![]() ![]() The mode created a unique power dynamic between the two teams, where both had critical flaws but also strengths to be taken advantage of to win. Rather than the sleek skill of a spy, a merc had heavy armor and big guns that could tear apart a spy in seconds if they got caught. The mercs were different, as they controlled in first person like a Call of Duty game. They had a third-person perspective and could sneak, climb, and use gadgets to help reach objectives on maps. Spies controlled like Sam Fischer in Splinter Cell. Matches were team-based, with one side taking the role of spies while the other took the role of the mercs. The mode leaned heavily into the idea of how a spy has a particular set of skills that may make them vulnerable but gives them a stealthy upper hand in comparison to the more traditional soldier. While Splinter Cell is mostly remembered for its incredibly espionage-based action, it also had a multiplayer mode that appeared in multiple entries of the series called Spies vs. Mercs leans into massive ability differences in a unique way. The faction-based core of XDefiant feels like the largest strength of the game and reminds me of another unique multiplayer experience - Spies vs Mercs. Ubisoft has already cornered one market with Rainbow Six Siege, which consistently offers an adrenaline-pumping experience thanks to its tactical gameplay that moves slowly at first and then erupts into cacophonous but short gunfights. However, there are many more opportunities in the FPS space. Yet in these two small genres, it feels hard to dethrone the kings of each, Apex Legends and Valorant. To succeed as an FPS today, you have to be a battle royale or a quicker team-based shooter. Yet the most unique aspect of XDefiant, the Ubisoftness of it all, highlights an opportunity for the game. The largest struggle Xdefiant faces is carving out a space of its own. During a hands-on preview, gunplay and abilities felt good to use, but there was a sense of familiarity. Matches in XDefiant cover the familiar styles of FPS play, such as escort-based and territory control modes. For example, the Echelon faction has abilities that can hide them from the mini-map, encouraging an element of stealth-based play that feels in line with their roots in Splinter Cell. In the style of ability-based FPS games like Apex Legends or Valorant, each faction has a unique arsenal of thematically appropriate skills. XDefiant is an FPS centered around Ubisoft's biggest franchises. ![]()
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