As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from the birth of DOOM to the rise and fall (and rise again) of World of Warcraft. So when Concord was announced, I was intrigued by its Star Wars-meets-Guardians of the Galaxy vibe. But after diving in, I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu that’s more Groundhog Day than epic space adventure.
Concord, the fresh 5v5 shooter from Firewalk Studios and Sony, doesn’t commit any significant mistakes. However, its main flaw might be its blandness, making it easily forgettable. After playing various modes, experimenting with numerous characters, and traversing through several stages, I can’t help but feel that I’ve gained no meaningful experiences. This is disappointing as there was potential for more, perhaps.
The story unfolds in a universe reminiscent of Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy, with various alien species possessing human-like qualities such as speech, behavior, appearance, and characteristics. However, these beings may have additional features like horns or fungal beards, or they could be robots. The initial setting is filled with a Marvel-inspired ambiance, characterized by quick-witted dialogue, and events of significance are often met with comments like “Wow, that was unexpected!” or something similar.
Firewalk Studios plans to supplement this initial launch with weekly character-focused segments, enriching the overall universe and amassing a body of lore to make the world more immersive. Although the cutscene is visually breathtaking and the production quality is exceptional, one might ponder if the resources could be directed towards additional game modes or character development beyond cosmetic unlocks.
The disconnect between the narrative and gameplay is apparent, as it seems like the story exists solely for its own sake, which clashes with the actual gameplay. In this game, you choose characters from the Northstar’s crew, a group of freelancers known as “Freegunners,” who take on the most dangerous and profitable contracts. However, the idea behind their rivalries and jobs doesn’t add up. Why do they constantly engage in fighting each other when they are shown working together in the detailed cutscenes we’ve seen? It seems odd that they would fight against each other despite their apparent camaraderie in the storyline.
Regrettably, the entire structure seems rather shaky and doesn’t provide a robust base for anything substantial. To put it simply, despite their ambitions to create a deeply immersive universe, the game itself is merely average in terms of quality. Firewalk Studios has demonstrated competence with solid gunplay and movement mechanics, acceptable character abilities, and visually distinct levels, even if they lack originality.
Each character comes with unique weapons, special moves, a double jump feature, and costumes that are currently just color variations or minor weapon charms. However, due to the high speed of movement and intense action, it’s challenging to discern any character’s physical attributes. Characters like Haymar, who uses firebombs and has a precise crossbow, or Bazz, capable of throwing knives for quick, deadly strikes, are enjoyable to play. Notably, there’s Lennox, a Star Lord stand-in, armed with a powerful revolver and self-healing abilities.
In Concord, other characters seem to lack appeal for selection. For instance, Huge robot 1-Off, whose weapon resembles a vacuum cleaner, appears completely ineffective; Vale, the sniper, might as well be firing peashooters at enemies; and Emari’s shield is beneficial when teamed up but cunning opponents will simply wait for it to cool down before attacking.
When you respawn, you can select any unused characters, which is unique to Concord as it transfers one character’s special passive ability to the next. Some experts suggest that Concord drew inspiration from deck-building games, though it doesn’t quite capture the strategic depth or variety found in those games. While this feature could potentially impact teamwork and strategy, Concord generally does not encourage such extensive planning.
Rewards are slowly dripped and unlock the aforementioned cosmetics. At level 6 you can create a “fireteam” of characters that you can easily switch between during matches, but I struggled to understand the point of it. For a game that costs the best part of £40 at launch, the lack of content in general is a concern. There are six modes to play, and two of them are a variation of practice modes. Only two feature objectives, which is a Team Deathmatch mode and a territorial control mode. The game mixes up objectives and goals within them, but it won’t take long to see everything.
Perhaps Concord’s saving grace is its actual core gameplay. It reminds me of Destiny 2’s Crucible more than Overwatch in some cases, utilising double jumps and slides, hurling special abilities around and then running like crazy while waiting for cooldowns. Even the pace, time-to-kill, and overall gun-feel have a Destiny vibe that I felt immediately comfortable with. It’s telling, though, that the character I had most fun with was Teo, a generic dudebro with a submachine gun and grenades as his special ability.
Concord isn’t typically considered a “poor” game, but it seems to have some inconsistencies and struggles to establish its unique identity due to the common sci-fi setting and repetitive gameplay structure. However, it’s visually stunning, runs smoothly, lacks microtransactions at this point, and offers enjoyable – though familiar – gunplay. Unfortunately, it often feels like a game you’ve played many times before, and even the most cinematic moments can’t compensate for a glaring absence of originality.
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2024-08-26 18:16