Embargo on March 13th. 4pm (GMT)
When it launched late last year, Grand Final took the FPS world by storm, with nearly 250,000 concurrent players on PC alone. Why? Well, it also helped that this game came out when the usual big hits like Call of Duty and Battlefield were kind of missing the mark. A great first impression was made and it was clear that, unlike various previous live service games, the Grand Final was going to be around for a while.
Fast forward to today and it’s still going strong. Anyone who sees 20,000 PC players online at the same time at the end of a season and is worried must be drunk – those numbers are damn good. But even these everyday grinders and cosmetic growers are looking to the future. Fortunately, their future is bright. Finals Season 2 feels like a remedy for some of the rougher parts of the game, with exciting new titles filling its gaps, and the L33t H@X0r hacker aesthetic more than just slathering the game over Weird paint.
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I’ll start with one of my personal highlights – Power Shift is so much fun! It’s a new 5v5 mode where you and four other random players engage in a tug-of-war style battle on a floating platform that moves across the map and right through buildings while one team hunkers down and tries to Defend it. Power Shift is fast, clearly casual in intent, and serves as a fun distraction from the standard game mode. It’s a lot like Overwatch 2’s Push, but with a higher FPS.
To me, this feels like an olive branch from the Embark Studios team to the people begging for Team Deathmatch, as if they’re saying “No, we’re not going to give you a Team Deathmatch, but here’s another one Things can get you junkies out there struggling with “Weapon Great game.
Away from Power Shift, there’s a new stage: Horizon! I’m a big fan of the finals basemap – you either see a collage of different modern buildings intertwined together, or you see this super solid Vegas map that feels more traditional. Horizon itself is a monster. It consists of multiple multi-story buildings with wide streets between them, encouraging open conflict and tense internal fighting. Finale shines when verticality and destructible environments are mixed together. This map has both.
When it comes to the hacker aesthetic? Finals aside, I personally hate it as a trope when it comes out across the board. However, the game uses it in a way that really fits with the gameplay. So you’ll see these irregular platforms on the horizon, further separating it from the rest of the map, and new gadgets and specializations fully embrace it, to great effect. I appreciate that and how colorful the season becomes because of it. However, I’m not too interested in the themed cosmetics this time around. But hey, to each their own. You can wear a TV on your head – if that gets you hyped, go crazy.
Speaking of gadgets and specialization – they’re sick. Like, top score across the board. The Gateway Grenades on light builds are fantastic gap closers and emergency GTFO buttons, the Data Reshaper is great for those trying to get through 15 gas mines without having a stroke, and the Anti-Gravity Cube on heavy builds It’s very gorgeous. Just pure fun. All fill a hole in the weight class kit and all fit in with the seasonal theme. well done.
Medium also got a new Dematerializer specialization that allows them to create temporary holes in walls, which is some extra damage they definitely need. I knew the season was going to get interesting when we used anti-gravity grenades to lift the cash bank toward one of these newly discovered holes. Add to that the addition of a new gun for each weight class and it feels very well rounded!
Beyond that, there are plenty of other exciting additions, such as private matches for esports gangs, a better-ranked matchmaking system that should keep everyone happy (as long as it’s not broken, of course), and the ability to provide long-term Career cycle. The long-term goals for the players throughout the season, in my opinion, the second season is an improvement across the board. If this preview sounds exciting, that’s because it is! Part of the job means that I have to jump from one game to the next as time goes on, but even if it’s just a brief stop in the Finals, I want to start over and give it a try.
Here’s a little tip for those readers who have already completed this task. On Power Shift, use the Sledgehammer to select heavy buildings and go all-in on defensive gadgets. Once you jump on that platform, you’re going to have a blast.