Does this new free-to-play first-person shooter rival with the ranks of the beloved Call of Duty franchise?

Get ready for the thrill of Xdefiant, a first-person shooter exclusive to next-gen consoles and PC, offering you an incredible gaming experience.

Every match is like diving into an arcade game, with rapid-fire shooting, lightning-fast respawn times, and thrilling objective-based modes.

Published by Ubisoft, the game offers the option to select from five unique class abilities based on its previous franchises: Splinter Cell, Farcry 6, Ghost Recon, Watchdogs 2, and The Division.

Although each class provided that Overwatch vibe, feeling more diverse from the other, there was a clear outline that some setups were more powerful than the other.

Many lobbies all had a majority of players selecting Echelon, from the Splinter Cell series. Their abilities to go invisible or share the location of nearby enemies with your team established the main necessity for a support role in the game. 

For me, this was always my primary class to select, as others like the Libertad, which provided healing, were rarely used due to the fast-paced nature of the matches.

Yet, whether you’re playing as a stealth mercenary or a hacking machine, there is plenty of versatility that suits your playstyle.

Ubisoft is following Call of Duty’s old format by enhancing the adrenaline rush with its fast-based combat, which has been absent in recent years.

XDefiant features a diverse selection of 24 weapons, each offering fluid and responsive controls. 

This is in contrast to Call of Duty‘s recent adaptations, which prioritise realism and introduce mechanics that can make weapon handling feel heavier and less agile. 

The TAC-50 sniper rifle reminded me of the Black Ops 2 days as I quick-scoped endlessly at enemies, while the AK-47 delivered hard-hitting power, with each weapon exhibiting noticeable differences in strength and agility.

During my playthrough, I noticed that both sniper rifles delivered constant hit markers, rather than an instant kill. This led to an unpleasant experience at times and switching my loadout back to the traditional AR class.

Additionally, the submachine guns felt very underwhelming, as the whole point is to reward risk by getting close pickoffs, but honestly felt like the Assault rifles were the most optimal for that role.

Skin progression is also adapted into this game but feels more like a chore than a reward. 

There were only three camos to unlock, ranging from bronze to gold, by achieving lvl 100 on the dedicated weapon, whilst additional cosmetics were locked behind pay walls.

For someone who enjoyed Call of Duty’s concept of hitting a longshot, bloodthirsty, or a double kill to get a gun gold, this felt like a gimmick and can’t truly see players feeling satisfied in the long run.

On the other hand, their most intriguing feature is the ability to join games without skill-based matchmaking. This means more casual and less stressful gameplay compared to games like Call of Duty and Fortnite.

However, for new players who are not familiarised with FPS games, be aware that you will be raided by a majority of players who have taken a vast break from the warzone by entering a new terrain.

The map sizes are also relatively small, which correlates with their fast-paced algorithm, leading to high kill/death ratios.

Each design is based on Ubisoft’s previous instalments, bringing that vibrance to fans of the genre.

However, this would often lead to increased spawn trapping, a mechanic many fans disliked due to its unfairness.

If you’re in the opposing team that was being dominated, you would be stuck in your own half with nowhere to go but the respawn screen.

Competitive mode is still in the early works, so there is a selection of playlists for all players at their fingertips.

With most free-to-play games, there is also the expense of purchasing a battle pass, filled with cosmetic-only items at your wheel.

 Similar to Fortnite, they also have a store that revamps new microtransactions every day.

Personally, do I think this will be the next Call of Duty killer? 

The straight answer would be no as I believe that there is still a lack of content missing from this genre and at times it does feel slightly stale as progression does not feel satisfying enough.

It also should be mentioned that fan favourite game modes, like search and destroy and free for all, are non-existent at this time.

Private matches are also absent, meaning no 1v1 against friends for the time being.

However, for a free-to-play game, this provides an escape from reality for you and your friends to venture into whilst waiting for the next anticipated Call of Duty rumoured to be Black Ops 6, coming out November 2024.