Some games make a huge splash when they’re first revealed, something Concord definitely didn’t do with its teaser and, more recently, cinematic trailer. Flexing some big “we have Guardians of the Galaxy at home” energy, Firewalk Studios’ upcoming 5v5 team-shooter received a tepid response at best before it was consumed by the never-ending news-cycle.
The strange thing is, after spending a couple of hours with the closed beta, Concord feels like a fantastic sci-fi shooter to play. It’s easily the best-looking of a crowded bunch, its art direction is wonderfully colourful, and it nails the fundamentals of pointing at something on a screen and furiously clicking away until only one of you is left standing. Concord has all the tools it needs to face off against some of the biggest names in its genre, like Overwatch 2 and Valorant, but the real challenge it faces is convincing people to switch sides in an oversaturated live-shooter market. Especially since it won’t be free to play.
Concord feels inspired by its competitors, as it prioritizes a healthy mix of quickdraw action, tactical use of each Freegunner’s unique skills, and skill. Each character from the already impressive and varied roster has a unique flavor to their design, allowing for a team to be made up of lone wolf DPS specialists, guerrilla operatives, and support specialists.
Teamwork makes the dream work, and knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your squad is the key to victory here.
Concord’s poster-lizard Lennox is great at dealing out damage with his revolver and explosive throwing knives, plus he can stay in the fight with his self-healing ability. Vale is your go-to sniper, a long-range specialist who can protect her nest with proximity mines and reach a vantage point easily with her souped-up vertical leap. Star Child, the Drax of Concord, is fantastic for turning a battlefield into a mosh-pit as he can quickly close gaps and switch from shotgun to axe.
That variety is the explosive spice of life, and Concord is already on the right track to keep its players interested with its diverse roster of Freegunners. There’s even a team-up aspect at play here as certain Freegunners can find a synergy with each other to help balance their individual strengths and weaknesses, while Combat Traits keep things flexible as well through a series of seasonal perks. The asymmetry of its characters is where Concord finds its hook – its selling point to draw in jaded Overwatch and Valorant players – as the intentional imbalance that will surely crop up as part of the game’s meta forces players to band together if they want to emerge victorious.
Maps aren’t too bad either, giving you your usual symmetrical lanes of attack mixed with killer corridors, and Concord’s Trophy Hunt, Cargo, and Clash Point modes will keep you on your toes with deathmatch and objective-based gameplay. Concord isn’t a radical departure from team-based shooters, but at least it feels polished and satisfying to play even if it does tread familiar ground.
Of course, the big question is whether Sony will be able to sell PC and PS5 players on its sci-fi game come launch day? There’s a ton of competition in the market right now, and while Concord feels fun to play, its narrative doesn’t come off as something that’ll inspire a 10-hour deep dive into its lore from an established YouTuber like MyNameIsByf or VaatiVidya. Firewalk Studios plans to release weekly two-minute vignettes to help shape its galaxy of guns-for-hire looking for adventure, and who knows, this could lead to something interesting if done right.
If you’re interested in trying it out, a Concord open beta will be available starting 18 July. The game is currently scheduled to release on 23 August 2024.