A year after the start of the test phases, XDefiant returns to the front of the stage and gives us a whole range of videos. If you don’t know it yet, it’s a free-to-play arena FPS in which you compete against other players in various more or less classic game modes.
Currently in beta closed, we were able to put our hands on it a little and thus discover the four factions available, plus another to unlock by playing. These are from the various Ubisoft franchises and will be endowed of all different abilities and a unique “ultra”. The games are quite fast and the 6v6 works pretty well. We will have fourteen playable cards from the game’s release and others will be added later. You will have the choice to play in mode classic but also listed.
And pass will be in place as soon as the game is released for a period of three months, each time offering new cards, new factions and characters, but also weapons and a pass as well as numerous cosmetics and events. The developers promise us to listen and be transparent with their community, that there will be continuous monitoring with regular updates.
Here are the different factions offered:
- Echelon, with gameplay for players who like the element of surprise. They will be able to locate enemy positions and make themselves invisible.
- Cleanerswhose members will be equipped with a skill-devastating flamethrower.
- Freedomwho will act as a doctor: they can heal themselves and their teammate.
- Dedsec, a faction of hackers capable of jamming the opponent’s skills. They will also have the option of using a kind of annoying little mechanical spider, which will jump in the face of enemies at the slightest opportunity.
- Phantoms, former elite soldiers, able to install defenses. They will act as support.
On the armory side, we will also have a choice since we will have a total of twenty-four unlockable weapons, all of which can be modified with around forty accessories. Handgun, submachine gun, assault rifle, sniper, shotgun. Personally, I found that the weapons still lacked a little precision and balance, and that the character’s movements were not very fluid during combat. Points which, we hope, should be improved later.
Regarding the game modes, we stay in the classic. Clashes in 6v6 in small arenas where the fights follow one another rather quickly. In these modes, we find domination, zone control, nothing very innovative. The players of Call Of Duty will not be disappointed. However, there will be some variations in the competitive game and other modes will arrive later.
What will differentiate XDefiant from another game of the same ilk, are the ultimate skills and abilities unique to each character. Also, fans of Ubisoft games will certainly be delighted to find well-known universes from licenses like The Division, Spinner Cellor Watch Dogs.
XDefiant still doesn’t have an official release date, but it should be this year. Will the fact that the game is free and cross-play allow Ubisoft to do better than the Hyper Scape fiasco? Does Call of Duty have a serious competitor ahead of it? Case to follow. In the meantime if you wish, you can subscribe to the closed beta just here and form your own opinion.