So, the billion-dollar question: Is Concord really a 5v5 hero shooter rip-off of Guardians of the Galaxy? Yes and no. From a character design perspective and the mission environments, it pulls more than a handful of inspiration from the 2021’s Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy video game. In addition to this, one cannot deny the personalities of the Freegunners feel gravely similar to Peter Quill’s motley space crew and all the wacky characters they meet along the way. In fact, some of Concord‘s dialogue and quips feel like someone typed in the prompt: “Hey, ChatGPT, please give me quirky one-liners like the GOTG game but change it enough so no one will know.”
Concord Boasts Bland Characters, But Impressive Multiplayer Gameplay
Despite the characters being about as generic as toast and the flimsy attempt at a narrative being held up by two paper clips, the gameplay more than makes up for the lack of originality of this cosmic adventure. Smooth and responsive, every match turns into a fun and frenetic time. Again, even though some characters look incredibly bland and like giant-sized toasters, don’t write them off just yet – experiment to see whose abilities work best for individual playing styles. The level designs also promote verticality, encouraging players to jump and engage in air combat. Simultaneously, this punishes anyone who decides to stay static for too long here. Sure, snipers will still camp, but they need to move around more than ever.
By now, most gamers know there’s no single-player campaign for Concord. It’s all about the multiplayer madness, so prepare for deathmatches and king of the hill concepts where players assemble to battle another crew and see which team comes out on top in the end. Thanks to the different characters holding special abilities and weapons, it’s entertaining to see who proves to be the wildcard in specific matches and how teams work together to play up to their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. Bazz, as an example, isn’t a heavy hitter like Star Child, but she’s lethal in terms of getting in and out to finish off players while the chaos unfolds around her. Emari also proves to be useful as a shield for other players to hide behind, while Teo is perfect for the long-range blasters who love to snipe from distance.
Concord encourages players to devote time to levelling up several characters – not just one. There’s a training option if players don’t feel like learning the hard way in combat, but it’s essential to get to know who does what and how well they do it. As a live service game, Concord promises more content will be released in the future, so that should also shake up things in a good way. That said, developer Firewalk Studios deserves credit for ensuring this is more than a barebones game upon release. Concord feels meaty in what it offers from the get-go, featuring 16 characters already.
The Questions About The Hero Shooter’s Overall Lifespan And Player Base Remain
Being released in the same week as the record-breaking Black Myth: Wukong game hasn’t helped generate hype for Concord. It doesn’t appear like it’s attracting the number of players it anticipated either. While matchmaking has been possible at all times, there have been occasions where it takes longer than a Tool song to find a crew to loadout with. Granted: The time in which this happened occurred in a period that would be too late/too early for multiple time zones. However, it doesn’t look like anyone booked out the whole weekend to get stuck into Concord. According to several reports, the number of concurrent players is incredibly low for a big title – which is even more worrying considering how this is effectively its opening week and the interest should be at its peak.
It’s disappointing because Concord possesses all the right moves to stay in this dance, but it remains to be seen if it drums up enough interest to encourage hero shooter fans to abandon their favourite games for it. The genre is a highly competitive landscape right now and Concord might need another trick or two to sway gamers to switch (and stick around for the long haul). Ultimately, the lack of a single-player campaign might come back to haunt the developer in the future, especially considering the premium price of the title and how the number of players is only likely to dwindle further.
Concord |
|---|
A PVP multiplayer first person shooter set in a new sci-fi universe. |
 |
|---|
| Release Date: August 23, 2024 |
| Platforms: PlayStation 5, Windows |
| Developer: Firewalk Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Genre: Hero shooter |
The Review
Concord
Concord surprises with great gameplay, but it might not be enough to keep players invested in it in the long run.
PROS
- 16 different characters with special weapons and unique skills
- Verticality in level designs
CONS
- Bland character designs
- No single-player campaign
