Game Cover

Platform played on: Xbox Series X

# Review

XDefiant is Ubisoft’s attempt to rival Call of Duty as the free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter of choice. XDefiant harks back to mid-2010s Call of Duty style gameplay, with three-lane style maps and snappy gunplay.

Escort mode, where one team escorts a robot through the map while the other team defends

The core gameplay of XDefiant is simple, with a focus on core gunplay and simple objectives-based gamemodes. Unlike other free-to-play FPS games like CrossfireX, XDefiant clearly had a high production value and is a pretty solid game. The shooting feels pretty snappy and the different faction abilities added to the game but did not overwhelm the meta. I do think the game was probably killed partially by Ubisoft’s mismanagement, such as not promoting enough externally or supporting the game enough internally (layoffs and studio closures). The game also didn’t standout in the (vast) sea of first-person shooters and unlike IP-focused games like MultiVersus, the layering in of Ubisoft franchises like Far Cry and The Division feels very subtle and does not stand out.

The gamemodes are pretty fun though. On top of traditional game modes like Domination and Deathmatch, there are also some novel modes like Hot Shot and Escort, which push players to try different metas. The gameplay does get repetitive after a while, but it's fun for an hour or two at a time.

Hot Shot mode, where players have to collect bounties

# Conclusion

Pretty polished game but it does get repetitive after a while.

# Overall rating: 7.4

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