Into the Burning Building: Firefighters: Code Red Shows Real Mission Gameplay for the First Time in New Trailer!

The first more detailed gameplay trailer for Firefighters: Code Red now gives us a clearer idea of how the new firefighting simulation is meant to play. Instead of merely presenting vehicles and burning backdrops, the new footage takes us right into the missions: We advance into buildings with the hose, fight our way through dense smoke and search for trapped people.

The game is being developed by Chronos North and Smart Ambition and published by Aerosoft. Versions are planned for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is still no release date or even a specific release window.

The fire itself is meant to become the actual danger

The key difference from a simple firefighting game is meant to be the dynamic fire simulation. Flames spread through rooms and across smaller forest areas, smoke reduces visibility, and heat as well as unstable parts of buildings increase the risk during a mission. Routes that have already been covered do not necessarily remain safe: Escape routes can become blocked as a mission progresses.

There are also different types of fires and sources of danger. Aerosoft mentions flashovers, grease fires, electronics, chemicals and possible chain reactions, among other things. Simply using the same extinguishing agent on every flame is therefore not meant to be enough. We have to assess the situation and choose the right tool.

The trailer conveys this pressure much more effectively than the footage shown so far. Firefighters move through poorly visible interiors, tackle the flames with the hose and have to keep an eye on their surroundings at the same time. However, it remains a compactly edited trailer rather than a longer, uninterrupted gameplay session. It is therefore not yet possible to make a final assessment of how deeply the individual processes are actually simulated.

More than 30 mission locations – but not always the same sequence

Firefighters: Code Red is meant to offer more than 30 different mission locations in a North American-inspired setting. Burning homes, industrial facilities and forest fires are mentioned. What matters here is not just the number of locations, but the promised randomization system.

The number and positions of victims can change. Fires are meant to break out in different places, and escape routes can be open or blocked. As a result, a mission already known to the player is not meant to unfold according to exactly the same pattern on the next attempt. This could significantly increase replay value – provided the differences in the finished game are large enough and do not merely involve individual objects being placed elsewhere.

Alone or with up to four players

Every mission can be completed alone. In addition, a cross-platform co-op mode for up to four players is planned. This will allow PC, PlayStation and Xbox players to respond together. As a team, tasks are distributed, the approach is coordinated and different parts of the mission are handled simultaneously.

This division could become crucial, especially during rescues and interior attacks. While part of the team handles firefighting, other players can search for victims or secure escape routes. It has not yet been explained in detail whether cooperation also works convincingly without a full group of four and how computer-controlled colleagues behave in single-player.

The experience from The Squad is clearly noticeable

The developers themselves point to their experience with Firefighting Simulator – The Squad. Although Firefighters: Code Red is not simply described as a direct sequel, it adopts many familiar foundations: authentic fire engines, real tools, coordinated teamplay and missions in a North American setting.

The more exciting step therefore lies not only in better-looking flames. Code Red has to show that fires really develop in less predictable ways and that our decisions have noticeable consequences. Changing victim positions, blocked return routes and different types of fires could achieve exactly that.

The new trailer is an important first indication of this, but not yet conclusive proof of the simulation’s depth. For that, we need longer, preferably uncut gameplay footage and specific information on how vehicles, equipment, mission command and single-player support work.

What has convinced you more so far: the dynamic spread of the fire, the unpredictable mission sequences or the crossplay co-op with up to four players?