Harmony beta impressions

I am unable to assist however really feel some sympathy for Firewalk Studios and Harmony. This one recreation is saddled with three of the heaviest burdens in gaming: competing as a brand new live-service recreation, being a aggressive hero shooter, and residing as much as the requirements of a PlayStation first-party recreation. This preliminary beta options all the characters that shall be included at launch, 4 completely different recreation modes, a few maps, and one little story vignette. Whereas there are many issues that may and shall be tweaked up till, and after, launch, I consider we’re seeing what the core of Harmony is, and it is good.

The issue is that good is not adequate for fulfillment in at this time’s market the place a brand new recreation has to by some means discover a method to rip individuals away from different video games they’ve already invested years of their lives. Harmony has a powerful core when you get into its movement and discover your character, however the modes and development aren’t created equal. I am sufficient in seeing extra for now, however battle to see it holding many individuals’s consideration for the long run.

Meet the Freegunners

Not simply Overwatch at dwelling

A serious flaw with this primary beta that will not exist upon launch is the dearth of any tutorial. Harmony will launch with 16 characters, all of that are on this beta. Every one has a singular weapon (or two), two expertise, and barely completely different motion choices. With none method to even go into an empty map to check out how every character strikes, shoots, and their skills work, you are compelled to learn a fast description and toss your self into the fireplace to be taught mid-match. I will not rail towards this as exhausting as I usually would for the reason that recreation does reference a tutorial that’s merely not accessible throughout the beta, but it surely appears like that ought to’ve been a precedence to incorporate in a beta interval.

Heroes in Harmony are delightfully distinctive and various. I wasn’t in a position to deeply play each single one, however did work together with every of them lengthy sufficient to see that no two had been a duplicate of one other. Lennox (my fully unbiased favourite for no purpose particularly) makes use of a pair of pistols, an explosive throwing knife, and a self-heal, whereas Haymar makes use of a handheld crossbow, has a blinding grenade, and may create flame partitions. As soon as you recognize and perceive a selected character’s package, there’s plenty of enjoyable available mastering it.

On a base degree, Harmony seems and feels nice. Graphically the sport is a deal with, from the menus to the fashions and maps. Each character has an excellent sense of fashion and appears nice in movement, and the lighting and identification of the maps are clear and readable. In contrast to another hero shooters, that are stuffed with visible noise and display air pollution, even in essentially the most intense moments I by no means felt overwhelmed with particles and results going off to the purpose the place I could not learn the state of affairs. The identical goes for the gunplay. Aiming and capturing is completely responsive, and touchdown hits offer you a pleasant sense of suggestions. The sport does have a intentionally extra “heavy” really feel in comparison with some shooters. You will not be slide-canceling and drop-shotting right here, however that does not imply your mobility is proscribed.

Every character has some type of double soar, triple soar, or hover alongside a dodge. This provides the sport a pleasant sense of verticality in battles, however the maps on supply did not really feel like they totally embraced that design. Most map designs felt pretty customary in funneling the motion by means of lanes with some bigger rooms, however just one performed with a number of ranges in a significant approach. The present maps all felt completely useful, if not memorable or distinctive.

The place Harmony’s imaginative and prescient feels most unsure is in its modes. As an alternative of focusing closely on team-based goal modes like Overwatch, Harmony presently has two types of workforce deathmatch and two round-based goal modes with one life per spherical. Selection is nice, nevertheless, it is vitally clear that not all characters are equally balanced for every mode. Heavy “tank” characters particularly really feel approach too gradual and underpowered in modes centered simply on racking up kills. On the opposite aspect of issues, if you do not have a healer or are taking part in a personality with the flexibility to self-heal, round-based modes lose momentum when you’ll want to retreat to discover a well being pack on the map.

I assume these modes are meant for the extra hardcore or gamers rolling with a coordinated workforce, but it surely nonetheless appears like an ungainly match. I’d reasonably see Harmony construct itself round two or three modes than unfold itself so skinny that some characters simply do not feel made for them. Even operating with randoms, I by no means noticed a lot synergy or technique in character selection. Once more, that is solely a beta so I do not know the way the sport will look in its ultimate model, however even within the Overwatch beta there have been clear meta groups and counter picks that had been enjoyable to be taught and made every spherical and match thrilling. Harmony simply does not give off the impression of getting that very same degree of depth within the long-term.

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A superb recreation that got here too late

Not sticky sufficient to final

When Harmony works, it’s a nice time. The extra I performed, the extra it grew on me as soon as I discovered my most popular Freegunners and caught to the modes that the sport felt constructed upon. Capturing feels nice, and for now, the steadiness feels pretty well-tuned. There are some huge flaws I assume shall be fastened by launch (no backfill on video games the place gamers drop is the largest instance) however what holds it again is not one thing that may be “fastened” so simply.

Harmony simply is not that sticky. Whereas I am having a good time now, I do not see myself coming again after a month. There’s simply nothing so compelling within the gameplay or development to entice me to make it part of my routine. Not one of the modes—no less than what’s playable up to now—spark any drive in me to grasp them. I am having an excellent time, however solely within the moment-to-moment form of approach. When one match ends, I will not be keen to begin one other after making an attempt out your entire solid.

Had Harmony come out even 5 or 6 years in the past, perhaps it might’ve stood an opportunity. For higher or for worse, Harmony being an excellent recreation in 2024 is not sufficient to succeed.

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