Concord is a hero-based multiplayer shooter where you run around sci-fi maps on distant planets using pistols, cannons, fireballs and knives to obliterate opponents in familiar modes like “capture the point” and “kill stuff.” There’s nothing in it that’s surprised me or blown my mind, but it’s pretty and, more importantly, fun. That’s the worst part.
Concord has so much going against it—bad vibes, a cacophonous presentation, and a broad sense of apathy I have not seen for a first-party PlayStation game in a decade—but it’s clear a lot of love, care, and attention went into every aspect of the live-service shooter, even if not all, or even most of them, really feel like they pay off yet. The game is not bad! So why am I so hesitant to call it good? I’ve played for about 5-7 hours during the early access period this week ahead of Concord’s August 23 launch, and, as was the case during the beta, the moment-to-moment gameplay is solid and I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with the unique weapons, abilities, and movement style of its starting roster of 16 “Freegunners.” It feels like going to a new restaurant and enjoying a novel menu full of experimental dishes and new twists on old classics.
But would I really want to eat here every day or even once a week? The news that developers at Firewalk Studios, which Sony only acquired last year, had been working on Concord in some form for up to eight years , has been yikes-inducing for some, but nothing .