The Finals Has a Long Road Ahead Before It’s Feature-Complete

Highlights

• The Finals should add a text chat feature to improve communication and provide an alternative for players uncomfortable with voice chat.
• The game should incorporate a replay mode to help players analyze their gameplay, identify cheaters, and improve their strategies.
• The Finals needs to enhance its career profiles, allowing players to see detailed statistics and performance analysis like other competitive multiplayer games.

Propelled by its fast-paced gameplay and intriguing mechanics, The Finals has rapidly gained popularity recently. When it first launched, The Finals surpassed Call of Duty on Steam after drawing in a peak player count of 242,399 people. Despite its success, the combat-focused game show still holds untapped potential for further development.

Naturally, as time progresses, the number of concurrent players in The Finals has gradually decreased. Despite building a loyal player base, the shooter needs to add new features to compete with giants like Apex Legends, Valorant, or Overwatch 2. Implementing these changes could not only disrupt the supremacy of long-standing powerhouse shooters, but also lead to a more fulfilling experience.

The Finals Should Begin Revamping Its Game

Text Chat Would Make The Finals Feel Complete

Intriguingly, while many online multiplayer games have the option for both text chat and voice chat, The Finals only has the latter. This could very well be because Embark Studios is trying to combat toxicity, or perhaps it’s because the developers think it would look out of place. Regardless, text chat is a highly sought-after feature in The Finals, with players advocating for its inclusion for a multitude of reasons.

For those uncomfortable with joining voice chat, text chat is a viable way to communicate with one’s teammates in ways that pings cannot. If Embark Studios is concerned about toxicity, it could implement keyword filters, a reporting system, and a chat log monitor similar to Valorant. Of course, while a robust text chat could invigorate The Finals‘ community and overall atmosphere, offering the option to mute or hide channels ensures everyone enjoys the experience on their terms.

The Finals Should Incorporate a Replay Mode

Taking after Overwatch 2 or Fortnite, adding a replay mode, or cinematic mode, could be helpful for both analysis and personal improvement. This is especially prevalent after it came out that The Finals has a problem with cheaters. Being able to watch a match back from another perspective would be a valuable tool to determine whether a player’s mechanics are genuine or not.

Additionally, destructive mechanics in The Finals are next-level. Though this can make for some thrilling action, combat can also become incredibly chaotic. In the heat of battle, players may be felled by a stray gas mine or invisible Light and not even know what eliminated them. With a replay system, players can pinpoint errors and areas for improvement, leading to more effective strategies and performances in the future.

“Adding a replay mode, or cinematic mode, could be helpful for both analysis and personal improvement.”

The Finals Should Have an Option To Display Performance Stats

Since the beta, ranked players of The Finals have been actively seeking an enhanced HUD to display statistics like latency (ms) and FPS. Competitive shooters like Halo Infinite have a way to display these numbers, but surprisingly, Embark Studios’ game does not. Adding this quality-of-life feature could help users troubleshoot issues and adjust their settings accordingly.

A Kill Cam in The Finals Could Be Helpful

Kill Cams can be found in games like Rainbow Six: Siege, Paladins, and many Call of Duty titles, but for unknown reasons, they’re not available in The Finals. After death, spectating is currently confined to live teammates or ongoing action. In the same vein as the need for a cinematic replay mode, some players may be curious to know how they died. This feedback can be helpful for several reasons, including but not limited to:

• Understanding enemy strategies
• Identifying personal mistakes
• Identifying cheaters
• Entertainment

The Finals Needs To Add Detailed Career Profiles

Following suit with the best competitive multiplayer games, The Finals offers access to ranked leaderboards, but doesn’t let players look at other people’s career profiles. Unfortunately, even when looking at one’s career profile, the data is rather limited. Presently, the game only shows:

• Matches played
• Wins
• Losses
• Eliminations
• Deaths
• Revives
• Total cashed out
• Damage dealt

Intriguingly, in shooters like Valorant or Overwatch 2, players can delve into career profiles to see detailed statistics. This includes most played heroes, headshot percentages, objective time, etc. While The Finals doesn’t have agents or heroes, it would still help to analyze someone’s performance in a season. An option to hide one’s profile could also be available to prevent negativity.

The Finals Could Include A Play of the Match

Though a less pressing issue, it might also be exciting to see The Finals implement a “Play of the Match” element that highlights a particular defining moment. This could be a nice way to acknowledge a mechanically skilled player or clutch. For example, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 integrated a “Final Kill Cam” to dramatize the last elimination of a match, whereas Overwatch 2 deviated from this slightly by including a “Play of the Game” feature that highlights an impressive or game-changing moment.