A closed beta for Ubisoft’s new, free-to-play first-person shooter, XDefiant, has went live. While the game’s first reveal was met with some skepticism, the closed beta has undoubtedly changed the majority of that opinion. It combines many fictional gun-toting tribes based on Ubisoft game titles.
It appears to be aiming for a Call of Duty-style game, with a more colourful art aesthetic and some character class modifiers to spice things up beyond simple gunplay, at least based on first impressions. In 2023, XDefiant debuts in the free-to-play shooter market alongside games that seem promising, such The Finals and Hyenas.
Here’s everything you need to know about XDefiant closed beta review
XDefiant factions
Consider these to be the Apex Legends classes. These factions, which are the characters that players can select and play in XDefiant, are the heart of the game; each of them specializes in particular gameplay skills.
Others are excellent at entry denial, while some are amazing at healing both themselves and their team. These factions are based on earlier successful Ubisoft games, some of which are fan favorites. Additionally, there are three characters available for each group. The power or skills you have access to are unaffected by this modification, which is mostly cosmetic. Five of the game’s launch factions were available during testing:
- Cleaners: This hostile group from The Division comes with flamethrowers and hazmat suits, and their area-of-effect attacks and area denial tactics are their specialties. Naturally, all of their skills are centered around fire.
- DedSec: The underground hacker squad from the Watch Dogs series brings their hacking abilities to XDefiant along with their surprisingly good gun handling.
- Echelon: With skills for flanking, stealth, and surprise strikes, the sly special operatives of Splinter Cell naturally thrive at functioning as lone wolves.
- Libertad: the group from Far Cry 6’s revolution, has joined forces with XDefiant. Their main objective is to stick together and use their healing powers to maintain the team’s strength while engaged in combat. Having each other’s backs is crucial!
- Phantoms: The high-tech squad from Tom clancy’s Ghost recon are tanks, more efficient when fighting in groups.
With each new Season, Ubisoft has pledged to add new factions to the game. The Wolves (from Ghost Recon) and the Outcasts (from The Division) were both displayed in the game’s initial announcement trailer, which only included factions from Tom Clancy titles.
XDefiant Gunplay
Naturally, an FPS’s gunplay can make or break it, and XDefiant offers a big selection of weaponry at its disposal. There are 24 weapons in all in the game, including the typical FPS weaponry. Additionally, you get access to over 40 attachments so that you can fiddle with and modify your weaponry however you like. Only one weapon is initially unlocked for each category of weapons. Players can unlock the remaining weapons and accessories by leveling up and moving through the game’s many levels.
Sadly, because many of the guns and attachments were locked behind the advancement system, we were unable to try them all out during the XDefiant hands-on session. The AK-47s, which I came to love throughout the playtest, were among the unlocked weapons that we tested out in addition to the default ones. However, a lot of the weaponry, including the handling and rifle sounds, made me think of Call of Duty.
When an FPS offers weapon customization, one of my pet peeves is that the weaponry shouldn’t be difficult to grasp or modify. When shooters attempt to overcomplicate this procedure, I detest them. Fortunately, Ubisoft succeeds admirably with XDefiant. I would want to thank the person who made the decision to keep this item basic; not flashy and complex. It gives a straightforward UI, and everything surrounding customizing was a very nice experience. It’s excellent that Ubisoft simply used COD’s gunplay as inspiration and left off the armory system.
XDefiant Maps
The maps in XDefiant were created with consideration for two different game types. The first is the arcade mode, which emphasizes gaming and shooting that happens quickly. Ten maps are included in this. The second is linear mode, which has vast, stretched-out maps and concentrates on two specific game modes. There are several rotation points in all scenarios, allowing players to flank their rivals and take control of the battlefield. All information regarding the XDefiant game modes is available here.
During the XDefiant closed beta, four different maps were displayed, three of which were modeled after Ubisoft games and resembled the factions. For instance, Echelon HQ, which was modeled after the Third Echelon’s workplace in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, had a very different vibe. I was immediately brought back to Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction’s office cubicles.
Regarding the design of the maps, each of the four had a number of rotation points and desirable verticality, particularly in the arena maps. We couldn’t use the Marksman guns or get on a higher ground to shoot the opponents down because there wasn’t enough verticality. The maps were constricting, with covers all over the spots.
XDefiant Practice Arena
XDefiant practice range is divided into three areas. The assault course is the first stop, where you can practice moving and firing in the game’s environment. After finishing that, proceed to the talents and ultras area to learn more about the various skills and abilities that your character possesses. The next
step is to head to the gun range to practice using the robots. Depending on your needs, you can change the settings to make them harder or easier. This is the ideal place to put your faction knowledge to the test and learn more about each faction’s gear. Just enough to prepare you for the real thing without being overwhelming!
The third area is a shooting range where players may put their custom weapons to the test on dummies. These dummies are a wonderful way to evaluate a loadout before entering the main match because they display the damage output from the guns. The shooting range is how I found out about Cleaner’s incendiary bullets’ passive ability to deal +2 damage every second.
To conclude our XDefiant closed beta review, it gave players a positive initial impression of the title. Fans of the genre will find something fresh and interesting in its fusion of conventional first-person shooter gameplay with a faction-based system. It’s a great feature that enables players to customize their experience to their tastes to be able to adapt factions to your playstyle.
The closed beta for XDefiant offered a positive first look at the upcoming title. It has the potential to be a success in the competitive shooter genre because to its distinctive blend of gameplay mechanics and configurable sides. Fans of FPS games and Tom Clancy’s titles should both keep an eye on this one.