Highlights

  • Concord faces strong criticism for lack of originality, but has an advantage when it comes to cosmetics due to its occasional third-person perspective showcasing skins.
  • Other FPS games limit players from appreciating their cosmetics, making Concord's consistent use of third-person a valuable feature.
  • Concord needs strong character designs and cosmetics to win over players, and drawing from the success of Apex Legends with engaging characters could be key.

Sony's upcoming FPS title Concord hasn'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 where Concord has some of its competitors beat.

Firewalk's Concord was finally shown off during 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 like Apex Legends, Valorant, Overwatch 2 and more. Moreover, the snarky interplay between a group of rag-tag interstellar scoundrels has been done everywhere from Star Wars to Guardians of the Galaxy. Still, when it comes to cosmetics, the game has an early leg-up over some other shooters.

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Concord's Light Use Of Third Person Makes Its Skins More Valuable

As a live-service title, Concord will 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 to Concord'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 Legends is among the prime culprits for this; a player will rarely see their expensive skin in-game. They could use one of Apex's finishers for 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 Duty is another, as is Overwatch 2.

Concord has the upper hand with 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 if Concord has weak cosmetics. Those who've seen its two trailers are already dismissing Concord's character designs for 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 against Concord, especially in regard to its live-service aspect, the game will have to present some show-stopping skins.

Concord will 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, Concord needs to shape up its cast for any cosmetics to get off the ground.