XDefiant: An FPS with Identity Crisis

XDefiant: Unique Arcade Shooter by Ubisoft

XDefiant is an FPS with a crisis of identity. Because it incorporates characters and settings from other Ubisoft titles, this arcade-style arena shooter has a unique flavor to it. It features class skills that might make it more similar to Overwatch

Credits: IGDB

but it's still fast and twitchy like titles such as Call of Duty. It has quick deaths and respawns, but it also has objective-based modes that value cooperation over simple kill count. Although the mix of dissimilar components helps set XDefiant apart from most competitive shooters in terms of gameplay, it also gives the impression that the game's components aren't always cooperating to achieve the desired results.

Back in the late 2000s

Credits: IGDB

Call of Duty discovered the joys of competitive play that was fast-paced and grounded. With its strong first-person shooter design, XDefiant is obviously aiming for the same kind of success. The weapons seem different and gratifying to use even though they are all very normal for military shooters like this one. For example, the AK-47 kicks and strikes differently than the M41A, so choosing one over the other for your play style feels significant. Most of the time, guns are also suitably lethal, but you'll get the most out of them if you take the time to learn how recoil affects your aim and what advantages come with outfitting a certain stock or scope.

When used skillfully, XDefiant's class abilities

Such as healing allies, dropping shields, and launching explosive drones—can alter the course of a battle, but they never become so strong as to take away from the game's primary shooting mechanics. Different groups in the XDefiant game have special powers, such as the Libertad healing device and the Phantoms' personal energy dome. Ultras are powerful, but they must be handled carefully because improper use can cause them to shut down. Some groups, nevertheless, stand out more than others. DedSec from Watch Dogs, for example, focuses on hacking opponent abilities and has very few opportunities to hack.

In gunfights, abilities don't exactly suit its "the quick and the dead" mentality. Instead of equipping the Cleaners faction's molotov, which you can only use if you're a few feet away from an opponent, why not use the Phantom's deployable shield to gain several seconds of free shots at any distance? If you can neutralize a healing device without dying by sniping it from a distance, what good is it to be able to hack one from close quarters?

While the maps themselves are mostly excellent, the modes are uninteresting. In the meantime, Hotshot is a variation on Call of Duty's Kill Confirmed where there's an additional VIP twist: you only score if you pick up a dropped object following a kill. You want to guard your team's Hotshot and track down the opposition's as the person with the most items gains speed and points for each item they pick up. Conversely, Escort is a simple payload mission on a linear map; it doesn't really change from the mode that has been a part of Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch for years, thus it's not particularly new or inventive. These two options don't really play to XDefiant's strengths.