We get it, it’s only natural for some weapons and strategies to dominate the meta in shooters like The Finals. In the case of Embark Studios’ game show FPS, abilities like the Cloaking Device quickly became essential loadout choices – much to the annoyance of enemy players. But you can fight back harder than ever in The Finals Season 2, as Embark tells me about the game’s powerful new additions to its arsenal.
Across all The Finals classes, you’ll find something to do some serious damage with, but Season 2 shakes that up with its new Hacker playstyle and three awesome weapons. My time playing Season 2 ahead of launch saw me falling in love with the 93R burst pistol, and game director Gustav Tilleby thinks other players will feel the same. “We’ll see, but I think the [new] pistol or rifle with burst fire, which is a new thing for the game, will be really cool,” Tilleby expresses.
If you prefer using the Medium class, then the FAMAS assault rifle is a real treat. Precision is the goal to succeed in Embark’s free shooting game, and after chipping away at my rivals with it, I reckon it won’t take long for it to emerge as one of Season 2’s top dogs. Meanwhile, Heavy players can enjoy the KS-23 shotgun, which I found to be a much better alternative to the current SA1216 shotgun. There are still some tweaks to be implemented into the hit multiplayer game, I’m told, particularly for the 93R pistol, as it will likely shred players apart when these new The Finals weapons arrive.
“Others might not like that, which is fine. We are constantly looking at what players are saying and looking at gameplay, so we’re obviously going to keep on balancing and fixing as they [the weapons] go live,” Tilleby clarifies. As for the future, Embark isn’t going to diverge away from its path with outlandish additions. “They’re not huge departures for each class […] [we’re] expanding on those and adding more flavors to them, while still maintaining those categories and serving them [correctly].”
It’s a delicate process to keep the fast-paced FPS game’s weapons balanced, and even minute changes can massively impact one of the best PS5 games available. Embark knows this, and while there are positives to encouraging different play styles, Tilleby is intent on keeping The Finals fair for everyone. “Just by tweaking some small numbers, it can change the entire meta. We’re trying to be careful with it, but still, you know, adapting and listening to the feedback is really important,” he adds.
The Finals for me shines when creativity and innovation is at the forefront. It feels like anything is possible when I’m combining my gadgets and weapons with my team’s approaches to battle. Defining the meta is one aspect of keeping that fresh, but Tilleby also notes that “the whole purpose why we have these dynamic sandboxing maps and [so many] play styles is to enable player creativity and really put that in the hands of players.” This is a sentiment I’ve heard from developers of many FPS games over the years, but The Finals is one of the very few that actually delivers on it.
For more on the Embark’s massive new update, you can check out our The Finals Season 2 preview, as well as our chat with the devs about Season 2’s bigger aspirations.