Ask any of my friends, and they’ll tell you about my extraordinary love for FPS games. That passion kept me awake all night checking XDefiant’s server status, eager to jump into a match. After finally getting a few matches and rounds in, I have some thoughts on XDefiant and how it made me feel. Let’s dive into that below.
The Arcade Shooter I’ve Been Waiting For
When I first joined a game, I expected XDefiant to be another generic Call of Duty or Overwatch clone. Fortunately, the game quickly proved me wrong, setting a distinct tone from the start. The various XDefiant game modes immediately drew me in. While familiar, they offered unique experiences.
Most of the XDefiant factions were fun to play and significantly impacted the gameplay. This variety forced me to adapt to my enemies, preparing for the unpredictability that followed.
XDefiant handles combat in an intriguing way. The shooting felt satisfying, with minimal screen effects and unnecessary audio, enhancing the arcade feel without distractions. With 100 HP required to take down an enemy unless they use an ability, each kill felt more rewarding, making the game more arcadey than tactical.
While not extraordinary, XDefiant captures the essence of the original Call of Duty multiplayer era’s arcade shooters. It promises fast-paced, excellent gameplay that rekindles the fun of multiplayer shooters.
Minimal UI That Hits the Mark
A multiplayer game that is fun but hampered by a poor UI might as well not be a game at all. Thankfully, Ubisoft understood this and designed XDefiant’s UI to be clean and uncluttered. The menu is neatly divided, making everything easily accessible at a glance while still being functional.
Players can view their abilities at the bottom of the screen, providing essential information on abilities, grenades, and other utilities.
That said, there were a few things in XDefiant that annoyed me slightly. While I might be nitpicking, I don’t see why XDefiant needed settings like Water Reflection and other visual effects. Even though the visuals are top-notch, these could have been omitted.
Additionally, why does the loading screen have only a single looping video? While I know R6 Siege does the same, a different approach might have been better here.
The reason I’m mentioning these settings is that, as an avid FPS lover, I would turn them off to enjoy the game to its fullest potential. This brings me to the final point that impressed me.
Optimized as Expected
I constantly fear AAA games launching with broken ports and issues. As someone who has dealt with plenty of stuttering and buggy games, I was worried about how well XDefiant would run.
Despite Ubisoft promising an amped-up experience, I lowered my graphics settings to ensure a steady FPS. To my delight, the game ran smoothly at a consistent 120+ FPS.
It’s refreshing to see that Ubisoft paid enough attention to make sure XDefiant launched smoothly. Even if the servers were down, players didn’t encounter other issues.
XDefiant Verdict: Ready to Play Again
Writing my verdict for XDefiant, I realize I had a lot of fun. I entered this shooter with skepticism, but it has turned into what I can best describe as the beginning of admiration. That said, the game does have its issues.
For example, I haven’t recovered from encountering invisible players in The Finals, and I’m experiencing similar issues here. Thankfully, XDefiant offers enough counters to handle them.
Power imbalances are common in the early stages of live service shooter games. If balanced correctly, I believe XDefiant can become one of the best ways for gamers to pass the time.
With all these positives, I’m also glad XDefiant supports crossplay and works well with both controllers and mouse and keyboard. If there’s one thing I can end with, it’s that I’ll definitely be logging in again to join the fun in XDefiant.
Have you tried the game yet? What are your thoughts on XDefiant? Let us know in the comments below!
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