July 15th 2024.
Over the weekend, the GameCentral team had the opportunity to try out the highly anticipated Concord beta. As expected, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding this new online shooter from Sony, but the big question remains - does it bring anything new to the table?
From the initial reveal, it was clear that Concord was not trying to revolutionize the gaming world. Many critics were quick to point out its similarities to other popular titles, and some even went as far as calling it generic and uninspired. After spending some time with the beta, it's hard to deny that these concerns are valid. However, the real question is whether the lack of originality takes away from the overall experience of the game.
To put it simply, Concord is a lot like Overwatch, just with different characters. But don't let that discourage you, as the gameplay and gunplay are actually quite impressive. While it may not reach the same level as Destiny 2, it's clear that the developers drew inspiration from Bungie's hit title. That being said, Concord doesn't have any unique selling points or gimmicks to set it apart from its competitors. It simply excels in its execution and, judging from the beta, it's surprisingly free of bugs.
However, as you delve deeper into the game, you'll discover some unexpected surprises. One of the most notable is the fact that there are a total of 16 playable characters, which is more than the reveal had led us to believe. What's even more impressive is that each character has its own distinct abilities, making them all stand out in their own way.
On the downside, the characters lack depth when it comes to their personalities. But the developers have promised new cut scenes every week to flesh them out, so there's still hope for some character development. Unfortunately, the initial cut scene in the beta didn't leave a good first impression, with its sub-par Guardians of the Galaxy style sassiness and lack of explanation for the setting. We only get a brief mention of "revolts" and "freerunners", but no real context for these terms.
However, storytelling has never been Overwatch's strong suit either, so we're not too worried about that aspect. Plus, there's definitely potential for interesting character backstories. For instance, while some characters may fit the usual tropes found in competitive first person shooters, others have unique abilities that make them stand out. Take Teo, for example, a "bog standard" space marine armed with a rifle, frag grenade, and smoke grenade. On the other hand, Vale, the sniper, can jump vertically and has trip wires at her disposal.
But things start to get really interesting when you look at the other characters. For instance, robot 1-Off may not have a traditional weapon, but he has a vacuum device that can suck or blow objects, which he can then use to create a "Trash Bomb". In fact, many characters have unconventional weapons, such as Daveers, who shoots blobs of "burnite" and then ignites them with a wrist dart. Bazz relies solely on melee attacks and throwing knives, while Haymar's crossbow is only effective if you take the time to charge it up by aiming down sights.
However, what stands out the most is that Concord isn't just another run-of-the-mill shooter. It's clear that it's not trying to be a Call of Duty clone, as each character has unique abilities that go beyond combat. For example, Dunchess can create permanent walls to block movement and line of sight, and even after a character dies, their objects still remain in the game. Kyps, a robot, can drop sensor drones and turn invisible while dodging, and Roka can hover in the air while firing missiles at enemies.
Interestingly, the most popular character among players seems to be Lennox, not because he's featured prominently in the cut scenes, but because he's one of the few characters with two ordinary guns and the ability to heal. Similarly, Jabail is a fan favorite for his healing abilities and easy-to-use rifle and heat-seeking "hunter orbs".
However, despite the impressive lineup of characters, it's a shame that the game doesn't make better use of its sci-fi setting. The lack of information on what's actually going on and the limited number of alien characters (only three) is a missed opportunity. For instance, Star Child, who resembles Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, is just a Hulk-like brute armed with a shotgun. On the other hand, It-Z, a catgirl/Green Goblin hybrid, has Tracer-like teleport powers, and Lark, a plant person, can set up a teleportation spot and return to it after a short build-up time. Unfortunately, her gun isn't very satisfying to use.
Ultimately, Concord does offer some unique ideas, but they're presented in a rather dull and uninteresting manner. This is especially evident in the game's maps, which, while well-designed, lack any personality or sense of place. They mostly consist of monochrome corridors that don't even look very sci-fi, and there's no interactivity to make them stand out.
Over the weekend, our team at GameCentral had the chance to try out the beta version of Concord - a new online shooter game by Sony. Despite the controversy surrounding its initial reveal, we were excited to see what it had to offer. But the big question on everyone's mind was whether it would bring anything new to the table.
From the start, it was clear that Concord wasn't trying to revolutionize the genre. Many were quick to point out its similarities to other popular games, and the lack of originality caused quite a stir among fans. But after spending some time with the beta, it's safe to say that these concerns were valid. However, the real question is whether this lack of creativity is enough to overshadow the game's overall quality as an online shooter.
To put it simply, Concord is like Overwatch with a different cast of characters. But one thing that sets it apart is its superior gunplay, which is heavily influenced by games like Destiny 2. Yet, the game doesn't really have a unique selling point or a standout feature. It's just a well-made game that, based on our experience with the beta, is surprisingly free of bugs.
However, as we delved deeper into the game, we did come across a few pleasant surprises. One of the biggest ones being the number of playable characters - a whopping 16 in total. And each one of them has their own distinctive personality and set of abilities, making them all the more intriguing to play with.
Speaking of personalities, the characters in Concord are somewhat one-dimensional. But the developers have promised to add weekly cutscenes that will flesh them out more. Unfortunately, the initial one in the beta didn't really give us much to go on. It seemed to lack the charm and wit of Guardians of the Galaxy, and the setting was also left vague with just a brief mention of revolts and freerunners.
But then again, most of the storytelling in Overwatch happens outside of the game, so we're not too concerned about that. And with such a diverse cast of characters, there's definitely potential for some interesting storylines in the future.
Now let's talk about the characters themselves. As expected in a competitive shooter, there are some typical archetypes like the space marine Teo, the sniper Vale, and the tank Emari. But things start to get a little weird with characters like robot 1-Off, who doesn't have a gun but instead has a vacuum device that can suck or blow objects - including a "Trash Bomb" that can be created using collected detritus. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as many characters have abilities that are far from the norm.
In terms of combat, the time to kill in Concord is longer than what we're used to in other online shooters. Even the weapons seem underpowered without any buffs, and we found ourselves relying on melee attacks more than anything else. It's clear that Concord is not trying to be a clone of Call of Duty, and its focus on unique abilities instead of just guns is a refreshing change.
Take Dunchess, for example, who can create walls to block movement and line of sight. And even after her death, the walls stay in place, adding an interesting dynamic to the gameplay. Then there's Kyps, a robot that can drop sensor drones and turn invisible while dodging. And one of our personal favorites, Roka, who can hover in the air and fire missiles at enemies.
Interestingly, the most popular character in the game seems to be Lennox, not because of his role in the cutscenes, but simply because he has two ordinary guns and the ability to heal. Similarly, Jabail is another fan favorite for his healing abilities and easy-to-use rifle and heat-seeking "hunter orbs".
But despite the impressive lineup of characters, the sci-fi setting doesn't seem to play a significant role in the game. There are only a few aliens, including Star Child who resembles Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy and talks just like him. And while the other two aliens, It-Z and Lark, are some of the best characters in the game, we can't help but wish there were more of them.
On a smaller scale, Concord does have some unique ideas that make it stand out. But unfortunately, these ideas are presented in a rather dull and unimpressive manner. The maps, for example, are well-designed but lack any personality or sense of place. They all look like monochrome corridors that could easily be mistaken for a government building. And there's no interactivity or elements that make them stand out as sci-fi environments.
Overall, Concord has a lot of potential with its diverse cast of characters and unique abilities. But it's a shame that the game doesn't make better use of its sci-fi setting and lacks that wow factor that would truly set it apart from other online shooters. But who knows, maybe there's more to come in the full release of the game. Only time will tell.
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