Concord, the first-person hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, underwent two weekends of Early Access last month, showcasing what we can expect from the game’s full release on August 23, 2024. But in a world where there is an oversaturation in live-service games, it’s now more important than ever for a game to make an impact on launch. This preview aims to share my Concord Beta impressions, as well as what it needs to do once launched to become a titan in the live-service game space alongside juggernauts like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Overwatch 2.
Upon loading up the Beta, Concord’s very first in-game cinematic plays, which introduces you to the beginning of the Northstar Crew’s story. Firewalk has stated previously that a new cinematic will be released every week to further progress the story in Concord’s universe. This unique concept of drip-feeding a narrative via a weekly cinematic is not lost on me, I love it. This will truly assist Concord to be a distinguished live-service multiplayer game. I just hope the story is captivating enough to continue the interest of players who are paying that $59.95 price tag. The emphasis on the evergrowing story of Concord has been a hefty force in Sony’s marketing of the game, but it’s more than likely the gameplay that will keep players engaged.
As a hero shooter, I’m happy to inform you that I found the gun handling and controls to be very tight. It was extremely responsive and rarely felt cheated in terms of a fair fight. Each of the 16 Freegunners carries different types of weapons and abilities to suit your playstyle. Some of these Freegunners and their ability loadouts may seem heavily inspired by Overwatch and Apex Legends, but speaking on a realistic level, there’s only a finite amount of abilities in games like these that would keep the game balanced.
The Freegunner character designs are genuinely unique, with a diverse range of playable characters from different species, races, and worlds. You will find at least one Freegunner that you will be drawn to. I mainly stuck to a character called Haymar, who wields a fire crossbow and has an ability that casts a wall of fire, as well as one that acts similar to a flash bang grenade. As there are 16 Freegunners available at launch, it may take some time to find which character you feel comfortable using, as I think just about every playstyle can be accommodated here.
Every mode of the game I played was a 5v5 mode, with the main modes being a Team Deathmatch-type mode called “Takedown” and a Kill Confirmed-type mode called “Trophy Hunt.” Teamwork is key to making any sort of progress towards victory. Unfortunately, in all of my games, I only ever found one person using voice communication. And with a very basic ping system, working together in unity was frustrating at times. Apex Legends’ ping system is one of the best ping systems in an online shooter. If you don’t know, in Apex, the legends use voice lines once objects or enemies are pinged, giving you both audio and visual cues from your teammates. Concord’s subtle ping system didn’t really stand out to me in the matches. It is very easy to get absolutely demolished if you find yourself running through the map alone.
Speaking of the maps, I quite enjoyed them. They were varied aesthetically, but I wish Firewalk explored a bit more than that. Perhaps adding some gameplay variation to the maps in the form of jump pads or moving obstacles, something that helps distinguish each map. Going back to reference Apex Legends, which now has 6 maps, each map in that game offers unique gameplay elements, which keeps the gameplay feeling less stagnant. Hopefully, with the upcoming release of the game, there will be a bit more variety in each new map instead of relying on the aesthetic change-up.
Progression is tracked through a levelling system. Players can earn XP by completing Jobs. The Job Board has Daily, Weekly, and Seasonal jobs similar to the ones found in most other online multiplayer games. Levelling up never felt too grindy during the lower levels, but you can expect it to take longer to level up the higher the level you are. This progression system seems well-rounded and offers enough incentive to keep playing the game.
One of my main concerns with Concord is how immersive the story is going to be. I can’t judge the storytelling from a Beta period, but I’d like some storytelling inside the matches as well, and not just a cutscene in the lobby. It could potentially feel very disjointed if events of the cinematics aren’t referenced in-game. I think having characters talk to each other briefly throughout matches would help remedy this concern. I’m excited to see how the narratives and relationships of the 16 Freegunners all intertwine, as the universe itself has piqued my interest with its underlying potential.
I might seem highly critical of Concord, but I only say it out of love. It can be difficult for new live-service games to get their foot in the door to compete or take players away from the juggernauts that are Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Overwatch 2. Potential consumers need to be captivated from the word go, I think there is enough here to get people interested in Concord, but I’m worried the $59.95 price tag may deter people who are still on the fence about the game.
Concord releases on PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23, 2024.
