Concord Review – A Cosmic Misfire

Concord bursts onto the hero shooter scene with its sci-fi flair and intergalactic battles. This 5v5 shooter puts players in the boots of Freegunners, mercenaries vying for high-stakes jobs across the galaxy. While it brings smooth visuals and an interesting space setting to the table, does Concord have what it takes to stand out in a crowded genre? Let’s dive into this review.

Story

The game’s narrative revolves around a crew of five aboard the Northstar: Lennox, Haymar, Star Child, 1-Off, and Vale. Players are thrust into the action with an opening cinematic showcasing a daring heist in Crater City. The crew’s objective? A mysterious robotic device known as the Blue Buddy, coveted by an enigmatic organization called The Guild.

Concord’s universe is further fleshed out through its Galactic Guide feature. This in-game encyclopedia allows players to explore the lore of various planets and events, such as the intriguing history of planet Silo. For space opera enthusiasts, this attention to world-building adds an extra layer of immersion to the gameplay experience.

Gameplay and Modes

At its core, Concord offers 5v5 matches with a roster of 16 unique heroes. Each character comes equipped with one skill and one ultimate ability, designed to cater to different playstyles and strategies.

Concord offers three primary game modes to satisfy different playstyles:

1. Brawl: A classic deathmatch-style mode where quick respawns keep the action flowing. Teams race to reach a target score, making it ideal for casual play or practicing with new heroes.
2. Overrun: An objective-based mode featuring three capture points. Teams must strategically control these points to fill their score bar faster than their opponents.
3. Rivalry: A high-stakes, no-respawn mode centered around a single capture point. Victory requires winning four rounds, emphasizing tactical play and teamwork.

For those looking to sharpen their skills, Concord also provides Practice Range, Training, and Time Trials modes.

A key mechanic that sets Concord apart is the universal ability for characters to evade or double jump, adding vertical elements to firefights. Heroes fall into familiar categories of DPS, support, and tank roles. For instance, Roka excels as a mobile damage dealer with her missile launcher and triple jump, while Emari provides defensive options as a tank with shield and armor generator abilities.

However, the effectiveness of these roles seems imbalanced in practice. Healing abilities often feel superfluous due to the abundance of health pickups scattered across maps. Tanks struggle to make an impact, hampered by their slow movement in a game where mobility is key. As a result, DPS characters dominate the meta, with most players gravitating towards these more effective options.

Character and Visuals

Concord’s approach to character design is bold and unconventional, aiming for uniqueness but often falling short in terms of appeal and coherence. The game’s roster of 16 heroes features designs that strive to stand out from the crowd, but this attempt at originality sometimes results in visually jarring or functionally confusing characters.

Take Roka, for instance. This hero embodies the disconnect present in many of Concord’s character designs. Roka is a small, agile character capable of performing triple jumps, suggesting a quick and nimble playstyle. However, she wields a missile launcher as her primary weapon, a choice that seems at odds with her size and mobility. This mismatch between visual design and gameplay function is a recurring theme among Concord’s heroes.

Despite these character design quirks. The game boasts smooth graphics, from its cinematic cutscenes to in-game action. The user interface is clean and functional, while the map designs capture the imagination with their cosmic themes.

The contrast between the underwhelming character designs and the impressive environmental and UI visuals creates an interesting dichotomy in Concord’s overall aesthetic. While players may struggle to connect with the heroes themselves, the world these characters inhabit is undeniably attractive and well-realized.

Verdict

Concord enters the hero shooter arena with a solid foundation but struggles to carve out a unique identity and is an ordinary game that lacks unique selling points to set it apart from competitors. The gameplay and modes are considered standard for the genre, while the character designs are unappealing. Its space opera setting and lore offer interesting background, but the core gameplay doesn’t bring enough innovation to truly set it apart from established titles in the genre.

The game’s visual polish and well-designed UI are commendable, providing a sleek backdrop for interstellar skirmishes. However, the unconventional character designs and imbalanced role effectiveness may deter some players looking for more traditional hero shooter experiences.

At its current $40 price point, Concord faces stiff competition from both premium and free-to-play alternatives that offer similar or more refined experiences. While it may find an audience among dedicated sci-fi fans or those seeking a new flavor in the hero shooter genre, Concord will need to address its balance issues and possibly reconsider its pricing strategy to truly compete in this crowded market.

Concord

Release Date: 2024-08-24

Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Steam

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