XDefiant Reviews Call Newest Hero Shooter Sorta Mid

There are definitely good and bad things about XDefiant, but reviews largely feel the game offers nothing new.

XDefiant is finally here and it's aight.

The reviews for XDefiant have started coming in now that the game has been out a couple days. After numerous delays, XDefiant was released as an answer to FPS players that wanted a return to classic Call of Duty and Battlefield games. But is XDefiant living up to the promise? Sort of.

XDefiant Reviews: A Basic Shooter That You Will Still Enjoy (For Now)

XDefiant is a free-to-play shooter that has a variety of factions and maps based on other Ubisoft games like Far Cry, The Division, Watch Dogs 2, and Splinter Cell. It's easy to see why this concept was so highly anticipated — a fresh take on old school shooters. Unfortunately, these five factions haven't impressed every player.

Wrote PC Gamer: "Thinking about it logically, the factions make no sense. Have you ever wanted to play as the resistance fighter that shows up in a car after you clear an outpost in Far Cry 6? No? That’s okay, nor has anyone else. But the faction you choose determines the in-game announcer you get and is also a clear visual indicator of the sort of thing you’re capable of. This makes fights a lot more readable. I still think the idea of some sort of FPS MultiVersus starring only the other guys from Ubisoft’s stable of games is silly, but the team working on XDefiant has managed to blend things in without it all being A Bit Too Much."

While the factions all have different tactical abilities and ultimates, it doesn't feel as impactful as it does in a game like Apex Legends and Overwatch 2. In these games, the abilities take the forefront and really define your gameplay and strategy. Every character feels extremely different. In XDefiant, the abilities don't feel necessary at times. Maybe the game should have just picked a side: Classic or new hero shooter style.

So the factions don't matter too much and the game otherwise is pretty basic in how it feels and functions. So that's the issue — a lot of players feel like XDefiant is exactly what they asked for, which means it's a basic shooter that doesn't really offer anything unique in its gameplay. XDefiant has that classic shooter feel but at what cost?

"As you may expect then, there is a certain simplicity to XDefiant that is infectiously enjoyable," Push Square wrote in a recent review. "There are no major game mode gimmicks, nor is there an expansive lore-based reason for Echelon super spies to be battling it out against Dedsec cyberhackers. For some that may be a bit of a put off as you can find most of what XDefiant has to offer in other shooters, but the back-to-basics vibe to Ubisoft’s latest is undeniably inviting."

While XDefiant may not be extremely special with any gimmicks but matches are fast-paced, the weapon handling feels satisfying, and the game feels overall balanced. The performance is also smooth. The instant respawns are a great way to make the action feel nonstop and the maps seem well thought out for dynamic team fights.

"This is a brilliant feeling shooter. It's responsive, fast-paced, action-packed, well-balanced, and has a top fluidity that rivals even its best competitors. The years of development that Ubisoft has committed to this game has resulted in a core body or chassis that holds massive amounts of potential," a more positive review from Game Reactor wrote. "Every part of the game oozes refinement, whether it's the pleasing thumps of getting hitmarkers, the precision of the gunplay, the slightly more rigid movement that makes XDefiant feel infinitely less overwhelming when compared to Call of Duty multiplayer, or even just the presentation, which both delivers quality graphics and artwork but also a clear and uncluttered HUD. The checkboxes of what make up a great shooter have all been ticked off with XDefiant, and Ubisoft should be immensely proud of that."

XDefiant just came out but the content feels a bit lacking. The amount of playable heroes, maps, and game modes has left some people wondering how long the game will hold interest. But that hasn't applied to the purchasable content, of course. XDefiant is full of unlockable things that you get through daily and weekly challenges. Ubisoft has also said that it plans to add new factions and maps going forward, also based on their other games.

In conclusion, reviews are saying that XDefiant is fun and worth playing. But is it offering anything new to the hero shooter genre? Not really.