REACTION - The Finals getting Team Deathmatch is a welcome change of pace
Low stakes combat.
By Jonathan Garrett
18/02/25
The Finals is a technically accomplished and intensely satisfying shooter that has continued to steadily iterate with meaningful tweaks and updates since its launch just over a year ago. The core game modes have diversified in equal measure, with Power Shift in particular standing out as an enjoyable twist on King of the Hill style mechanics that still utilise the highly destructive environments to great effect.
A recent mid season addition has seen developer Embark throw Team Deathmatch into the mix. At this stage, it’s only being included as a limited time option, and there are currently only two maps in rotation. The distilled gameplay, restricted arena , and speedy respawns place clear emphasis on getting into firefights as efficiently as possible, offering another way for players to test out equipment and alternative class builds in a lower stakes space.
However, don’t get it twisted; this should not be viewed as an introductory mode for new or previously lapsed players. The close quarters necessitates lightning fast reactions as environmental destruction can quickly overwhelm. You won’t have the luxury of dropping back from an objective to regroup and rethink. It takes everything that you know about The Finals and filters it through a much tighter lens.
One potential drawback is the magnification of existing balance issues. Teams of Light classes all contained within much smaller maps tend to unreasonably dominate in a way that is (at least partially) mitigated by the standard wider level design. Frustration can creep in, particularly if your fellow team mates aren’t tactically selecting supportive classes designed to combat their mobility and stopping power.
It’s unclear whether or not this mode will become fully integrated as a permanent playlist. At this stage, it’s pleasing to Embark willing to experiment with their own formula which up to this point has been exclusively objective based game types. Regardless of what the future holds, The Finals continues to evolve in interesting ways that will hopefully ensure a healthy future.
TARPS?
At the bottom of some of our articles, you’ll see a series of absurd looking images (with equally stupid, in joke laden names). These are the TARP badges, which represent our ‘Totally Accurate Rating Platform’. They allow us to identify specific things, recognise positive or negative aspects of a games design, and generally indulge our consistent silliness with some visual tomfoolery.
