Johnnysworld

After PlayStation set the expectations on what fans should expect at the State of Plays, my hopes for these small showcases exponentially died down. May’s showcase wasn’t that much to gush over, with updates on current titles such as Silent Hill 2, which didn’t look too hot. Marvel Rivals got a console announcement, and Where Winds Meet looks pretty cool. 

That said, I did have one highlight and a point of interest: Astro Bot and Concord.

When I picked up the PS5 on launch, I ignored Astro’s Playroom. I heard good feedback, but I still left the robotic Sackboy on the shelf. Welp, I’ve realized the error of my ways, as a full-blown sequel is on the way via Astro Bot. 

The trailer was charming, with homages to PS legends like God of War and Uncharted. It looks fun, and after reading different takes on the internet, I realized that long gone are the days of old when PlayStation embraced goofy and charming heroes like Astro. Granted, we still get Ratchet and Clank, but Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper, staple legends, have been left in the dust.

Anyways, I goofed. I’m going to play Astro’s Playroom, and you’ll catch me launch day for the sequel.

On the other hand, let’s talk the elephant in the room – Concord.

Upon debut, Concord was blasted to the moon and back since it’s another forego into the live service market and another attempt to mirror the successes of live service titles like Overwatch. The like-to-dislike ratio is astounding, and for a new development team, that’s gotta be somewhat heartbreaking.

I didn’t watch the reveal, but the actual gameplay doesn’t look that bad. I guess some of the developers here worked on titles like Destiny, and you can tell by certain aspects like the firewall or the floating mechanic.

What intrigues me is, according to rumors, this will be a $40 game (Edit: as soon I published this, it was confirmed to be $40. Immaculate timing). Preordering gets you access to the beta in July and other preorder benefits.

If true, for a title like this, where the market is overly saturated with hero shooters, this feels like a giant misstep. Look no further than Helldivers 2 to realize that’s a game worth the price of admission and a live service done well, minus the PSN disasterclass. It’s unique, it’s fun, and not many titles can hold a candle to what Arrowhead is doing with it.

Concord is yet another attempt at the tried and true formula of hero shooters Personally, I’d rather not spend $40 for a game like this when I can play Overwatch or Valorant for free. This seems like a perfect opportunity to try a free-to-play approach.

Firewalk Studios aims to release weekly story tidbits and do more to engross players in the world of Concord. Yet this might be a hard sell for an industry that’s burnt out from games like these. I’m still going to try it if there’s an open beta since I like to give games the benefit of the doubt. 

But I’m not sure about this one.

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I plan on covering more of the upcoming showcases in smaller form content blocks like this.

Let’s make this a summer to remember!