2024 was shaping up to be a banner year for gaming, with bangers dropping left and right. But amidst the excitement, one game stood out for all the wrong reasons: Concord. What was billed as an innovative multiplayer shooter quickly turned into a cautionary tale of ambition gone awry. So, what the h*** happened? Let’s dive into this hot mess.
Hype Level Maxed Out
First off, Concord was supposed to be the next big thing. Advertised as a AAA experience from Firewalk Studios, the game promised an epic space-themed multiplayer experience. Picture Destiny with slick aesthetics and dynamic combat. PlayStation even got behind it, branding it as an exclusive and slapping it on all its promotional material. The trailers? Oh, they looked chef’s kiss. Spaceships, cool futuristic weaponry, interstellar everything. Gamers were drooling.
But here’s the kicker—none of that came to fruition. Instead of an exhilarating sci-fi shooter, what we got was a game that felt more like an alpha build than a polished AAA title. Reviews started pouring in, and it wasn’t pretty.
First Impressions: Oof
After launch, players were quick to share their “WTF is this?” reactions. The game world was bland, uninspired, and eerily empty. Some called it “hideous,” with others likening the graphics to something from two console generations ago. Ouch. If you’ve ever had your gaming heart crushed, you know how it feels when a game fails to live up to the hype.
What made it worse? The gameplay. Imagine floating through a space station, ready for battle, only to realize… there’s nothing to do. Concord felt soulless, its mechanics stiff and outdated. Its ambitious PvP modes didn’t hit the mark either, leaving gamers wondering if the dev team had truly thought things through.
AAA Hype, Indie Effort?
With a big studio and PlayStation exclusivity, expectations were sky-high. But the game felt more like a passion project from a scrappy indie team. And hey, we love indie devs—when they don’t promise the moon. The biggest mystery here is how Concord managed to pass through layers of testing and marketing without anyone saying, “Hey, this game isn’t ready.”
People quickly realized that Concord was a colossal flop. YouTubers and gaming critics began to tear the game apart faster than you can say “refund.” It didn’t take long before headlines like “Concord is the biggest AAA flop in PlayStation history” started to circulate.
Lessons in Overpromising
So, what exactly went wrong? For one, it’s clear the game was released in an incomplete state. We’ve seen this before, and you’d think studios would learn. But nope, we’re still getting half-baked games served up as AAA masterpieces. Secondly, Concord lacked a clear identity. Was it a team-based shooter? A space sim? An exploration game? It tried to do too much, and in the end, did none of it well.
And let’s not forget that it’s… shut down. Bye Concord, although we’ve only known you for 11 days.
What’s Next?
The burning question: Can Concord recover? It’s not impossible. Games like No Man’s Sky started in shambles and eventually turned things around. But Concord? It’ll need a miracle, and maybe a complete overhaul, to save face. Firewalk Studios has a chance to listen to feedback and rebuild.
But for now, Concord will be remembered as one of 2024’s biggest gaming flops, a reminder that shiny trailers and big promises don’t always translate into great gameplay. Let’s hope the next big space adventure doesn’t crash and burn like this one.
