Concord, developed by Firewalk Studios and published by Sony (which absorbed the developer in 2023), represents one of the brand’s most ambitious attempts to establish itself in the competitive live-service game market. After the success of Helldivers 2 in early 2024, PlayStation seems to be doubling down on its efforts to conquer a wider audience. The game was initially unveiled with a flashy trailer that evoked similar atmospheres to Destiny and No Man’s Sky, thanks to a colorful aesthetic and a space setting. However, when the gameplay was finally revealed, it emerged as a title that seemed to draw too much from already established IPs. This negative first impression continued during the beta testing period, which was characterized by poor participation, a worrying sign for a flagship multiplayer title. The full game, however, reveals a few surprises and raises the bar of the experience a bit.
One of the most controversial aspects of the game is Concord’s payment model. In an era where many hero-based shooters are offering free-to-play experiences, Concord is a $40 purchase. Why pay for a game that may not have a guaranteed longevity when alternatives like Overwatch 2 and Valorant are available for free? Firewalk Studios’ response has been to focus on a more premium gaming experience, characterized by high production values, flawless graphics, and a deep story. Upon booting up the game, you are greeted by a cutscene that introduces some of the 16 possible Freegunners, Concord’s playable characters. The cutscenes are visually impressive, with high-quality lighting, textures, and animations. However, the character designs feel rather generic, lacking the uniqueness that could have made them memorable. This is further exacerbated by the game’s similarity in theme and color to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Narrative-wise, Concord features a detailed universe, to be explored through a tree of missions to be selected to unlock parts of the narrative and explore the lore of the title. While the idea of a codex may be interesting, its implementation is chaotic and confusing. Navigating between the nodes of the galactic map and unlocking fragments of lore fails to fully engage, making it difficult for players to find a real reason to immerse themselves in this fragmented narrative. Added to this is the fact that there are currently only two cutscenes available, with more arriving weekly: quality yes, but in small doses.
Despite its narrative challenges, Concord manages to shine when it comes to gameplay. Firewalk Studios, made up of industry veterans with experience in major titles such as Destiny, Call of Duty, and Halo, demonstrates its expertise with a solid and rewarding FPS game system. The variety of weapons, the responsiveness of the controls, and the variety of the 16 Freegunners offer a dynamic and engaging gaming experience, with mechanics that reward skill and strategy. A distinctive element of Concord is the team building system, which allows players to customize their roster, encouraging experimentation and diversity of strategies during matches. However, the game suffers from a limited player base, with long wait times to find matches, a particularly worrying issue for a newly launched multiplayer title.
Concord currently offers six game modes and twelve multiplayer maps. While there’s a good amount of variety between fast-paced and tactical modes, the low player count does limit the overall experience. Progression is tied to daily, weekly, and seasonal missions, but the rewards on offer are mostly uninspiring, further reducing the incentive to stick around. Firewalk Studios has promised regular updates with new content, but it remains to be seen whether they can keep players interested long enough to ensure the title’s success. Concord has a solid foundation as a shooter, but its fragmented identity, combined with the difficulty of finding matches and uninspiring progression, limits its potential. It’s also true that games like this can improve over time and completely turn around a lackluster launch, and that’s where it’s at.
Format: PS5 (tested version), PC Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Developer: Firewalk Studios Vote: 7/10
