Ubisoft recently revealedXDefiant, a new arena shooter that is set in the near future of the Tom Clancy universe. The game was announced with a flashy reveal trailer and will be free-to-play when it launches. The game features four different factions that characters belong to, each with its own loadouts, abilities, appearances, and personalities.XDefiantproudly showcasing the Tom Clancy at the start of its name puts it alongside other popularUbisofttitles likeGhost Recon,Splinter Cell,Rainbow Six, andThe Division.
However,XDefiantaims to show the Tom Clancy universe in a new way. This is, namely, a more vibrant punk rock style. The logo itself features a sticker placed over it while much of the game’s promotional material features bright colors and graffiti.XDefiant’s characters also embody the change. While some of them feature the tactical gear that Tom Clancy fans have come to expect, the majority feature thrown-together gear of patched gas masks, taped-up clothing, and a mash-up of random pieces of gear. This has led toXDefiantnot having a clear identity to advertise to players, which feels strikingly familiar to another recent Ubisoft title,Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
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Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s Lack of Identity
Ghost Recon Breakpointwas the follow-up toGhost Recon Wildlands.Wildlandswas largely a successful move for the series from a more linear tactical shooter to an open-world tactical experience that pitted players against South American cartels.Ghost Recon Breakpointtried to build on the foundation established byGhost Recon Wildlands, but was less widely praised for its efforts. Some ofGhost Recon Breakpoint’s changes were improvements, but many fans were unsure of what the game was trying to be from the marketing and opening hours of gameplay. This led toGhost Recon Breakpointreportedly performing beneath Ubisoft’s expectations, despite having talent such as John Bernthal behind it.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s identity issues largely stemmed from the new gameplay elements it attempted to integrate with theGhost Reconformula.Ghost Recon Breakpointintroduced numerous survival elements as well as classes that encouraged players to tackle the game’s challenges co-operatively. However, many players found that its open-world design and random encounters did not clearly indicate how the game wanted players to strategically approach them. The encounters were still as punishing of mistakes as previous titles, but it was difficult for players to discern what mistakes they were even making after being punished for them. Meanwhile,Breakpointplayers also have to craft items, level up, and raise their gear scores that make the game feel more like an RPG than a tactical shooter that is contingent on player skill. This all leftGhost Recon Breakpointtrying to attract fans backwith roadmaps and updates, but it is still unclear whether or not the game will be able to do so.
How XDefiant is Following in Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s Footsteps
Unfortunately, it seems thatXDefiantis already having the same identity crisis that was so prevalent inGhost Recon Breakpoint. Ubisoft fans were quick to point outXDefiant’s mixed identityafter the game was revealed, and it stems largely from how the game attempts to build on other Tom Clancy titles without fully embracing them. Characters inXDefiantare split across four factions that are each inspired by a popular Tom Clancy game. Fans of the series will easily recognize characters inspired by the likes ofSplinter Cell,The Division,Ghost Recon, andRainbow Six. However, the characters instead are mere classes that players can customize, so they lack any personality or identifiable features of their own.
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So far this has led to the mish-mash of characters feeling disconnected from one another. With characters being so distinctly inspired by other titles, there is little connecting tissue to connect them to one another in this title. The problem is only made worse by the fact that the game takes its punk aesthetic in some aspects, but doesn’t fully embrace it. Character abilities do not reflect the tone the game seems to advertise, and many of the characters and weapons don’t seem to either. There is something very strange about a Sam Fisher lookalike battling in a concrete jungle covered in graffiti, but that seems to be whatXDefiantis trying to sell potential players on. It is surprising to see such issues cropping up, especially sinceUbisoft’s recently shut downTom Clancy’s Elite Squadmanaged a similar concept without so many issues.
How XDefiant Can Find its Identity
However, there is still some time beforeXDefiant, and there are some large steps the game could take to solve its identity crisis. A large thingXDefiantcan do is to give its characters' identities and personalities. Of course, this would be following in thefootsteps ofRainbow Six Siege, but it would go a long way in helping the game feel as though its characters had a place in the world and something for the player to grab on to. It would also help the game further embrace its advertised punk aesthetic by having it present in the characters' personalities rather than mostly being seen across the game’s maps.
XDefiantshould also incorporate the punk aesthetic further if it wants to continue advertising it. This could be done with cosmetics for the game’s guns and abilities. This would help players feel more like they’re playing an entirely new game rather than a mash-up of Tom Clancy’s greatest hits. Perhaps the biggest possible change would be to unify the game’s art style more. Currently,XDefiantis going for a realistic appearance, but a more cartoonish or characterized art style would help the distinct styles of the characters mesh with one another rather than colliding. This is what allows games likeOverwatchto feature a variety of character typesand skins without them feeling dissimilar from one another. IfOverwatchcan make a cowboy shooting a robot monk feel natural, then some changes should makeXDefiantfeel more cohesive as well. Hopefully, Ubisoft is able to make them before launch.
