Concordreminds me a lot ofTitanfall. Both games are first-time projects from new developers that worked on industry-defining projects (Respawn fromCall of Duty, Firewalk fromDestiny), launched as multiplayer-only titles determined to tell stories in unconventional ways, and share similar strengths and weaknesses as first-time projects. The two titles mainly diverge in their initial reception.Titanfallfelt fresh and ahead of its time at its debut.Concord’sreveal, however, was negative, having arrived at a time of great fatigue for live service hero shooters. NowConcordhas finally launched, giving players a chance to see if Firewalk Studios’ first project can push past that initial reception. DoesConcordchart a successful path forward for itself or is this shooter destined to be lost in space?
Concordtakes place far, far away in theConcordgalaxy and follows the Northstar crew. As newly-minted Freegunners, the characters travel the galaxy to take on dangerous missions and make a name for themselves.
A lot of lore, no story
Don’t be fooled, despite the fancy cinematics and high production values,Concorddoes not feature a single player campaign or any form of plot. Instead, it features weekly vignettes designed to dive deeper into the characters and their interpersonal relationships. It’s a rather unconventional way to get players invested in the characters, world and lore, but it doesn’t work well inConcord.
While a storytelling approach like this may have worked inTitanfall,where you play as a faceless soldier,Concordputs you in the shoes of actual characters. Who they are, their personalities and their relationships with one another are vital for players forming connections with them and none of that is there. It also doesn’t help that only five or so of the Freegunners have shown up in the weekly vignettes so far. These characters also lack the playful in-game banter that helpedOverwatch’scharacters become so popular.
What makes the lack of a campaign or story extra disappointing is how much effort went into building this world. Tucked away in the Galactic Guide are pages of lore, character bios and more that properly flesh out the world ofConcord. It provides the game a sense of identity it lacks elsewhere, but it’s also likely few players will actually invest the time into reading this content.
A galaxy of content at a single price
Without a story or campaign,Concordrelies entirely on its multiplayer content, gameplay and design to prop itself up. On paper, there’s quite a bit to like here with sixteen characters, twelve maps, and six game modes along with unlockable content earned through progression. In a world where the price tag is merely an entry fee and Battle Passes and microtransactions are shoved in the player’s faces immediately, it’s refreshing to play a game that isn’t loaded to brim with other monetization methods. Of course, if what’s on offer isn’t any good, that point is moot. For the most part, it is successful.
What makes the lack of a campaign or story extra disappointing is how much effort went into building this world.
Concord’sgameplay revolves heavily around its sixteen characters with each one sporting their own personality, weapon and abilities. That roster includes the overly-comedic leader wielding hand cannons (Lennox), a generic FPS soldier (Teo), the moody one (Haymar) and the dumb brute who doesn’t understand metaphors (Star Child). Thankfully, there’s also more original characters. For example, Lark, a fungi-humanoid alien, utilizes spores that deal damage over time and provide buffs to allies. Then there’s It-Z, the caffeine-fueled cat creature capable of teleporting short distances and creating copies of herself to confuse enemies.Concorddoesn’t have the most original heroes, but there’s a strong sense of variety in its character, ability and weapon offerings.
Firewalk Studios Attempts to Make Arena, Hero Shooters Gel Together with Concord
After getting hours with the beta, it’s clear that Concord is fun, though it does have a set of issues that need to be addressed before launch.
WhereConcordattempts to add originality is with its Crew Builder mechanic.Concordfocuses heavily on team composition by giving each ‘class’ a bonus that can be stacked on top of each other through switching characters in-game. For example, It-Z provides a mobility boost, while meanwhile Teo improves recoil. To build the best team, you’ll want to build a crew capable of maximizing each bonus.
The Crew Builder is a cool mechanic that adds originality to the game, but Firewalk needs to make it more accessible.
Adding another wrinkle to this are Variants, the same Freegunners but with a different passive trait. For example, Lennox I automatically reloads his weapons after dodging, but Lennox II has extended mags. Crew building is interesting and putting together the right one is instrumental to winning the No Respawn modes, butConcorddoes its best to make it as complicated as possible. With little to no tutorials, several terms unique to the game, classes that are both similar and dissimilar to traditional classes,Concordmakes building the right team a lot of trial and error. It’s a cool mechanic that adds originality to the game, but Firewalk needs to make it more accessible.
This all reminds me of something else…
With so much of Firewalk’s talent coming from Destiny, it’s not surprising thatConcordplays well. Gunplay is punchy and snappy, mobility (outside a few too slow characters) feels about right, and eliminations feel satisfying. Meanwhile, abilities don’t feel overpowered or game changing, but rather natural tools for each character. What Firewalk Studios didn’t carry over from their Destiny roots is map design. Despite there being twelve maps, it rarely feels like there are. Outside a handful of standouts like Star Chamber and Train Trouble, the rest are too samey with their industrial looks. The layouts also leave much to be desired, as they feel as if they were built to give every character the chance to succeed. The maps play safe and lack the exciting layouts that encourage experimentation or make them memorable.
Game modes are also derivative of other games with the likes of Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, Control and Hardpoint being ripped straight out of Call of Duty and other modern shooters, albeit with different names. They’re fun to play and work well inConcord, but the game lacks that hit mode to help establish a unique identity.
Concordshines when it comes to its presentation. While it may not have the most original look, it’s difficult to deny that Firewalk Studios have created a beautiful game. Sky boxes are beautifully out of this world, the maps are heavily detailed, and the characters are so well modeled and textured that figuring out who you’re fighting against is super simple. Readability, something that plagues many shooters these days, is not a problem inConcord. The game is also beautifully animated with motion capture. Add on top of that a 1970s retro sci-fi theme and you end up with one of the better-looking multiplayer games out there.
Closing Comments:
Concordisn’t the disaster many predicted it would be at its debut back in May. The simple truth is that Firewalk Studios have created a competent and fun multiplayer shooter. InConcord, you get the same level of polish and gunplay you’d expect from a Halo or Destiny, but with a hero shooter twist. The sixteen Freegunners are all well thought out and fun to play, and the Crew Builder mechanic, while overly convoluted, injects strategy into the multiplayer chaos. It’s also a gorgeous multiplayer game.
What truly holdsConcordback is its lack of identity. A story or campaign would have been a great way to showcase the world, its characters and lore, yet all of that is stuffed into the Galactic Guide that few players will probably ever read. The Freegunners and game modes are fun and mostly balanced, though feel derivative when stacked up against the already established competition. Meanwhile, map design feels safe with layouts that don’t encourage much experimentation.Concordis a good, fun game from a brand-new studio that’s currently missing its identity. It may be a bit lost in space, butConcordchecks off enough boxes to hopefully chart a path forward.
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Concord is a sci-fi multiplayer shooter from new studio Firewalk Studios, part of the PlayStation Studios stable, launching on PS5 and PC. It features two teams of five Freegunners, each with their own abilities and personalities.
