THE FINALS Critic Reviews

THE FINALS is some of the most fun I’ve had with a first-person shooter in years. The impressive technology that enables real-time destruction on such a scale creates a playground that’s joyous to experiment with and rewards creativity. With a core gameplay loop that stands solid and a decent foundation to build upon, Embark Studios is all set to support a shooter that can finally rival the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield.

The Finals has given me some of my favorite multiplayer moments in 2023. Whether actively engaging in vertical combat or excitedly scaling rooftops on the way to the next objective, navigating the environments feels incredible, and the thrill of watching the ground disappear from below my feet never gets old. In a year of groundbreaking video game releases, The Finals is yet another highlight.

A well-crafted shooter with excellent fundamental skills and unique enjoyment. With a solid foundation, it holds promise for a long-lasting service, but addressing cheat users and making commitments to robust operation are essential.

The Finals is the kind of game that you play when you want to live an action film. You’ll most definitely find a playstyle you like in one or more of the three classes. While there are too many factors outside of player control to consider this a truly high-level competitive game, it sure is a fun time. That being said, if you’ve been disappointed by recent FPS titles, then try The Finals for some high octane gameplay.

Despite the minor flaws, I'm having more fun with The Finals than I have had with any multiplayer game in perhaps the last 5 years. It's dynamic, explosive, exciting, mechanically perfect and technically polished. Gone are the pre-release flaws, and what's left is fun action gameplay for anyone hungry for action and destruction. Playing in small teams motivates a different play style to Call of Duty, Battlefield and others, and offers an experience that is virtually unmatched on the market.

THE FINALS has room to improve, but it shines in all the ways that matter. If you're keen on a new first-person shooter that mixes chaos with strategy in a sleek package, it's worth a look.

With loadouts to assemble and coordinated teams laughing to the bank, every breath of The Finals’ destruction does justice to its game show ambitions.

The Finals is a fresh and exciting take on team based PVP shooters, featuring some of the best environmental destruction in any FPS.

The Finals stands out amongst its contemporaries thanks to its thrilling destruction, fast-paced gunplay, and anomalous approach to familiar objectives. There are some balancing issues to iron out, its progression system needs expediting, and there are too few maps, but these flaws are ultimately minor when you're in the thick of the action with explosions and gunfire echoing all around you. The Finals is an absurdly fun shooter with the potential to grow, so here's hoping it's one of the success stories.

The Finals offers an easy-to-learn FPS playground with a strong visual identity and some of the best destruction tech I’ve ever seen. Time will tell whether it can keep an audience, but right now it’s slick.

Embark Studios debuts with a competitive shooter like we haven't seen in a while. The Finals is fun, colorful and surprising.

Bombastic fun: The Finals cannot be categorized as an online shooter. And that is really refreshing.

The Finals has that detailed, extensive and bombastic sound that Battlefield used to have but today lacks. It also flows well and in the end it's easy to like The Finals. For a completely free game, this is absolutely perfect.

The Finals offers plenty of sound and fury, but what makes it worth coming back to is what all that signifies. [Issue#394, p.94

Hellishly fun multiplayer action, standing on a well-executed class system and the destruction of everything around. It excels in both aspects. Whether you're running on walls to send enemies back to respawn with an automatic shotgun or breaking through the floor to send a guarded safe to another floor, these are some of the best gaming moments you can experience with friends. It's just a shame that The Finals, despite varied maps and special events during the game, lacks greater diversity in game modes and maps.

Embark Studios' multiplayer shooter dazzles in the moment, but its AI voices are symptomatic of a broader issue with artistic vision.

For now, The Finals is the most exciting multiplayer shooter launch I've played in years. It's a clever blend of old-fashioned generosity and new-fangled technology, and it's exciting enough at its core to offer delight and drama no matter your unlocks or skill level. I'm going to play it right now.