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Free-to-play shooter XDefiant lacks a sense of identity despite its fun firefights. There’s space for an arcadey shooter with Battlefield 2024 and Modern Warfare 3 mismanaging their strengths. But XDefiant doesn’t get there.



With factions and abilities inspired by Ubisoft’s stable of games, I hoped it would lean on their past. But instead of Far Cry 6’s makeshift harpoon bow or Splinter Cell’s SC-20K rifle, XDefiant settles for a slate of modern weapons and an attachment festival. When live service games like The Finals and Helldivers 2 continue to break new ground, ‘good enough’ isn’t enough.

XDefiant’s insistence on keeping things simple might also be its greatest strength. With no lore behind why Yara’s revolutionaries are fighting DedSec hackers, it’s an invitation for players to learn about Ubisoft games they might not have paid attention to. Heading back to basics wouldn’t be complete without responsive shooting and slick movement, areas where the game handily delivers.

Sprints feel great and quick respawns aid the fast-paced nature of matches. A higher TTK (time to kill) than Call of Duty means the first person to fire won’t always win a shootout. Failing to register gunshots and an awkward post-slide recovery are minor hitches that can be ironed out with updates.

XDefiant can feel like a work in progress, wit.

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