![]() But it feels like a classic case of a bloated game there's a whole bunch of stuff covering what might be a nice, clean experience. I didn't hate the few hours I spent with XDefiant, and I sincerely think the raw gunplay here is worth trying, especially since the game will be totally free. I also played payload on a more linear map that seemed to greatly favor the defending team in its checkpoint placement and overall pathing, and I say that after experiencing it as an attacker and defender. It's like trying to staple rain to a tree. ![]() Obviously, I didn't have much time to learn the maps, and maybe pre-beta lag or wonky spawning made things worse, but it felt truly impossible to predict enemy movements and approaches on several maps. I mean absurdly oversized, and with a ridiculous number of paths, bits of cover, and vantage points for a game that claims to focus on the three-lane fundamentals of arena shooters. ![]() Some maps felt nicely sized and tightly focused, while others felt way too big for 6v6. I don't think the map design is helping either. But almost every time I tried to focus on the FPS principles that make up the bones of the genre XDefiant wants to occupy, I'd get shut down by what felt like some extraneous bullshit. And it's pretty good at that! Skill expression is further layered in through wrinkles like the slide, slide jump, and reload cancels. The gunplay of XDefiant is telling me to peek carefully, control weapon spray, maintain map awareness, strafe effectively, lead shots based on consistent movement speed and hitbox size, and play in my weapon's effective range. The abilities are just kind of here, and I don't entirely know why. I'd be better off throwing a baseball hoping to concuss enemy players. And while I'm complaining, let me quickly add that XDefiant has some of the worst grenades I've ever used. Likewise, they're simultaneously less interesting and more annoying than abilities in the likes of Valorant. That includes several ultimates that you only get to use once or twice a match, and which couldn't be further from the play-maker ults of Overwatch 2. And if they didn't feel kind of cheap, abilities just felt wimpy. ![]() But even then, some of them just feel like a free kill – or, at the very least, a heavily favored engagement – given out every 30 seconds or so with extremely low skill requirements. Those interested can register on the XDefiant website.So OK, I thought to myself after a few matches, I guess abilities are meant to be largely proactive. XDefiant will enter a Closed Beta phase on 13 April 2023, which will operate on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Ubisoft has seen both sides of the coin – tactical competitive shooter Rainbow Six Siege has enjoyed almost eight years of success, while Hyper Scape was shuttered in less than two. In a crowded market full of free-to-play video games aspiring to prove themselves worthy of your precious free time, a vocal and positive community sentiment can mean the difference between enjoying longevity, or closing down servers in a year or two. ![]() XDefiant knows what it is and does it well.’ COD made a choice to move away from it’s roots and origins, it’s expanded to be an “everything shooter”. ‘It’s not a knock off of what COD is, it’s a refinement of what Call of Duty WAS. ‘ XDefiant is legit,’ he said on Twitter. Recently, the Warzone variant of the series has also been the subject of criticism for its optional, paid cosmetic items that give players an advantage.įormer Infinity Ward developer, Robert Bowling, who was considered the public face of Call of Duty in its Modern Warfare (2007) and Modern Warfare 2 (2009) prime, has even spoken up in support of XDefiant‘s approach. The arrival of XDefiant also comes at a controversial time for the Call of Duty franchise, which has had to cope with catering to an increasingly broader audience over recent years, at the cost of alienating those who favoured its more traditional approaches. The game does feature modern gameplay ideas, such as class-specific abilities and highly customisable weapons, but the core shooting action, time-to-kill, and approach to matchmaking have all gained favour amongst its audience – especially due to the lack of skill-based matchmaking, which remains a point of contention for shooter enthusiasts. ![]()
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