REVIEW - The Finals Season 3 is a well rounded doubling down on what makes this game special
Counter those swords.
By Jonathan Garrett
03/07/24
Reviewed on Xbox Series X.
The Finals is up against stiff competition in the free to play thunderdome. Finding ways to meaningfully differentiate and rise to the top of the pack is a herculean task, especially given everything we’ve seen of the most played charts pointing to last gen games still dominating market share. Despite these challenges, it remains a technically revolutionary shooter that has carved a dedicated niche for itself.
Season 3 iterates on the classes once more, by adding yet more choice and sacrifice to loadout decisions. The Thermal Bore is a particular favourite, giving the Light class a ranged demolition option. Meanwhile, the Heavy’s winch has led to some hilarious physics based moments in our recent sessions which add an additional layer of unpredictability to an already chaotic experience.
The samurai swords and longer ranged spear force additional trade offs for players willing to sacrifice weaponry for closer ranged combat. They can be countered by players armed with stun related equipment or the foresight to create distance, but they’re deadly up close, especially around the Cashout boxes. It creates a special kind of panic when you’re the only player holding out to prevent a team wipe.
Although the World Tour mode is a nice addition, the increase in the number of competing teams in earlier rounds can negatively impact pacing. The addition of multiple vaults and cashouts means players are spread more thinly between multiple targets, and we found several instances where Cashout boxes went unchallenged. The higher stakes of getting knocked out help ratchet up the tension, but a smaller scale tournament structure might have worked better here.
The new Kyoto map is a resounding success though. The unique design, myriad of traversal routes, and overall aesthetic represent The Finals at its very best. Most buildings have basement spaces that allow for wonderful sneaky approaches, and create additional flexibility when defending an objective. Season 3 is, without a doubt, the total package.
My character still looks a bit Jeremy Default, but I do have a chicken emote!
WORTH IT?
At the bottom of every game review, we ask the question: Worth it? And the answer is either “Yeah!” or “Nah”, followed by a comment that sums up how we feel. In order to provide more information, we also have “And” or “But”, which follows up our rating with further clarification, additional context for a game we love, or perhaps a redeeming quality for a game we didn’t like.
YEAH!
The Finals Season 3 is the best update yet to a game that was already firing on all cylinders.
AND
It’s a great time to jump in. There’s plenty of maps and modes to cut your teeth, with lots to unlock.
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.
