Many players know Embark Studios for the acclaimed extraction project Arc Raiders, but the studio also has the session-based online shooter The Finals, which is distributed under a free-to-play model. Recently, the developers published a new video diary and demonstrated an improved environment destruction system.
Gameplay programmer Roman Smirnov, as well as senior game designer Tim Overvliet, spoke about the innovations. On October 20, the Embark Studios team plans to release the most extensive destruction system update.
Roman explained that the destruction system is a physical simulation calculated on The Finals servers:
The current version consists of two levels: a building integrity level called “Strain” and general physics responsible for falling debris. Thus, a part of the building can either be stationary and strong, or completely detached and falling.
In this update, Roman says, the developers have improved both levels and added another “intermediate” one — the level of gradual destruction:
Once “Strain” breaks a part of the building, gradual destruction comes into play, creating a weak connection between the detached elements. This connection is dynamic: it allows parts of the building to bend, sway, rotate, and deform, forming interconnected chains and networks. Thanks to this, destruction no longer happens instantly and entirely. In addition, new dynamic game spaces appear inside the building where intense combat is taking place. You will see tilted floors, twisted corridors, deformed rooms, and sagging sections of levels that are still trying to hold together. Suspended structures are also controlled by the new system level, so they will be able to sway and eventually collapse inside the building.
In addition, the developers will update the behavior of smoke and the mechanics of poisonous gas: “Now smoke and gas clouds will interact with the changing environment and will no longer affect you through walls.” Players will also be able to temporarily disperse smoke with an explosion.
The Finals page on Steam is available at the following link, the game is also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.