Is XDefiant a “COD Killer”?

thesixthaxis.com:

It’s going to take a lot to knock Call of Duty off the top spot, having presided over the first person shooter for what now seems like aeons. Sure, it’s had some stiff competition over the years, and still plays second fiddle to Counter-Strike in the hardcore PC realm, though few have come close to imitating its slick modernisation of the arcade shooter. Not until XDefiant, that is.

XDefiant closely apes its power-selling counterpart with a particular focus on sharp gunplay, quick movement, and a shedload of weapon customisation options. The team at Ubisoft San Francisco have carefully replicated that Call of Duty “feel” albeit with some interesting modes and mechanics hoisted from elsewhere within the genre.

There’s a big dollop of Overwatch, as seen in XDefiant’s hero-like Factions. Based on popular Ubisoft IP including Ghost Recon, Far Cry, and even Watch Dogs, each Faction has its own unique cluster of traits including a passive power, two active powers, and an ultimate. Within these Factions are different characters though these only offer a cosmetic change, complete with their own wardrobe of outfits.

You can freely switch Factions between lives, the same way you’d change weapon loadouts in other shooters, allowing you to adopt different roles depending on the scenario. For example, you may decide to grab a sniper rifle and Echelon’s cloaking ability while defending the first checkpoint of an Escore mission. Then, if the attackers manage to force you back into a narrow network of tunnels and walkways, you may find the SMG and shotgun more useful, especially when combined with the flaming, damage-over-time powers of The Division’s Cleaners Faction.

Even with five factions at launch, there’s a nice amount of variety when it comes to player loadouts and team compositions, though Far Cry’s Libertad and their healing-focused skills aren’t super desirable during those early matches. It will certainly be interesting to see who else drops into the crossover shooter and