XDefiant Review - Underwhelming

XDefiant is finally available on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, and it's...fine in some ways and underwhelming in others. The crossover shooter, announced in 2021, features various factions from the Tom Clancy video game universe (and other titles) battling it for supremacy. Or something - it's never really explained.

There are five factions, four available at the outset; 14 maps, several well-designed and others not so much; five modes, ranging from deathmatch-focused to objective-based; and a staggering lack of features. The Practice Area is mysteriously locked. You have no limited-time modes, kill cams or even a proper Career page to check your stats.

While the gunplay, customization and overall map design of XDefiant are worth checking out, this free-to-play shooter still needs a lot of work, especially with hit registration issues, poor netcode and much more weighing it down.

[dreufowler]

I’ve been having fun with this game, I really don’t see why so many reviewers are giving it hate. If you like call of duty but you’re tired of all the bs, this is an awesome game!

[MadGeorgeProductions]

If my gun didn't feel like a pea shooter while the enemy seems to melt me in 2 shots I'd probably be enjoying it a lot more.

[xerxes]

Honestly it's been a long time since I had this much fun. MW2019 is what hooked me up to play Arcade shooters again. I stopped playing COD since MW2 2022, because of the horrible monetization. Each COD title is just the same game with just different maps and maybe weapons. And I don't see a point anymore to pay 70 quid for the same game.
XDefiant delievered exactly what I wanted from a game. No SBMM is what I've been waiting since the legacy MW series and I do feel like I get more kills and more adrenaline while playing. I don't know I kinda got addicted to XD now. I've been having a lot of fun so far. Hopefully Ubi doesn't fuck this up.

[ADRzone]

I for one, didn't give this game a chance during Alpha or Beta, but now that I have played it, this game actually feels really good, and it kind of refreshing versus Battlefield, or COD...

I REALLY don't understand the hate for it 🤷🏻‍♂️... Is actually really good, LET ALONE IS FREE!!!

[Funrono]

Absense of SBMM is the thing we wanted for a long time...we're having fun with this...hit reg need work though

[HendoXL]

Nice to see that the vast majority of the comments are people enjoying the game. Things need work.. but the game SLAPS and I’m dying to play again

[rvons]

The game is underwhelming, it's true. Ubisoft is more known for quality instead of quantity in games. You could say Ubisoft did not aim to innovate to appeal to the player base. Everything you see in the game have been done by COD or Overwatch. What they did to appeal the player base was 1) make the game free and 2) ditch SBMM, which the online-aware, youtube-watching, "higher-skilled" part of the COD player base eagerly wants. Even though I agree SBMM should be dropped by COD in casual pubs for the most, that doesn't make this game inherently good. Objectively the gameplay, gun-game mechanics and movement and even graphics are way outdated, and like previously said it brings nothing new to the table. If Activision decides to drop SBMM and put the game on Game Pass, this game has nothing going for it.

[artemyakushchenko]

Haters gonna hate, gamers gonna play this super fun game. It is beautiful, it is fast pace, it is addictive. And free and fun

[goatbaaad]

Use me as a “I disliked the video button but youtube won’t let you see the number anymore.”

[crazyjon]

The reviewer was obviously bad at the game and taking it out on the dev. Did you see those opening seconds? 😂.

I played 12 hours of this game in 2 days. It’s free, haven’t had any hackers, don’t have micro transactions shoved in my face and overall has been enjoyable. Eff this review this game is off to a great start

[SoulOfTheLostWarriorMooCat]

The xdefiant community seems to hate criticism to their unfinished half baked game lol

[mank]

Tried the game yesterday, been having fun ever since. Why the hate?? The game even scales better than Battlefield 2042, runs much better tbh. Tho it can be understood the scale is much smaller compared to its competitors. Gameplay is decent imo, especially if you play in FC6 & The Division maps it will give you a feel ala overwatch but not quite the same which is good. If anything should get hated, its the ubisoft servers. Even the battle pass is not that expensive. Don't look at the front in-game store bundle but look at how much the digital coins actually cost to redeem it.

[TissueMe]

Guns take a hell of along time to rank up without double XP I’d be burnt out strictly on no ranked play.

[serenitynow]

I love this game. Main reason is the movement or lack of. COD has ruined its game by allowing people to slide cancel and bunny hop out of control. You don’t see many people walking or running in cod anymore. XDefiant has kept this game more to the roots of what cod was. Never change XDefiant 👍

[crackthedraco]

Once they fix the vast amount of things wrong with the game the player base will have moved on 🤣😂😭☠️

[senseipoole]

I think it’s pretty good plus it’s free, don’t understand the hate it’s getting at all. TTK is a bit slow in my opinion but that’s just a personal thing I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Reminds me of dirty bomb a little bit actually

[skeemostrife]

They have the audacity of putting echelon characters in from a game they've just abandoned and forgotten about.

[MrWhite-eccb]

This game is super fun. Haven’t played COD in a few years because SBMM made me feel like
I was playing in a tournament every single game. Found myself getting so mad and not being able to relax. This game is a breath of fresh air and feels like how COD used to feel. I love coming home, cracking open a beer, and running a few games.

[johncapewell]

Same bunny hopping sliding sniper sweats. Just like cod.

[nicholasgrogan]

This game is awesome. Its not meant to be unique or different. This game was made for people that are sick and fukkin tired of systems that are put in place to protect bad players. These systems are a plague on the gaming indesutry when it comes to PvP games and this game stands agaisnt those systems. The game is rough around the edges yes but the game is FUN and i cant say the same thing about any other FPS PvP games on the market becuz theyre all plagued by sbmm, lobby balancing, disbanding lobbies, corner camping, bots, etc...