Harmony is Sony’s subsequent massive PlayStation wager on dwell service gaming and the sci-fi shooter is only a couple months away. A latest batch of previews lastly gave us a greater concept of what to anticipate, and the reactions thus far are as blended as followers’ have been after seeing the preliminary gameplay finally month’s PlayStation 5 showcase.
With its “we have already got Guardians of the Galaxy at dwelling” cinematic trailer and 5v5 hero shooter construction, it’s straightforward to pigeonhole Harmony as simply one other Overwatch clone hoping to capitalize on the frustration round that recreation’s lackluster sequel. However Firewalk Studios’ first-person enviornment shooter sounds prefer it’s truly attempting to mix parts from video games as completely different as Future 2 and Valorant.
PC Gamer had enjoyable with a preview construct of the sport however discovered its characters form of meh. VGC summarized the gunplay as “Future taking pictures, with barely slower motion, and round double the time-to-kill of Name of Responsibility.” IGN discovered the motion floaty and had issues in regards to the steadiness and readability of its courses. Recreation Informer, in the meantime, made it sound like the sport offered rather a lot higher in-person than in its latest trailers.
Whether or not that pastiche can congeal into one thing enjoyable, a lot much less sturdy over the lifespan of a contemporary game-as-a-service, is a query we received’t know the reply to till properly after Harmony’s August 26 launch date on PS5 and PC. For now, right here’s a bunch of recent particulars about how the shooter works and what would possibly set it other than a crowded subject:
12 maps can be found at launch
The completely different fight arenas exhibit completely different elements of Harmony’s sci-fi world and embrace the fortified outpost Freewater, the stormy fishing rig referred to as Water Hazard, the lightning harvesting facility Shock Danger, and the mountainous observatory Star Chamber. The PlayStation Weblog additionally states that gamers will get to check a map referred to as Bone Mines in July.
And Six modes, together with some with out respawns
Previewers bought to play three of those modes, one in every of which was much like Name of Responsibility’s Kill Confirmed deathmatch mode by which gamers need to retrieve tokens from their opponents’ corpses. Whereas that mode included respawns, others didn’t, with rounds ending if a crew was worn out. Based on the PlayStation Weblog, that features Cargo Run, the place gamers compete over a package deal, and Conflict Level the place they struggle over management for a particular space.
I hope you want double (and triple) jumps
Every of the 16 Freegunners (heroes) could have a singular package of stats and skills, and there are even gentle deck-building mechanics for customizing your bench of heroes earlier than every match. One factor a lot of the Freegunners have are double jumps. Based on PC Gamer, some even have triple jumps. Additionally they have dodges that momentarily pull the digicam out right into a third-person view.
There are not any ultimates or supers
Not like Overwatch and Valorant, PC Gamer experiences there are not any ultimates in Harmony (or supers for those who’re Future-pilled like me). Every Freegunner has two distinctive talents, like the large robotic 1-Off that may suck up trash, in addition to one passive. However there’s no meter charging up over the course of the match to allow you to wreck havoc on the opposing crew.
Gamers can deploy buildings to assist them that stick round
What Harmony does have, in keeping with Recreation Informer and Display Rant, are talents that deploy gear that lasts between rounds except it’s destroyed by your enemies. This gentle construct mechanic the place gamers can attempt to management sure areas of the map with persistent shields, therapeutic pads, and different advantageous buildings is certainly one thing that would add a novel layer of techniques to enviornment fights.
What makes Harmony distinctive?
To the diploma that Sony’s hero shooter has a standout gimmick, it appears to be the best way character switching works throughout matches. PC Gamer experiences that gamers broaden their roster by “rescuing” completely different characters, and may solely take six of them into any given battle. Nonetheless, once they swap between them throughout rounds or respawns, they get so as to add the earlier useless character’s class bonus to their present one, offering over 100 completely different combos of bonuses to play with at any given time.
Put up-launch updates shall be free
Firewalk Studios has already talked about the way it plans to launch a brand new cinematic teaser for its in-game characters and universe each week. Now the studio has additionally confirmed that future content material updates shall be free. Right here’s the precise language from the PlayStation Weblog: “expertise simply a few of the content material that shall be out there when the sport launches on August 23 and can develop over time via post-launch updates at no extra price.”
Microtransactions will solely be beauty
Priced at $40 similar to Helldivers 2, Harmony is someplace between the present freemium mannequin of Overwatch 2 and the previous full-priced loot field mode of the unique Overwatch. Firewalk Studios assured VGC that the one paid microtransactions within the recreation shall be beauty. “There are purely beauty items which you can select to additional customise the look of your character, which you can select to buy,” the studio advised VGC. “These don’t have an effect on gameplay. We imagine so strongly that the complete expertise needs to be out there to all of our gamers.” It feels like new maps, characters, and modes shall be free and out there to everybody who owns the sport.
Beta Early Entry weekends are in July
Gamers will have the ability to attempt Harmony for themselves subsequent month. The closed Early Entry beta takes place on July 12 – 14 and requires pre-ordering the sport to get into (one pre-order will get you 5 keys so just one individual in your good friend group must take the hit). The Open Beta that’s free to everybody takes place on July 18 – 21. Throughout these betas, that are principally simply demos, gamers could have entry to all 16 Freegunners, 4 maps, and three modes. There’s additionally a $60 “deluxe” model of the sport that provides gamers early entry to the complete recreation three days earlier than launch on August 20.