Concorde review is one of many

If there’s one genre in the gaming scene that has no shortage of new players, it’s undoubtedly the format represented by Overwatch. In short, these games have their charm, but most of them fail very quickly because they simply fail to impress with originality and just steal the project from Blizzard in a certain way. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take a look at Concord. Now the full version has arrived, and with it, the opportunity to assess how Sony’s hero shooter is actually doing after release.

• Platform: PC, PlayStation 5
• Release date: 23.08.2024
• Manufacturer: Firewolf Studios
• Genre: hero shooter
• Czech localization: No
• Multiplayer: Yes
• Data for download: 27 GB
• Price: 999 CZK (Alsa)

FPS Concord also has a plot, but the main role is played by the heroes.

In most hero FPS games, the creators don’t really decide on the story. Concord, on the other hand, offers a storyline. As you play, you gradually unlock parts of it and learn more about the team, as well as the game world you’re fighting in. On one hand, it’s a good idea. However, it doesn’t really fit into the overall picture, as it’s presented, perhaps, too obliquely. If a person had the opportunity to go through some PvE content or even specially configured battles, I would probably take it better, but unfortunately, the developers don’t offer anything like that to players.

Concord 19.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 9.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 1.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 4.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 15.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 21.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 13.jpg | Source: Own

So yes, there is a story, but because of the format chosen for its presentation, you will end up not remembering much of it. Interestingly, unlike Overwatch, you will not find interactions between heroes here, so it is not entirely easy to build relationships with characters. However, in order not to only criticize, it must be stated that the treatment of individual fighters is very successful. In all games, you will find only a few projects that have such unique warriors as Concord. Here, everyone really has a role, so cooperation is necessary for success. If you refuse to do this, or if you have a team of people who are deprived of the opportunity to do this, you will win them minimally, so choose the most resilient character.

Working with heroes usually requires understanding how to actually play them. They all require a slightly different approach than their counterparts. Some are supposed to stay at the front of an advancing group, while others are more of a marauding type behind enemy lines. Characters have fixed loadouts, so like Overwatch 2, you always work with what you have. There’s a decent selection of weapons. The gunplay itself isn’t impressive, but it’s not offensive either. My personal favorite is the spinner and, of course, the crossbow that shoots exploding balls from its guts.

Concord 11.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 6.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 5.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 3.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 17.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 12.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 8.jpg | Source: Own

As for abilities, they are interestingly designed and always somehow correspond to the class your character represents. A girl with a rocket launcher, for example, can instantly descend from the air to the ground, where she will create a decent hell. In addition to obviously useful things, the heroes have passive bonuses for the entire group, as well as their own story and some cosmetics that you unlock during the game. However, I would not say that individual locked aspects are particularly motivating to continue playing.

In this case, the map design is decent. Each space allows you to work to your maximum potential. With all of them, you can count on them giving you a relatively limited space, which I think is also due to the way some heroes are handled. Not everyone will be able to run the map in a few seconds, so their size is adapted to this. While the maps are nothing to criticize, I felt that not all characters were equally strong in terms of balance. Overall, it seems like it will still need a lot of tuning. Likewise, I could imagine more creatively designed modes.

Concord 7.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 10.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 20.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 16.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 18.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 2.jpg | Source: Own

Concord 8.jpg | Source: Own

The fundamental flaw in terms of competitiveness is the fact that Concord is not free. Yes, some of you will probably say that this is a detail that is not even worth mentioning. But in fact, there are a lot of projects in this genre, and many of them are free. So when you enter the ring with figures that you do not have to pay for, you automatically shoot yourself in the foot through the price tag. In the long term, in this regard, I expect a transition to the Free to Play format. That is, if this piece does not disappear earlier, like other projects.

Even the length of its development hasn’t helped Concorde emerge from the shadow of others

After playing a few matches, I don’t understand what Concord Studios has been doing for 8 years. That’s because it’s one of many hero shooters, many of which have appeared in the last decade, and whose rapid development you could read novels about. Sure, it has its good points – the characters in particular are very well-designed and there are no serious failures in terms of gameplay. But overall, it feels incredibly ordinary. In short, it feels like it offers a lot of elements that other games have, but in reality, there’s nothing so special that this FPS will stick in your mind for days. Also, the price tag doesn’t help it compete, because there are better games on the market, mostly free to enter. In this case, Sony just didn’t make the right bet.