PlayStation’s highly anticipated 5v5 multiplayer hero shooter, Concord, has finally arrived in beta form, and it’s available now for pre-order at Best Buy. Showcased earlier this year at the PlayStation State of Play in May, its cinematic reveal hinted at a colourful cast of characters and a stylized sci-fi setting. During the closed beta, I’ve had the chance to go hands-on and experience Concord’s fast-paced combat for myself. And, from what I have played over the past 3 days, it’s shaping up to be a thrilling addition to the genre.
Take a look at my early impressions and thoughts on Concord and its potential in the hero shooter landscape.
Concord details
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 and PC
Played on: PlayStation 5
Developer(s): Firewalk Studios
Publisher(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Hero shooter
Modes: Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Satisfying gameplay loop
Diving into Concord’s core gameplay loop, it’s clear Firewalk Studios has put a lot of thought and care into crafting Concord’s combat. The beta features four modes: Takedown, Trophy Hunt, Cargo Run, and Clash Point. Each one encourages distinct team strategies and playstyles. In the respawn-based Takedown, it’s all about racking up the most eliminations. Trophy Hunt tasks you with collecting bounty cards from your fallen enemies. The no-respawn Cargo Run and Clash Point modes, on the other hand, require tighter coordination, as a single death can really hurt your team’s chances.
Regardless of the mode, the gunplay and movement feel satisfying across Concord’s diverse cast of Freegunners. Each character has their own unique weapons, abilities, and traversal options that add depth to the combat. I was instantly drawn to Jabali with his unique support abilities. His healing orb recharges on eliminations creates a rewarding feedback loop, allowing you to keep your team constantly buffed and healthy. Jabali’s versatility and high-impact potential made him one of my favourite characters during the Concord beta. Other standouts include the Star Child, who can charge into battle and blast enemies with a powerful shotgun, and It-Z, an alien with teleportation powers. The varied abilities ensure there’s a Freegunner to suit every playstyle, from aggressive frontliners to support snipers.
With such a diverse cast of characters, Concord encourages experimentation and teamplay, as you must learn to synergize your Freegunners’ abilities to gain the upper hand. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the typical hero shooter formula.
Diverse and well-designed maps
The maps in Concord showcase Firewalk Studios’ attention to detail and thoughtful design. The four maps available in the beta—Freewater, Water Hazard, Star Chamber, and Shock Risk—all feature clever, multi-layered layouts that encourage dynamic engagements.
Freewater’s intersecting perimeter lanes and central courtyard create a prime convergence point for intense team fights. Water Hazard, set on a massive floating fishing rig, mixes open areas with tight corridors and the jaws of a giant Morack eel. Meanwhile, the high-altitude Star Chamber and lightning-harvesting Shock Risk maps provide elevated positions and flanking routes galore.
The map designs strike a nice balance, ensuring no single playstyle or character dominates. Snipers can hold down long sightlines, while flankers and mobile Freegunners can dart around the environments to catch opponents off-guard. And, while the beta’s maps may lack a distinct sense of place, their clever layouts encourage dynamic engagements. Throw in the satisfying loop of ability cooldowns and weapon reloads, and I found Concord’s moment-to-moment gameplay to be consistently engaging.
Narrative ambitions and progression systems
Beyond engaging gameplay, Concord looks to strengthen its longevity through narrative and character progression. The developers have promised weekly cinematic vignettes to develop the backstories and relationships of the diverse Freegunner roster. The beta’s initial cutscene introduces the Northstar crew in a playful style reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy. While it lacks concrete details about the sci-fi setting and conflict, the snappy dialogue and vibrant character designs are promising.
On the progression front, the Concord beta offered a satisfying loop of unlocking new cosmetic rewards like skins, accessories, and player cards. These are earned not just through match performance, but also by completing daily, weekly, and seasonal challenges. While familiar, this system offers steady advancement and customization for dedicated players. Most importantly, Concord avoids the dreaded battle pass model, opting instead for a more traditional premium release structure. This means all future content updates—including new Freegunners—will be free for all players. It’s a refreshing approach that I belive will help Concord create a healthy, engaged, and growing community.
Overall, I feel that Concord’s narrative ambitions and progression systems show promise as compelling complements to its solid core gameplay. The key will be if Firewalk Studios can deliver an interesting weekly story and maintain a steady flow of new content. If so, Concord could really be worth investing your time with.
Concord beta early impressions final thoughts
From the moment you load into a match, Concord‘s polished presentation really grabbed my attention. The diverse roster of 16 Freegunners each boast their own distinct visual designs and unique abilities. Whether you prefer to blast enemies from afar as the reptilian sharpshooter Lennox, or dive into the fray as the shotgun-wielding Star Child, there’s a character to suit all playstyles.
Beyond the appealing aesthetics, I found the core gameplay loop in the Concord beta equally compelling. It offers a solid variety of modes, from the classic team deathmatch-style Takedown to the objective-based Cargo Run and Clash Point. Each map is thoughtfully designed to encourage dynamic engagements with its mix of elevated vantage points and close-quarters combat arenas. In this early state, the Concord beta provides a promising taste of what’s to come. With its stylish presentation, diverse cast of characters, and satisfying shooter mechanics, I believe Concord has the potential to carve out its own space in the crowded hero shooter landscape.
Pre-order Concord on PS5 today at Best Buy. The video game will be released on August 23rd, 2024.
Did you play the Concord beta? If so, let me know in the comments section below who your favourite Freegunner is and what you thought about the game.
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