Summary
- Amidst criticism for lack of originality, Concord faces an uphill battle to stand out in the oversaturated hero shooter market.
- The game's character roster, influenced by popular franchises like Guardians of the Galaxy, has drawn backlash for feeling derivative and uninspired.
- While Deadpool and Wolverine may reignite interest in similar media like Concord, the game still needs to address issues like controversial monetization.
Even back when it was a mere teaser back in 2023, Concord has always been on shaky ground with the gaming public. Fortunately for the fledgling title, one of the more controversial aspects of Concord may be less of an issue very soon.
Despite Concord's open beta garnering some positive feedback, the odds are still against Sony's latest live-service venture. After peaking at a little over 2300 players on Steam (stats for PlayStation are unavailable, but the game is likely faring better on its own turf), Concord's open beta is back on the decline — and it's not hard to see why. In a year deeply oversaturated with hero shooters, Concord is doing very little to set it apart from the competition. Moreover, its mass-produced flavor has been pointed out by some big names, with major streamers like Penguinz0 mocking it relentlessly. With its upcoming slate of microtransactions and a PSN account requirement to boot, Concord is caught in the perfect storm of misfortune.
Concord - Official 'The Stars are Ours' Cinematic Trailer
Upcoming sci-fi first-person shooter game Concord introduces a quirky cast of characters in this charming trailer from July 2024.
Deadpool And Wolverine May Make Concord's MCU-Lite Writing Cool Again
Concord's lack of originality remains the greatest threat to any hope of it catching on, and its writing is a big part of that. Where other hero shooters have managed to foster iconic characters, Concord looks to be doing little more than riding coattails — presenting a cast of quippy rogues that seem copy-pasted from superhero-flick ensembles. However, with Deadpool and Wolverine seeing an especially strong marketing push, one that might bring the MCU back on track, Concord's writing may get a second chance at featuring in the zeitgeist.
Concord's Characters And Dialogue Have Caused Some Backlash
Concord wears its influences on its sleeve, with many calling its presentation thus far a mix of Overwatch and Guardians of the Galaxy. Unfortunately, these are the same influences that have been repeated in games and films ad infinitum since the mid-2010s. With this oversaturation looming large, Concord's cast isn't doing it any favors; the characters focused on in its first cinematic trailer are carbon copies of Guardians of the Galaxy's protagonists, save for the robot sidekick 1-Off — a lesser incarnation of quirky robot characters like Pathfinder or K-2SO.
Of course, players must remember that it's still early days for Concord. Titles like Apex Legends and Overwatch have had time for their cast to be developed beyond quirky antics and self-referential quips. Theoretically, a cinematic that gave some real depth to one of Concord's characters could go viral under the pretense of a redemption arc for the game, lending it a great deal more legitimacy. However, what Concord has currently displayed is thoroughly stuck in the ironic one-liners and superhero cliches of yesteryear, a trend that's losing out to the new demand for more emotional sincerity.
Deadpool And Wolverine Could Save Concord, But The Game May Still Struggle
The huge marketing push for Deadpool and Wolverine reflects how much is staked on it doing well. Bringing Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine together in the MCU is a big crowd-pleasing move, one that many are looking to for a superhero resurgence. With that film fighting against the cynicism facing its genre, it could have the side effect of making Concord more palatable. If Deadpool and Wolverine is able to bring respect back to superhero material, the conventions that are rife within media adjacent to it, like Concord, may be seen as fresh again.
On the other hand, Concord still needs to conquer its other problems — even if Deadpool and Wolverine grants it an incidental revitalization. Concord's monetization is still controversial, even if it's better than what's coming out of games like Skull and Bones and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It will also need to get over an initial poor reception, something that may require big gameplay overhauls and a scrapping of its PSN account requirement.
Concord
- Released
- August 23, 2024
