economy need some adjustments. But those are small critiques relative to the outrageous fun and breathtaking spectacle of buildings crumbling around you.

[@Lucky-GEN2]

You know the game is fun when you’re ok with losing because you just had the most cinematic experience ever

[@isocuda]

People keep saying this and it's correct.

[@ruok3351]

You just described Battlefield

[@almightycoke9552]

Especially when everyone scored once and it becomes anyone game

[@xgtwb6473]

Nah not when you lose because your team mates are morons 😂

[@addmen96]

Untill you start playing ranked and get demolished by chesee tactics, bad teammates, sometimes cheaters

[@matt.dufault9966]

A lot of people are saying this and it’s 100% true. What makes this game SO fun is that even when you lose its still a great time.

[@MilkshakeGuruTTV]

Big true tbh.

[@FreshTillDeath56]

It's the same reason people never shut up about TitanFall 2: Badassery is a part of the game's core, so winning and losing is secondary to that.

[@SethKolbePrefect]

Not to mention I’ve had some of the most hilarious deaths. Like buildings collapsing on me to then quickly followed up by getting flash banged multiple times, and then die to throwing knives. 😂

[@fuu6490]

The Finals & Lethal Company burrying down CoD MW3 & Warzone hype is the most beautiful thing that i've ever seen

[@TheGamersPerspective]

Yeah cos sales will reflect that… Cod is still king on console

[@crusf]

Sure, if you count CoD going from 2nd to 3rd most played game on steam the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

[@rudytay83]

COD players are so sensitive 😂

[@sergeantsilver9609]

MW3 has been in sale THREE times, with almost 50% off, and it launched LAST MONTH! You love to see it.

[@ZEFFYRooo]

​@TheGamersPerspective Lethal Company is $10 and The Finals is free. Sales are irrelevant with these facts

[@ereckdotexe]

Everything about this game has felt satisfying and just overall fun, the shooting, the visuals, the destruction, the 3v3v3v3 concept, even losing doesn’t feel like losing

[@EternalLibido]

the bracket style ranked is great too. makes ranked feel sort of like apex in the sense that you don't need to win it all to rank up, just making it to the next round counts for something.

[@eisasulemankhatri4677]

So 1 month later u still play this game, still super fun?

[@SmokeSkreenVisuals]

Don’t forget the soundtrack. Somehow my friends play this game w the music muted and to me the music is a big part of the experience

[@wonkabars6982]

Haven’t been interested in multiplayer for a few years now, but the mere fact that this game was developed by ex-DICE devs definitely makes me wanna give it a whirl.

[@DanskiCS]

wicked fun

[@tatienouorest3358]

At this point what game studio wasn’t made by Ex- something? Given the rate at which gaming companies layoff staff said staff just move around like lost sheep

[@evolicious]

@@tatienouorest3358 Only a handful. Most of the experienced and talented devs have left the industry altogether due to the stress and office abuse (mostly during the pandemic). The game dev vets that exist today in the industry have only survived by creating their own studio or joined a studio created by their ex-coworkers. Embark studios is one of a few that have devs that made AAA games for decades, and have the lucky opportunity to know make their own way. The Finals is a massive success and it's going to help them finish building their flagship title, Arc Raiders. As much as their has been massive layoffs during and after the pandemic in every industry, the game industry suffered far more from entire teams leaving company voluntarily. This was due to massive groups of people waking up to the abusive and toxic nature of office work. The offices that supported WFH, have strived the best, as is for every industry that took advantage of WFH. Embark is a big believer in WFH and look at what they have accomplished, faster and more polished than any of the biggest AAA studios have ever conceived of.

[@Totone56]

The game really feels like Bad Company 2 and Mirror's Edge had a child that doesn't take himself seriously. Love it.

[@abhrajitpaul2744]

This is where all the talented people went after they left DICE and let EA make a $hit show of a game 2042 was

[@ItsOnlyBC]

Playing heavy and reducing a 6 story building to nothing while confusing opponents will never get old

[@PSIChris]

The feeling of owning the point on top of that high rise, then suddenly realizing it's already coming down NEVER stops being amazing.

[@UnitedFan2]

@@PSIChrisAs a fan of Battlefield Bad Company 2, I approve of this comment!

[@LikelyLagging]

been playing all week and not once has my team not been filled after losing someone. usually took less than a minute

[@lamontspeller5483]

Same. Maybe the devs already addressed it.

[@vgnsxepk1555]

It doesn't fill in tournaments, it does in modes like bank it though.

[@lightsaran]

this game being free to play is insane

[@evolicious]

It's their test bed for their flagship game, Arc Raiders.

[@BoysinBlue-zn5db]

They should make a mobile and switch port too

[@faustus_tatacher9035]

@@BoysinBlue-zn5dbfor mobile, it's possible but switch??? Nah

[@PRODFOD]

@@faustus_tatacher9035 maybe switch 2 when that comes out

[@Akadehmix]

Not really. It would die fast if it wasn’t.

[@lmbits1047]

This game deserves a 9 at least. It is a 10 for me anyway.

[@RafaelHernandez-or8wj]

This is literally the most fun I've had playing an FPS game probably since the original Overwatch. If they can consistently release new maps and a couple more modes I'll be playing for a long time.

[@tonygarcia3340]

Best game of 2023

[@makavali-yb7xv]

Same. But it is unplayable for solo players. Especislpy since there is not a feature when you can find a squad before joining a game

[@Roguelikes_gg]

THIS!! 👆👆👆 I keep telling people how fun this game is ever since Overwatch started dropping quality in 2018

[@kennymccormick8295]

Literally not figuratively? That's literally so literal.

[@Sambrowski10]

It's the most fun I've had in a shooter since Battlefield Bad Company 2.

[@joshsmada]

made by the same people too!

[@evolicious]

It's literally the same team that made BFBC2.

[@grxy5924]

Yawn

[@youmayhaveheard7316]

​@@grxy5924Still better than cod & fortnite😭

[@The_RedVIII]

This is the first online shooter since Apex Legends that has hooked me again. Love it.

[@andersonsisco5704]

Me too🎉😅

[@p4blo379]

Valve's HNYFV50 event is a gamer's dream come true. Dive into the celebration

[@GokuSolosAnime]

Chat is this real

[@BeardedZee]

Scam.

[@Tetsuo6995]

Interesting scam. Bought likes to make the comment more visible. Links towards a fake Valve KZbin channel with a very low subscriber count. Video on that channel is a very cheap fake video of Gabe newell. Completely out of sync. KZbin really makes it so easy to scam people.

[@leonardomendonca7336]

The game is amazing! It is what Battlefield should be if it embraces destruction. Sorry BF, there is a new destruction king in the area and it’s much more than you ever was

[@AkyJave]

Funny thing is that this made by ex DICE devs

[@SladeDHJ]

*were

[@evolicious]

BF2042 is not a DICE BF game. It's made entirely of people new to the franchise. Ex-DICE devs went and made their own studio, Embark studios.

[@vindikaktus]

This plays literally nothing like BF

[@founntain]

@@vindikaktus But the desctructions are, which was mentioned in the main comment

[@TUTOSANDROIDtutorialesymas]

The most refreshing game of 2023, NGL

[@ZachBobBob]

Not into FPS' at all but this looks fun as hell

[@iDrKx]

You should try it regardless imo, nothing to lose in the end

[@kriskater]

Its free bro try it!

[@snakeofjungle]

Its a Bad FPS

[@evolicious]

@@snakeofjungle It is the best comp FPS game to come out in the past few years.

[@kriskater]

@@snakeofjungle how ??

[@_frixx_746]

Idk about the whole players not being filled on your team it’s pretty common for me to see the empty slot get filled when someone leaves

[@MrEvakin1]

In tournament play it just doesn’t happen unfortunately

[@shakejaffer1881]

Not for me

[@sanswiches]

If anyone’s wondering, it got an 8

[@IntelPlays]

2 of the 3 AI "voice actors" sound like the NFL Blitz 2002 announcer and the Pokemon Stadium 2 announcer. Once you realize it you can't unhear it.

[@DrezzyEFTP]

It's the announcer from NBA Jam

[@IntelPlays]

@@DrezzyEFTP Tim Kritzrow, he was in both NBA Jam and NFL Blitz.

[@gameranters]

SOLUTION: turn off commentary

[@Rocksteady72a]

Tbf, those AI are trained by in-studio voice actors, so it's just a characteristic of his voice lol

[@kami3449]

@@gameranters He didnt say it was a bad thing

[@Nawaz96]

Playing as a heavy and going around and smashing my guitar on people's heads is a 10/10 for me 😂

[@javicalixto3218]

Did you catch wind of Gabe's HNYFV50 New Year's bash? It's a game-changer

[@Tetsuo6995]

Interesting scam. Bought likes to make the comment more visible. Links towards a fake Valve KZbin channel with a very low subscriber count. Video on that channel is a very cheap fake video of Gabe newell. Completely out of sync. KZbin really makes it so easy to scam people.

[@ctill3108]

No seriously people this game is greatttttt

[@alperduman9294]

This is seriously one of the most fun games I’ve ever played, especially with friends! Highly recommended

[@wadechaffins4384]

For those playing on controller you should really consider changing from the weapon wheel to all three utilities on the d-pad. It gives a more borderlands style control scheme that makes action far more survivable

[@LolLol-el9zv]

Wdym ?

[@Shane_B46]

@@LolLol-el9zvinstead of having to press L1 or LT and use the stick to select a utility on a controller you use the d pad.

[@Paradyze9800]

How u do that

[@JRocmasta]

@@Paradyze9800 settings > controller, first video game?

[@BamBam-cg3rh]

Agreed did that immediately

[@TheManHimself0213]

Enjoyed this game in beta, And this game really has me hooked. It’s bad that I’m scared of the game not being a big hit and not being able to see what they do. For better or worse.

[@gracelandtoo6240]

It is a big hit lol, don't worry. It's consistently been in the top 10 of concurrent players on Steam since its release.

[@evolicious]

Already a huge hit and Arc Raiders is going to be awesome.

[@SquinkyEXE]

It's literally one of the most popular games in the world right now so you don't need to worry

[@DanFarrell98]

Need the whales to buy the microtansactions

[@anishmishra4045]

It's in the top 10 on steam already just 2 weeks after it's release

[@MuchCow9000]

This is the destruction BF 2042 SHOULD'VE HAD!

[@evolicious]

bf 2042 was not made by DICE devs

[@paulthiebaut]

@@evoliciousthat’s not what he said though…

[@dprizzeh]

This game will be the next big thing

[@BalkanGames]

The next big thing to get canceled after a year.

[@ramza675]

​@@BalkanGameslool

[@nick_0]

@@BalkanGames are you dumb?

[@KevinGonzalez-hs7so]

Unless the Devs have a ton of money it won’t. They need to update this consistently.

[@BalkanGames]

@@KevinGonzalez-hs7so The class system will be the death of this game.

[@collectivedesigns]

FYI the score an 8

[@juanjosealmanzar6330]

Thanks for saving me 9 minutes of my time

[@nick_0]

should be 10

[@subtleasasledgehammer3603]

It's like when Brink came out it had so much potential not to mention graphics look ahead of its time. The Finals looks fantastic

[@BRINK2011THEGAME]

I’m here again!

[@frogwizard9310]

Give it a 10 you cowards

[@suninmyeyesyes]

Some other big FPS franchises with money would get their feelings hurt though.

[@samhyatt4863]

yeah for real, they don’t tell you why they actually took off a whole 1/5th of the score they just kinda felt like giving it an 8

[@bingusjack]

its not a 10/10 dude stop coping, its very fun sure, but there are some very glaring issues in the balance, and the matchmaking is pretty bad, as is the server stability. A 8 or 9/10 would be appropriate

[@frogwizard9310]

@@bingusjack thanks for the suggestion, im gonna keep coping thanks

[@cdeb5898]

The fact that this game is produced by the veteran DICE team made me wanted to play this game immediately

[@ADUSN]

Innovative, fun, Overwatch 2016 vibes. Absolute breath of fresh air.

[@cdeb5898]

The reason why people will not get tired easily of only 2 game modes is that for every game in The Finals the objective is located on a different location which gives new possibility in terms of tactics and playstyle in every map

[@1nsaint]

@IGN Why are you still uploading reviews in 1080p? this game looks way better then it does in the review

[@matheussanches6964]

Why are you here?

[@TheOfficialChannelOfChannels]

its probrably to upload it the Quickest

[@chefhenrie6959]

​​@@SnowJesteror they'an

[@TheJustproxy]

90% of everyone plays at 1080p, get over yourself.

[@Nipponing]

Cause 4K is still rare for people to have monitors for...

[@ADHDxDahveed]

a king of the hill type would be amazing! call it Cash King have a random spawn point that the enemy has to capture and hold, but can be stolen although it would reset the timer if a team stole.

[@kriskater]

Ohh thats not bad…

[@PlebNC]

That's literally just Quick Cash and Tournament modes without the Vault step.

[@gracelandtoo6240]

That's just quick cash but worse, as a resetting timer would lead to neverending matches

[@deal151]

They rated it an 8. Deserves much more than that.

[@advocateforaimassist8217]

Fine 8.1 take it or leave it

[@a2raya772]

a solid 9 imo

[@gazoonman]

85 at best, because lacks of game mode is a serious issue.

[@a2raya772]

@@gazoonman game isn't meant to be cod.. no TDM. Its cash out. Literally what nakes it unique

[@itsalexclark]

this game looks awesome

[@jamesford871]

The fact nobody noticed you in the comments section is pretty criminal

[@The909Virus]

Oh hey it's that animation dude from KZbin.

[@musia8335]

Agreed

[@ibthepro]

Im addicted. Please If youre gonna play be smart.

[@nick_0]

this game needs smart people 😆

[@Boadey]

He said flamethrower, nade launcher, and sword are the best LMAO. Buddy must be playing a different game

[@Danielgonzalez-uz6vx]

Hooked on this game! Haven’t played any competitive fps multiplayer in quite sometime maybe since apex had dropped and this has definitely brought that back. Such a breathe of fresh air!

[@jaccomeysner4252]

Most fun online fps ever, takes time to fully understand tho

[@roguetechpanda]

Let me change review to 9/10.

[@xxdevilmanexx2742]

Blood and gore splattering all over the environment along with the amazing destruction would've cranked this game up to 10

[@RobSomeone]

The bad company we've all been waiting for.

[@rohitmanocha6897]

As a hardcore First person shooter fan. This is game is brilliant combination of Battlefield type destruction and COD style gameplay. Only problem is DPS(Damage per second) which very slowly. Nonetheless this game should be played by every FPS fan.

[@gmindset224]

If Team Fortress 2 and Bad Company 2 had a baby

[@CircumcisedUnicorn]

This is the best analogy

[@Deephunt13b]

Mixed with a dash of Monday Night Combat

[@dreamingabyss]

The gunplay in this game is underrated. It’s very smooth and rewarding, without holding your hand like CoD does. The revolver is a wildly skillful and punishing weapon that can delete people if you have the aim.

[@Nerdy_Vet]

Keep on fighting till the end, the last minute steal feel 👌

[@justinkoreis603]

One of three best feelings in any game this year

[@imoteq]

There are so many moments where I'm outside my comfort zone and am wondering "what in the heck is going on?" While the ground is shifting underneath my feet. Strategy is King. You don't have to be a sweat you just have to use big brain tactics. Which is a nice change from other competitive shooters.

[@DIN_NER]

It refreshing for sure

[@johnnycenate91]

For anyone like myself who's played it... Are there times where you use a specific weapon (that aint melee coz they ironically feel balanced around the board) that sometimes it does a lot of damage (headshots or not) and the enemy's guns do little against you (Regardless of class), while other times that same weapon you used last time now does relatively less damage, while the enemy's does quick and unforgiving amounts in a short span of time? Its been like that for me. Also, for anyone curious, If the game feels like BF Bad Company levels of fun, thats because it was actually developed by Embark Studios, which is made up by Ex-EA devs, specifically those who worked on Earlier BF titles, Titanfall, and yeah, even Apex.

[@TheRedGuy-v3l]

The music hits different in this game.

[@b4ckwoodbilly]

IGN: wait, we want to give it a low rating but what does everyone else think first so we can choose the popular opinion.

[@MCavacini]

The NFL Blitz guy on commentary made me smile! 😊

[@BoldWombat]

5:50 Bro talks to a cat like it was a dog

[@CRONKTEZ]

game is fun as hell needs more content ASAP!!!

[@chandler3621]

It needs some tweaks, but overall is a great game. Definitely needs some more weapon and class balancing. Notable mentions are the Lights being so easily clapped by everything, and also having long TTKs (especially against Heavies). Skill gap is quite high between the two. Needs some more weapons, and id like to see weapon customization at some point, too. More character customization would be great. Current character models are very awkward looking, especially the oddly rotund heavies.

[@mrfumetsu]

Light Shotgun can two tap heavy. The TTK is near instant if you do it right.

[@gardyishere7265]

taser deals with heavy no problem im light only since the beta and heavies weren't that much of a problem ever

[@quocanhphan2499]

the game overall is fun, but there's one thing that is holding it back, its the cheaters, especially in Asia server, they need to do something about the anti cheat system or lock the China region before the game becomes Pubg 2.0

[@invasivepenguin8560]

Just play console lol

[@psycojester]

It's universal crossplay. Console won't help.

[@bungie17]

Optimization wise it does quite well also.

[@missaelvillalobos2240]

Gabe's HNYFV50 is the buzz in the gaming world. Cheers to an amazing New Year

[@BaggedUrMom]

I’m genuinely confused how some people are saying this is fun even when you lose. This doesn’t even look fun if you were to win?! Looks like Fisher-Price made an fps

[@iampandaplanet]

Bankit, after Payload in TF2, has got to be some of the most fun casual experience I've ever had in gaming

[@nephophilic753]

Is this The Final review or should we expect another review coming in the near future

[@alberto4509]

THIS IS THE NEXT BIG THING

[@advocateforaimassist8217]

Uhh no

[@lanafonseca5565]

The lack of maps and modes is going to kill this games hype and player base.

[@Dontmindme973]

Smartest guy in the comments

[@leomora6817]

no solo modes... not interested

[@MrLinker44]

light build struggles to compete? sounds like a skill issue. Ive been killed by lights more than any other class.

[@MrLinker44]

also the weapon progression system works just fine. Cosmetics are hard to unlock and very grindy, on the other side Weapons are really really easy to get.

[@Thedefenses]

@@MrLinker44 the system works sure, but it is quite slow to unlock new equipment, around 9 matches for 1 guns and abilities and 11-12 for 1 equipment.

[@theguy8282]

Lights are OP but are terrible at defending

[@jackalcrackle]

You can feel this game has those dice employees who made battlefield 1 behind it

[@spreetlight]

Its an 8 fellas

[@trackmate9692]

This game deserves more attention.

[@blazeraep]

fr

[@TS-ix6xz]

Its probably the best free to play out there right now

[@RaymondStormbl3ssed]

This is what crackdowns 3 was supposed to be like

[@TheAbysswalker]

I'm not normally a multiplayer type of gamer, but crashing down 2 floors with the vault (while trying to guard it) is pretty damn fun

[@christiansanchez7448]

Insane take on how much br is awarded. Its the only real progression in the game and you get around 200 - 300 a game. Each item is only worth 800 or 1000.

[@dajunonator]

People were looking at this game hoping that it was going to be the “Apex killer” or the CoD killer.. when in reality this game can’t even compare. What will bring gamers away from their main will be the abundance of great games such as the Finals

[@blank_2067]

reviewed on pc but playing with a controller? that too this game?

[@fernandomendozagarcia7938]

Gabe just dropped the HNYFV50 bomb. It's time for a gaming extravaganza this New Year

[@dragonslayer7199]

NEW FAVORITE VIDEO GAME.

[@ryankerrivan414]

they gave it an 8, ur welcome

[@NICOLASLAM-xy6mn]

I’ve wanted to get back into fornite but I’ve just lost so much time to all the new updates - this seems interesting and new

[@FernandoHermosa-bw2fy]

Gabe and his HNYFV50 are the highlight of this New Year. Celebrate in style

[@nyzurix2586]

the one time ive ever agreed with a ign review

[@kirtan3015]

This game needs more game modes 😢😩

[@Ktranphoto]

Probably coming to a DLC near yoU!

[@theguy8282]

Not so fun when one teammate is a sniper and the other has throwing knives Meanwhile the other teams party up and never separate.

[@zDrFeelGoodz]

find friends

[@khalil.Rivera]

Party up bro with people that know how to be a team

[@psycojester]

Friend issue. Seriously if you're playing with randoms and see two lights on your team just leave. They're 100% going to be selfish morons who run off solo and die.

[@HomeworkRadio]

I'm addicted to it atm.

[@-EvM-]

this is it. the experience ive been waiting for.

[@eggydrums]

It's such a vastly different game to Battlefield but the DNA is there. The overall game is very reminiscent of BF3 in many respects, and the DICE influence is most certainly there. I'm glad they got to make this game!

[@g4yn4ruto]

my trio hasn’t had this much fun with a FPS in so long. could replay the same gamemodes back to back.

[@KsstyoSongsRemix]

Gabe's HNYFV50 is the New Year's surprise every gamer needs. Start the celebration now

[@livemynd]

Was the use of litany at 4:34 intended to be an indictment about how many unexciting unlockables there are, or just a sub-optimal replacement for "variety"?

[@maybvd]

The things you've said about the game's balance are kind of wrong... A light with a semi-auto rifle is actually extremely powerful. Every weapon stands out in its own way really..

[@davidmora9852]

Valve just dropped the HNYFV50 bombshell. The New Year's gaming party is here

[@jaybsproductions9068]

What makes me laugh is how seriously people take this game but won't spend a single penny on it - sweaty discord teams all in the generic stock outfits because they won't buy the battle pass or invest in customising their style and persona (which is also fun). It's a free game - at least spare the creators 20 bucks and rock some decent clothes.

[@tylerherdman1755]

How can you be mad at people for not spending 25 bucks on a SKIN LOL 💀

[@mrgoose3453]

Dudes crying over people not spending money on the game lmao. Such a dumb argument

[@temi97]

Ooor The game could at least have a transfer system for the weapon currency you get so you can just buy some cosmetics or something. Apex is free and still allows you to get ingame skins without buying at all lmao Shitty business practise in my eyes if Respawn got that down.

[@GoBlueHTB]

It’s hilarious that he mentions the flamethrower, grenade launcher, and sword as being OP when those are collectively known as some of the worst weapons in the game by the top players, while the battle rifle (LH1) is so strong it had to be seriously nerfed, and can still be considered a top 5 weapon if you hit your headshots.

[@CalamityShreds]

Player of THE FINALS since Closed Beta 1. 8 is the correct score. It’s great to watch the game grow overtime and even improve from when it first originated.

[@EhCloserLook]

The UI and graphics in this game LOOK so slick!!!

[@kriskater]

It has quite the style… love all the gun keychains are amazing as well and alot of the weapon skins.

[@Ktranphoto]

It really is, give it a whirl bud

[@EhCloserLook]

@@Ktranphoto 🤔 I’d really like to, but I’m pretty busy. 😅

[@Elibbb-sx3kg]

The score is 8

[@marioadalbertomartinezoran767]

Gabe's HNYFV50 event is the highlight of the New Year. Start the gaming party now

[@i_am_sylar_2059]

Just uninstalled it was ok just not for me the ttk is way to long almost apex in relation takes an entire mag to drop someone

[@somegoatmeat6660]

Correction, the items are not locked behind dozens of hours of playtime

[@MelvinClaudioVazquez-ni1cp]

Valve's HNYFV50 is the New Year's surprise we all needed. Dive into the festivities