Sony and Firewalk Studios Agreement is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC later this month, and it’s going to have to fight tough to succeed. This team-based hero shooter is, unlike most of its competition, a “premium” paid title — meaning it’s not free to play like its rival shooters Warnings 2, Apex LegendsAND XDefiant Tom Clancy.
Agreement There’s also more competition coming soon on that front, with a hero shooter coming to PC FragPunkupcoming free-to-play game from NetEase. Next up is Riot Games’ release Evaluation (available on consoles from Friday) and upcoming NetEase games Marvel’s Rivals (currently in closed beta).
The latter two free-to-play games have a faithful fan base that Firewalk would certainly like to have. Evaluation will be released as a mature product, with a four-year warranty and polished content, and fans of Riot games know that the studio will continue to support their shooter for years to come; League of Legends will celebrate its 15th anniversary later this year. Around 6 million people play Evaluation every day, according to Tracking network. And then there is Marvel’s Rivalsfeaturing over 20 playable Marvel Super Heroes and Villains with decades of history behind them. Marvel’s RivalsAccording to data from the beta version alone on Steam, the peak player count is around 40,000 Steam Charts.
Yet, Agreement hasn’t developed a sturdy enough identity to compete with these powerhouses. The number of players during Agreementbeta weekends were alarmingly low. The game was widely dismissed by some of its potential audience as being heavily based on characters from Blizzard’s Overwatch and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. What does to do Agreement stands out from the competition for its price; it’s a $39.99 multiplayer game in a field of free-to-play rivals. It looks like a product of a bygone era; Firewalk started working on its multiplayer game years ago, when Guardians of the Galaxy was still popular and Blizzard was charging for the original Oversee.
Firewalk positions the pay-to-play aspect of the game Agreement as positive. The developer said will not introduce a battle pass to the gameand will continue to support the sci-fi shooter with recent characters, maps, and modes. This will logically appeal to players who are tired of the Battle Pass grind and ubiquitous free-to-play monetization tactics.
But Agreement failed to attract a immense audience over its two beta weekends. The game’s first beta test period was originally intended for players who pre-ordered the game, but a last-minute change of plan opened it up to anyone with a PlayStation Plus membership. This signaled a lack of interest in the game’s pre-orders, and the second beta test weekend — open to all PS5 and PC players — also failed to generate much enthusiasm. According to unofficial data from True Trophies, AgreementPlayer count dropped 8% between the first and second beta weekends.
Photo: Firewalk Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment
I played Agreement beta and found it to be a solid shooter, with engaging hero sets, unique team dynamics, and a very elegant presentation. But the beta didn’t communicate clearly how to play Agreement; In contrast to Marvel’s Rivals beta, Agreementplaytest was sent without a tutorial mode. Understanding the game’s unique mechanics required delving into a text guide and experimenting under the pressure of live team play. Worse, the initial deathmatch-style mode, which was in beta at launch, which Agreement forced players to experience the first one, did not emphasize the game’s character power-up system and crucial team-based dynamics. I had some fun with Agreementbut for the most part I stuck with it and delved into the game’s systems out of professional obligation. I doubt it’ll distract me from my other favorite live games.
I hope that Agreement will find an audience, and players who pay $40 for it (and then pay for a PlayStation Plus subscription) will find thousands of other like-minded companions and foes there. If they don’t, PlayStation Plus subscribers may benefit in the long run, because Agreement It looks like it’ll become a monthly PS Plus giveaway if early interest is any indication.
Agreement is undoubtedly partly an experiment by PlayStation Studios, part of a larger plan to break into the lucrative live-service gaming market with future titles like Marathon, Fair Game$and unannounced online projects from Guerrilla Games and London Studios. Time will tell if PlayStation fans who are willing to spend money on things like God of War, Spirit of Tsushimaand Spider-Man games will do this as part of an untested multiplayer mode like Agreement.
