Embark Studios is a game development house with a lot of promise. Founded and staffed by many ex-DICE Frostbite tech gurus in 2018, the studio has exhibited a hardcore tech focus since its inception with tech demos and presentations into machine learning for animation and AI, open-source code repositories and of course ray-traced graphics. I always wondered what kind of game they were really making with all of this technology, and now I have the answer with The Finals.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the heritage of its designers, this is a class-based FPS in the vein of Battlefield with objective-driven combat, released free-to-play on current-gen consoles and PC shortly before the holiday break in 2023. Its focus on level-busting destruction makes it a rather unique game from a tech perspective, so it seemed only natural to focus on the PC version for this article. I’ll cover what it does differently to other games, which optimised settings we recommend and how it compares to the PS5 console version.
Before I get into any comparisons, let’s go over the basics of the game’s mechanics. In The Finals, the levels you play through are typically made up of prefabricated buildings that can be cracked open and destroyed with explosive weapons or abilities, clearing a path to maneouvre or deny an opponent cover and concealment. The game is about staying on the move to get to the next objective area with your team, and sometimes the best way forward is to just tear down the wall right in front of you. You can start a match with a pristine level and end with one where buildings are collapsed, burnt-out husks of what they used to be.
