Summary
Sony’s upcoming FPS titleConcordhasn’t gotten off on the best foot, with many gamers already raking it over the coals. While it has more than a few growing pains to sort out, there is one area whereConcordhas some of its competitors beat.
Firewalk’sConcordwas finally shown offduring Sony’s State of Play event, and the reception from players has undoubtedly been poor. YouTube comments on the two trailers demonstrate how widely the 5v5 hero shooter is being criticized—with most complaints stemming from the lack of originality on display. Though hard-and-fast opinions should only be formed once there’s something to be played, it can scarcely be denied that Concord’s trailers don’t do much to stand apart from games likeApex Legends,Valorant,Overwatch 2and more. Moreover, the snarky interplay between a group of rag-tag interstellar scoundrels has been done everywhere fromStar WarstoGuardians of the Galaxy. Still, when it comes to cosmetics, the game has an early leg-up over some other shooters.
Concord’s Light Use Of Third Person Makes Its Skins More Valuable
As a live-service title,Concordwill inevitably house a deluge of microtransactions, and skins or other character apparel are essentially certain. With this in mind, some hints left in its gameplay trailer point toward an advantage for the title. There are moments in said trailer where character abilities that actively move the camera are shown off, pulling the player into a third-person perspective. This isn’t a new concept by any stretch, but it is one that looks to appear often enough to really show off the player’s look, something that could add value toConcord’s cosmetics.
Other FPS Games Don’t Let The Player See Their Cosmetics Enough
When a player gets invested enough in a game, it’s likely that they’ll want to look good while pulling off some big moves. Showing off to other players is a big part of this, no doubt, but there’s a reason cosmetics exist in singleplayer games; gamers want to appreciate their own wardrobe. Unfortunately, options for this are tightly limited in FPS titles.Apex Legendsis among the prime culprits for this; a player will rarely see their expensive skin in-game. They coulduse one ofApex’s finishersfor this purpose, but that approach is too risky for consistent use—not to mention the damage it denies to those dreaming of 4k badges.Call of Dutyis another, as isOverwatch 2.
Concordhas the upper handwith its use of occasional third-person; it allows for a skin to be shown off while also breaking the potential monotony of a single perspective. Moreover, this aspect is used fairly frequently in the trailer, meaning that players can more-or-less expect every character (or almost every character) to have an ability of this sort.
Concord Will Need Its Cosmetics Strong And Its Characters Stronger
On the other hand, this extra value falls apart ifConcordhas weak cosmetics. Those who’ve seen its two trailers arealready dismissingConcord’s character designsfor being unappealing, and matters would only be worse if any skins or other cosmetics suffer the same pitfall. Since the tides of public opinion are already againstConcord, especially in regard to its live-service aspect, the game will have to present some show-stopping skins.
Concordwill also have to sharpen up its cast, something that’s very possible with the weekly cinematics that will release post-launch. A perfect example to why is, again,Apex;Apex Legends' skins are extremely expensive, but fans have a strong connection with its characters thanks not only to their abilities, but the extensive characterization given to them—thus expensive skins still sell. Therefore,Concordneeds to shape up its cast for any cosmetics to get off the ground.
Concord
WHERE TO PLAY
Assemble your crew of Freegunner space outlaws and team up online with friends for thrilling 5v5 PVP modes across the galaxy in Concord.Concord is a new team-based first-person shooter for PS5® and PC*. Handpick your personal roster of Freegunners from the crew of the Northstar – a group of outlaws and adventurers working as guns-for-hire.ASSEMBLE YOUR CREWFrom powerful mystics to skilled gunslingers and helpful healers, each Freegunner brings their own unique skills, personality, and abilities that cater to a wide-range of playstyles.Create your own custom squads of Freegunners with Crew Builder to bring an arsenal of different role types to the match or focus on your favourite characters to master their gameplay and unlock unique modifiers, cosmetics, background lore, and more – you decide when to play your characters and how you impact the match.PLAY. PROGRESS. PERSONALIZE.Earn and unlock a wide range of character customization items and learn more about the characters, worlds, and factions in the Concord Galaxy with the Galactic Guide.You’ll also be able to progress toward and unlock Freegunner Variants—versions of each of the 16 Freegunners with added Combat Trait modifiers to their base abilities. As you learn and master the characters, Combat Traits empower you to tailor each character to your playstyle.
