It reminds me of the annoying days in the gaming world, when the PS4 and Xbox One consoles had just been released and multiplayer-only video games were on the rise. There’s nothing wrong with online-only multiplayer games, but many of them were full price.
I’m talking about games like EA’s Star Wars Battlefront, the original Titanfall, Evolve, and even Overwatch. These games did not include single-player campaigns, and gamers were still expected to pay full price for every game.
It wasn’t until Fortnite was released in 2017 that this trend started to fade. Because Fortnite is free to play, it has become so popular that it is difficult to compete. There are currently plenty of free-to-play multiplayer games, including Overwatch 2, Call of Duty: Warzone, and The First Descendants.
However, Sony announced a new online hero shooter this year called Concord, and it’s currently available on PS5 and PC. Concord is not a free-to-play video game like Fortnite, but a multiplayer-only game that costs $69.99 NZD.
Needless to say, PS5 owners will have to shell out extra cash to pay for their PlayStation Plus subscription. This is because you can’t play the game without PlayStation Plus. I still think it’s a scam that console players have to pay for online gameplay while PC owners don’t have to. Only free-to-play video games are free on all platforms.
Regardless, despite the high entry price, I still wanted to give Concord a chance. It may not be full price, but it’s pretty expensive compared to things like Fortnite, Overwatch 2, or the upcoming Marvel Rivals. All of these games are free to play, and Marvel Rivals will offer all characters for free at launch.
Sadly, as someone who doesn’t like online multiplayer FPS games, Concord itself is not a fun game. Concord does not offer a PVE mode as it is all PVP. If you hate being constantly shot at by more talented players, this game is not for you.
Before you get into Concord’s multiplayer mode, the game has three practice modes you can play. First, there is a tutorial that provides guidance on the game’s controls and combat. Apart from the main weapon, each character in this game has two unique ability buttons. Some characters can also dodge or jump higher than others.
There’s also a practice mode that helps you test each character’s strengths and weaknesses before mastering your skills online. Practice mode allowed me to learn who the useless characters were, but more on that later in this review.
The final single-player mode is Time Trial. This is an obstacle course where you need to finish in a fast time. Only one time trial is available at the beginning, as you have to unlock more time trials by leveling up in the online multiplayer mode.
Speaking of multiplayer, Concord generously features six multiplayer modes divided into three different playlists. The first playlist is called Brawl and includes “Takedown” and “Trophy Hunt.” These modes basically just try to kill as many enemies as possible in 10 minutes.
The second playlist is Overrun featuring “Area Control” and “Signal Chase.” These modes are similar to the old Star Wars Battlefront games where you have to capture a command post. The only difference is that in “Signal Chase” the zone moves every few seconds.
The third playlist is only unlocked when you reach level 6 and is called Rivals. This includes a “cargo run” where you have to plant cargo and protect it from enemy teams. “Crash Point” is the final mode, where you earn points simply by capturing zones or defeating enemies.
The actual gunfire is fast and responsive in most of the game modes mentioned above, and many of the characters are quick on their feet. That being said, I played a lot of games where I felt the team was out of balance. Most game modes were one-sided whether a team won or lost, so I rarely played matches that felt evenly matched.
When it comes to gameplay, I don’t think all the characters are balanced as some are much more useful than others. First, only a few characters have secondary weapons. Some other characters only have one weapon, which is unfair when they have to reload in front of an enemy and can’t take out a pistol or something.
Some characters “deplete” their abilities and can only use them again when they die and are revived. Again, this feels unfair since other characters can use their abilities by simply waiting for a short cooldown period.
There’s also a character named Buzz, but she only carries two knives, so I don’t think she’s useful in a gunfight. I’ve seen some people use her successfully, but I’ve never been very good at using Buzz because you have to be at close range to stab people. She can throw knives, but not as easily as spraying machine gun bullets.
One of my favorite characters was Emmali. Because she has a huge gatling gun and can generate a shield. Another character I liked to use is Loka, who primarily has a rocket launcher, which can do a lot of damage if you spam it over and over again.
However, one thing that bothered me was that I couldn’t use the same character on the same team. Emari is so popular that I often couldn’t use it. Luckily, the other characters didn’t fit my playstyle, so I was able to use Loka as a backup.
Another big problem with Concord is the low player count, which affects the amount of time you get into a match. I’ve been playing this game since its release on PS5, and there was a time when I always had to wait 4 minutes or more to get into the overrun playlist. I’ve heard that the worst situation for Steam players is because there are only 500 active players playing Concord on PC at the moment.
Regarding other modes of the game, if you want to earn more XP, you can check out the job board to find objectives to complete. You can also customize the appearance of your favorite characters by selecting Freegunners in the main menu. The more you play, the more items you unlock to make you look cool.
Concord’s final game mode is Galaxy Guide, where you can decipher the game’s deep lore. Personally, I didn’t spend much time reading about the lore, but this is a great feature for those who want to learn more about the game’s characters and their vast world.
Overall, Concord isn’t a terrible game, but it does have some hurdles to overcome in order to get more people to play it. The price of 69.99 NZD is expensive as there are many free to play games that are cheaper. It’s also worth mentioning that the upcoming Marvel Rivals will be released this December and you can play as cool characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther for free.
Verdict: 6.0/10
