Beta test and first impressions…
During the BETA phase for Defiance, I noticed there were some issues with the client and the game’s graphics engine. The graphics in general seemed a bit lackluster, the content didn’t tie into your progression, and the story was dismal to say the least. Most of the same bugs were still prevalent even after release on April 2nd, 2013.
Like many ALPHA/BETA phases, the general goal is to stress test the servers and what not, maybe even test the content with player activity in real time. It was a huge disappointment to return to the same remnant issues from BETA phase while strolling through the game. Graphical glitches and client errors were still present during my short lived tour of Defiance.
The good news.
For a true action third person shooter, it plays surprisingly well. There is also by no means a lack of content. Some sort of side mission, story or zone quest, dynamic event, or player vs player battleground will be accessible to you at any point during your play through of Defiance. One would even go as far as to say that the PvP portion of game is more than sufficient content to keep you engaged in the massive, hectic, war zone type shooter that is Defiance.
Another aspect to take notice of are the Ark Falls, which are the dynamic events that happen every so often in-game. You get to battle hordes of enemies and also some form of event boss with multiple nearby players partaking in the massacre. Get in, wreak havoc on your enemy, and collect your reward in the end. Fairly simple and self explanatory. Easy to dive into with minimal hassle.
The breakdown!
The graphics aren’t amazing, the story is non-existent, and progression is scarce. There is also a lack of need to communicate with other players, which makes the game less than social and very RPG like.
I wouldn’t recommend playing Defiance if you’re a true blue MMO enthusiast, but if you’re into third person shooters with tons and tons of action and combat and hellbugs and explosions, then by all means go and grab yourself a copy. The combat system is on par with Borderlands, minus the class diversity of coarse. It is also one of the few good MMOs that is on both console and PC.
I can’t determine whether the game has a bright future or not, but given the type of MMO it is I could only assume it will fight the good fight in this ever so competitive market.
