Summary
WhenConcordwas first announced, it was met with severe backlash and general disdain from the gaming community. Many criticized it for “chasing trends” by being a live-service hero shooter game, and others threw shade at the game for its character designs. I went intoConcord’s early access beta with extreme skepticism, but now that it’s over, I can’t wait for the open beta to start this weekend. From what I have played of it so far,Concordhas completely blown away my expectations, and it’s genuinely one of the most entertaining new games I have played all year.
Even in the early access beta,Concordhas a level of polish and graphical quality that is not necessarily common in games like this. The characters are incredibly detailed, and the maps are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Whether it’s the rolling green waves of Water Hazard or the vibrant glowing crystals of Star Chamber,Concordis pure eye candy. It all runs super smooth as well, with fast-paced, heart-pounding battles that don’t call to mind the sometimes slower-paced gameplay ofOverwatch 2, but honestly feels like something closer toCall of Duty,Halo, or evenDestinyPvP.Concordnails the minute-to-minute action and is one of the most exciting FPS games in years.
Concord’s early access betafeatures a roster of 16 characters for players to choose from in any given match, with the characters offering a wide range of abilities that, when used strategically, can effectively turn the tide of any given firefight. The game doesn’t demand the same kind of coordination that high-levelOverwatch 2does, but teams that work together and utilize their cooldowns effectively will win fairly consistently. Some of the abilities are clearly inspired byOverwatch 2character kits, like Kyps' Disruption Grenade that echoes Sombra’s hacking ability or Star Child’s Rage Rush and Power Slam combo that is very reminiscent of Mauga’s Overrun, but there are also plenty of unique ideas here.
Concord Character Abilities Are a Ton of Fun
Concordhas a huge robot named 1-Off that sucks up enemy projectiles with a vacuum and shoots trash grenades. It also has a humanoid mushroom named Lark who can place pods on the ground that buffs teammates with damage resistance and a speed boost, plus a gigantic, armored woman armed with a mini-gun that moves slow, but can empower her teammates with shields and can even sacrifice her own plasma shield to get a quick armor boost. We spent time playing asall the differentConcordcharactersthat made up the early access beta roster, and they were all fun to play, with Roka’s Blast Dive, where she slams on the ground Doomfist-style, standing out as the most satisfying way to kill enemies in the entire game.
Developer Firewalk Studios has knocked it out of the park when it comes toConcord’s core gameplay and the various playable characters' abilities, though their designs will likely still be off-putting for some people.Concordtakes obvious inspiration fromGuardians of the Galaxywith its bizarre band of sci-fi people, but there’s no getting around the fact that multiple characters in the game are violently ugly. Some of the character designs are so bad they’re good, though, and honestly, the outlandish designs help giveConcordan immediate identity of its own.
During theConcordearly access beta, we had access to four maps and four game modes. The modes available were a standard Team Deathmatch called Brawl; Cargo Run, which requires players to plant cargo on one of two points and then defend it from the opposing team; Clash Point, which has players fighting over a specific point on the map; and Trophy Hunt, which isConcord’s take on Kill Confirmed. I had a blast playing on all ofConcord’s maps across all its game modes, but I especially enjoyed the modes under the Rivalry playlist. Rivalry is more serious and competitive than the game’s other modes, with players limited to one life per round. Characters are also forced to swap characters after they’ve won a round, which encourages players to mix things up and could be a great way to counter potential balance concerns without having to nerf powerful heroes into oblivion.
I had a ton of fun playingConcord’s early access beta, and I am very much looking forward to the upcoming open beta taking place from July 12 to July 21, which will see the addition of the Bone Mines map and the Arena Control game mode. But as much as I loved my time withConcord, there are some quality of life improvements that could really help it reach the next level. It would be nice for the game to incorporate aPlay of the Game systemlikeOverwatchhas, or if not, a final killcam like theCall of Dutyseries employs. Deeper stats that show damage dealt and healing done on the scoreboard would also be great to see.
Speaking of the scoreboard, the game limits when you may open it. You can only see it during rounds or at the end of a match, and can’t look at it at all during the character selection process.Concord’s character selection during Rivalry matches can take quite a while, and so being able to do things like look at the scoreboard or tweak character customization during this time would be great. The character selection goes one at a time and so players that are slow to pick can hold things up a bit, to the point where picking characters can sometimes take longer than the rounds themselves, so perhaps there needs to be a stricter time limit.
Concord is Great, But Could Still Struggle to Find an Audience
Otherwise, I don’t really have any complaints about theConcordgameplay experience. That being said, I am worried about the game’s ability to find an audience. While I personally get a kick out of it,Concord’s art style has been off-putting for many, and the decision to block a live-service game behind a $40 price tag may make some immediately disregard it. A little over 1,000 PC gamers bothered to participate in theConcordearly access beta, which isn’t a great sign.Concordis also going to require a PSN accountfor those playing on PC, which has proven devastating for other live-service PlayStation-to-PC games. But those that do decide to take a chance on it will likely be pleasantly surprised.Concordmay have gotten off on the wrong foot, but it’s quickly shaping up to be one of my most anticipated games of the year.
Concord’s core gameplay is polished and fun, it looks amazing, and it’s a great time with friends. On the last night of theConcordearly access beta, the game went down for about an hour of maintenance, and my group went to go playOverwatch 2in the meantime. It may be becauseConcordis so new, but all I wanted to do the entire time was go back to Firewalk’s new shooter.Overwatch 2is in a tricky spot right now, withcommunity demands for the return of 6v6and the controversial hero balance changes that went out recently, but regardless, it’s nice to have variety. Many have complained about an overabundance of hero shooters lately, but besidesOverwatch 2andValorant, there really aren’t that many particularly good ones on the market. As long as the full game doesn’t introduce any overly-priced microtransactions or goes overboard with monetization, it’s safe to say thatConcordwill take its spot as one of the better hero-shooters available. Fans of PvP multiplayer and hero shooters will find a lot to love here, though those that would rather Sony focus on big budget single-player games will likely still not be thrilled about the game.
Concord
WHERE TO PLAY
Assemble your crew of Freegunner space outlaws and team up online with friends for thrilling 5v5 PVP modes across the galaxy in Concord.Concord is a new team-based first-person shooter for PS5® and PC*. Handpick your personal roster of Freegunners from the crew of the Northstar – a group of outlaws and adventurers working as guns-for-hire.ASSEMBLE YOUR CREWFrom powerful mystics to skilled gunslingers and helpful healers, each Freegunner brings their own unique skills, personality, and abilities that cater to a wide-range of playstyles.Create your own custom squads of Freegunners with Crew Builder to bring an arsenal of different role types to the match or focus on your favourite characters to master their gameplay and unlock unique modifiers, cosmetics, background lore, and more – you decide when to play your characters and how you impact the match.PLAY. PROGRESS. PERSONALIZE.Earn and unlock a wide range of character customization items and learn more about the characters, worlds, and factions in the Concord Galaxy with the Galactic Guide.You’ll also be able to progress toward and unlock Freegunner Variants—versions of each of the 16 Freegunners with added Combat Trait modifiers to their base abilities. As you learn and master the characters, Combat Traits empower you to tailor each character to your playstyle.
