Defiance

 PC
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 661 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 353 out of 661
  2. Mixed: 123 out of 661
  3. Negative: 185 out of 661
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  1. Seryin
    May 26, 2013
    6
    I already hate when games with no history or budget are released at 60 bucks, so when Defiance was finally released and had massive problems and bugs on launch day followed by horrible reviews and ratings, I dropped the game clean off my radar. However, Trion Worlds has recently began facing massive layoffs and Steam just had a "free weekend" for Defiance.
    Now, I just thought this would    I already hate when games with no history or budget are released at 60 bucks, so when Defiance was finally released and had massive problems and bugs on launch day followed by horrible reviews and ratings, I dropped the game clean off my radar. However, Trion Worlds has recently began facing massive layoffs and Steam just had a "free weekend" for Defiance.
    Now, I just thought this would be my chance to try a bad game and rip it apart in a review, but I am not sure if it was because I went into the game with such low expectations or what, but I was pleasantly surprised. The game actually had some decently enjoyable shooter mechanics. I spent 15 hours in defiance and it was not at all as horrible as I thought it would be.
    However, the game was still unable to hide its serious lack of content for a game that claims to be an mmorpg. The quests are all repetitive and get boring fast. There is really no "mmo" feel to this game. Very little cooperation or grouping is needed. Customization is narrow, and I felt extremely lost with some of the menu features like gun modding.
    However, the actual gameplay, or gun-play, and the world itself, was solid and has the potential to be built upon.
    I came into Defiance with guns drawn and ready to obliterate it. But it actually had some potential to be something much better. I give the game 6 points. Great gunplay and world FOR AN MMORPG, but I still have not seen the MMORPG part of the game. Just that they know how to mimic a lame rpg quest. So it is only half a game unless they add massive amounts of things to do.    … Expand
  2. FrostyGreenacre
    Apr 19, 2013
    4
    This game sadly shoots itself in the foot.

    There are many good things in the gameplay of Defiance, and there are moments that have indeed been fun. However, each one of those is equaled or marred by some badly designed game mechanic or bug that either destroys player immersion or should have just outright been fixed during development. Pros. the shooting and dodging mechanics seem    This game sadly shoots itself in the foot.

    There are many good things in the gameplay of Defiance, and there are moments that have indeed been fun. However, each one of those is equaled or marred by some badly designed game mechanic or bug that either destroys player immersion or should have just outright been fixed during development.

    Pros. the shooting and dodging mechanics seem pretty well made, servers have very little lag, there's plenty to do across the world and you can have a lot of fun rushing to an objective in your vehicle with 20 other users down a deserted highway. This core element of the gameplay could make up for the following misgivings if the bugs were fixed, however the issues stay ever visible whilst the good gameplay is plagued with visual glitches. One thing I did like, however was that players didn't need to be in a team to do a mission together, if three players shared the same goal it didn't matter who took down an enemy or activated the 3 objectives, all three players got the quest with no queueing.

    Cons: very sketchy tutorial. very little is explained in the tutorial. the tutorial also takes place in a "danger zone" and whilst reading the descriptions of the 3 paragraph mission dialogues you can be attacked, damaged and presumably killed without being able to defend yourself. There is no tutorial on how to perform social interactions, in fact, I've seen the MMO in no way encourage social interaction between players whatsoever. The storyline is only so-so, however this is true with many MMO games where you'll find yourself either skipping past the majority of quest dialogue or spending more time reading than fighting.

    bugs: this is where the game experience is truly ruined for me. the best game in the world can fail if it's just unplayable (diablo 3, simcity etc.) we can often look past game mechanics we don't agree with so long as they're running as they supposed to. However with my first 4 hours of playing Defiance I encountered: random invisible structures in the wilderness that would stop you driving or running (note, you could go around these small items, they are not barriers, just textureless objects) the game also bugs out when you stand on some of the bridges in the first city area you play in. standing on them with the camera at a certain angle with make all 3D models disappear. to make things worse this includes NPC enemies. You can be getting shot whilst not being able to see your character, the area you're stood on or the enemies who are shooting. particularly frustrating when your mission objective is on that bridge. Some of the terrain has been added into the landscape awkwardly as well, leaving gaps between the landscape and the items themselves so you can see that they aren't solid, very bad for game immersion. I've also been driving down a highway when I saw a "random encounter" quest where enemies were kidknapping some innocent NPCs, except all of the cars added into the encounter were floated a good 7ft above the road...

    overall I'd say that this game WOULD be fun if if worked properly. Heck, even outright addictive. However there are many problems that need to be addressed before it's properly playable. unfortunately for me they already have my money now, so I can only motivate them to fix these by letting everybody else know about the issues before they get your money too.    … Expand
  3. Chomag
    Apr 2, 2013
    7
    This game is average. It's more of a co-op multiplayer shooter than an MMOFPS. If you wanted MMO features, I can only tell you that these are in small numbers and pretty much bare bones. If you wanted your classic MMO just with shooter features, you will be sorely disappointed.

    The "quests" aren't taken from NPCs in towns (there aren't even any towns, just some peaceful areas amongst    This game is average. It's more of a co-op multiplayer shooter than an MMOFPS. If you wanted MMO features, I can only tell you that these are in small numbers and pretty much bare bones. If you wanted your classic MMO just with shooter features, you will be sorely disappointed.

    The "quests" aren't taken from NPCs in towns (there aren't even any towns, just some peaceful areas amongst the battlefield that is the rest of the map) but they are spread across the map and they're always about activating some things or killing enemies or both. Thing is these quests become very quickly very repetitive and boring. Also, you can do the same quest multiple times as enemies will respawn rather fast after you completed it (which, imo, is very lame and breaking the immersion). The game is FILLED with visual glitches, such as players disappearing from in front of you and reappearing, which looks quite bad when you got a lot of players blinking as you approach them.

    This game is pretty mediocre for our time. I'd say it's actually a more complex Global Agenda than an MMO.    … Expand
  4. Mhuang1985
    Apr 3, 2013
    8
    Pros: Great shooting mechanics, enormous weapon variety and kit customization. Instanced PvP and PvE are great fun.

    Cons: Quests are repetitive, annoying crafting interface. Currently at 250 EGO (max EGO aka level is 5000), put maybe at least 12 hrs into this game since release. Shooting mechanics are great which is VERY important for a game like this, quests are a little boring    Pros: Great shooting mechanics, enormous weapon variety and kit customization. Instanced PvP and PvE are great fun.

    Cons: Quests are repetitive, annoying crafting interface.

    Currently at 250 EGO (max EGO aka level is 5000), put maybe at least 12 hrs into this game since release.

    Shooting mechanics are great which is VERY important for a game like this, quests are a little boring but pretty much standard fare for a MMO (tbh, it doesn't bother players like me who spam Esc through all the cutscenes and don't read a goddamn thing because we play for the sake of progression). Both instanced PvP and PvE sessions have been great fun. There are "damage meters/scoreboards" so you can see how you stack with your friends.

    Solid game, add +1 rating if playing with friends.    … Expand
  5. MMOCritique
    Apr 2, 2013
    8
    Defiance is a game/TV series tie-in with a deal between Trion Worlds and the Syfy channel. The game is set in a futuristic post apocalyptic Earth. The player is an Ark Hunter who has survived a starship crash. An Ark Hunter is a specialist in survival, combat and tracking. The players aim is to salvage arktech and use it in their goal of protect the Earth from the creatures created by aDefiance is a game/TV series tie-in with a deal between Trion Worlds and the Syfy channel. The game is set in a futuristic post apocalyptic Earth. The player is an Ark Hunter who has survived a starship crash. An Ark Hunter is a specialist in survival, combat and tracking. The players aim is to salvage arktech and use it in their goal of protect the Earth from the creatures created by a failed terra-forming of Earth.

    Defiance gives a completely fresh and new to the MMO-Shooter genre in the fact that it focuses primarily on Player versus Environment (PvE) content. There is a large amount of content that the player is able to experience within Defiance, in a very large open world environment. Their dynamic content is extremely fun to play, using the RIFT content and twisting it to fit this new environment. The ground breaking link between game and TV show is a very interesting idea and it will be great to see how this progresses.

    I feel that the overall gameplay of Defiance is extremely polished and fun to play. It makes it easy for someone who is used to MMO’s who doesn’t normally play shooters feel right at home. MMO’s are my favoured genre and I found it easy to get in to and enjoy Defiance, not typically being a shooter player. This could be due to the simple and easy to follow tutorial in the game.

    However, there are certain shooter features which are sorely lacking in Defiance, prominent ones being the lack of a prone option, as well as no active cover options, like hugging and popping out from behind a wall. Addition of one or both of these would be a valuable addition to the game and could make the game play even more interesting. Furthermore, I personally dislike the camera view, I have never been fond of the ‘over the shoulder’ camera as to me it makes aiming feel wrong, and doesn’t seem like you are really aiming as the character, I would feel more comfortable with a true third person camera angle, from behind the character, or first person. The UI also feels rather clunky and less than intuitive on PC, having clearly been built primarily with consoles in mind.

    The fact that Defiance is being released on PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 will allow for people of both the MMO and shooter fan bases all coming together in a single game. Though, of course, these platforms will all be playing separate from one another. I would expect that the consoles will see more of the shooter fan base, and as such more Player versus Player (PvP) action. However, on PC I would expect that the game will be played more by the MMO fan base, and as such I would think that the PvP experience would be a little sparser.

    Having said that, Defiance has two options available to aid with initiating PvP, there is the typical small scale instanced battles that MMO players will be well attuned with, as well as a large open world PvP option known as the shadow war. The shadow war allows players to fight one another and claim control of territory, the more people who join the battle, the larger the area of combat becomes. Also, as more people join the shadow war more vehicles become available for use, some of which will include weaponry to aid in combating your adversaries. This could be an extremely fun way to play PvP and fight against your fellow players, rather than alongside them.

    I feel that Defiance is a great game and should at least be given a chance by both the MMO players and shooter players out there. It really is revolutionary to the genre, linking the game in with a TV show and all of the dynamic content available. It is also very refreshing to see an MMO-Shooter which focuses on PvE rather than PvP. I look forward to seeing how this progresses, and whether both the game and TV show will be able to endure together.    … Expand
  6. Bawbzor
    Apr 3, 2013
    5
    Mediocre 3rd person shooter with limited MMO content. The user interface is a blatant console port and is very awkward to use with the mouse and keyboard (chat system practically non-existent). The story is pretty forgettable and you will finish all the quests within a couple of days if you play a lot.

    I haven't been able to find any standout features in this game that would make me    Mediocre 3rd person shooter with limited MMO content. The user interface is a blatant console port and is very awkward to use with the mouse and keyboard (chat system practically non-existent). The story is pretty forgettable and you will finish all the quests within a couple of days if you play a lot.

    I haven't been able to find any standout features in this game that would make me want to play it over the plethora of other MMO's on the market. Hopefully the show will be more interesting.    … Expand
  7. MilkANdWookies
    Apr 2, 2013
    8
    A few hours in and I am glad to say I am pleasantly engrossed thus far, The massive co-op quests that are a constant in the world are my favorites thus far. I played beta on Xbox and I am now playing the PC version it is much better looking graphically, from a control stand point it seems it was made more console friendly. Overall I would say it is worth giving it a go.
  8. Hanff
    Apr 3, 2013
    3
    Mediocre-at-best shooter with too many glaring flaws to keep a player engaged. The potential was there, but the execution was halfhearted: terrible voice acting, no real character customization to speak of, controls that are so far from intuitive it's almost a joke, and the same grindy quests over and over. Not to mention the lack of a viable chat system.

    There are worse ways to kill an    Mediocre-at-best shooter with too many glaring flaws to keep a player engaged. The potential was there, but the execution was halfhearted: terrible voice acting, no real character customization to speak of, controls that are so far from intuitive it's almost a joke, and the same grindy quests over and over. Not to mention the lack of a viable chat system.

    There are worse ways to kill an hour here and there, but not at this price.    … Expand
  9. asmoron
    Apr 2, 2013
    9
    An engaging sci-fi story with the wild enjoyment of Borderlands only with 1,000 friends instead of four. If you're the type of person to get caught up in fevered loot-hording, third person action and large scale PvE and PvP give it a shot.
  10. Fereldin
    Apr 3, 2013
    8
    Having beta tested and played MMOs for close to a decade, alongside the obligatory 'A' Solo titles like Skyrim, Borderlands 1 and 2 DLCs, Far Cry series, all the Bioshocks I feel I can contribute a good sense and feel for Trion's Defiance.

    Any launch of an MMO has issues. Star Wars:The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, heck even World of Warcraft vanilla, were not perfect on day-1 of retail    Having beta tested and played MMOs for close to a decade, alongside the obligatory 'A' Solo titles like Skyrim, Borderlands 1 and 2 DLCs, Far Cry series, all the Bioshocks I feel I can contribute a good sense and feel for Trion's Defiance.

    Any launch of an MMO has issues. Star Wars:The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, heck even World of Warcraft vanilla, were not perfect on day-1 of retail release. Either the launch or pre-order advance play launches were so packed, you couldn't log-on, or many of the difficult to reproduce beta bugs, exposed to 10,000x the players, actually did surface as major game play bugs and impeded enjoyment and playability. This is the nature of MMOs it's always a work in progress, and only get better with time. We can't compare this barely '1.0' title to an almost-nine year old WoW with about 100 person years of development time and tweaking or other similar titles. One must know, going in to a new MMO, that you're an investor and a pioneer. You are investing in a title that, in due time, will mature and improve. If you're not keen on this investment, then likely the best route for you is to continue to play the mature titles, and come back to this after several months of patches.

    I for one, am a believer, and an investor I gave some cold hard cash to support the developers, as I they have earned by trust and respect with their other fun and refined titles, such as Rift. I would be quite tickled if 'some other mmo' out there competed for my time and dedication, instead of sinking yet more hours, days and years into World of Warcraft.

    Sure, it's hard to re-invent the wheel; but why fix something that isn't broken. The wheel is fine, but we can work on better tires, better axles, better suspension, and rims. That is where I see Defiance, Guild Wars 2, Planetside 2, and other titles. They offer some changes and mix things up; Alright, so it's still all about the quests, and turn-ins, grinding and killing mobs, loot drops, money drops, and we buy and sell, but Defiance isn't trying to re-invent MMOs, they're offering some extra features that enhance the generic.

    I'm going to wait and see how future patches change, tweak, perfect it; meanwhile, I have no issues providing Trion some remuneration for their hard work, and motivate them to keep improving it. Much like SW:TOR a fairly horrid product initially, and it felt like a beta 4-months into Retail with no end-game content, but after a year and its f2p conversion and micro-transactions, it's actually pretty good now. Besides, WoW has micro-transactions, but they're tied into links from the Launcher app, to a web store portal.

    Microtransactions and free-to-play is likely the model to come for the foreseeable near-future; until another model surfaces. WoW is the Apple of the gaming world; they are bucking the trend and generating earnings where the other 90% of their respective industry does not and are operating at a loss. The wheel will likely be re-invented at some point; for anti-gravity hover pads or some such. For now, i'm pleased to be a part of the re-invention; and I like seeing what developers are coming up with, to buck the trend.    … Expand
  11. Maeldun81
    Apr 2, 2013
    10
    One of the rare MMO's that actually grips you in the story, flawless launch so far which you never see in mmos ever. Nice customization, weapons, loving the vehicles.
  12. lollermittens
    Apr 2, 2013
    9
    If you've been waiting for a new and refreshing MMO experience, look no further, TRION Games has done it again.

    Background: long-time WoW player (4-5 years); played RIFT for about 5 months; SWTOR for about 4 months; TSW for about 1 month. Too many others to list. TL;DR: I have vast experience when it comes to MMO and would consider myself a hardcore player (30 hrs+ per week). I'm    If you've been waiting for a new and refreshing MMO experience, look no further, TRION Games has done it again.

    Background: long-time WoW player (4-5 years); played RIFT for about 5 months; SWTOR for about 4 months; TSW for about 1 month. Too many others to list. TL;DR: I have vast experience when it comes to MMO and would consider myself a hardcore player (30 hrs+ per week).

    I'm simply going to go over what I feel are the most important factors that people look for in an MMO:
    1. Gameplay: the hitboxes are accurate. Not 100% accurate but if I'm aiming for a headshot with the sniper rifle/AR/shotgun (yep, shotgun), it registers the hit accurately. This was my biggest fear that TRION developed an MMOFPS where the FPS part would be horrible. How does it feel? Well, imagine the accuracy of Gears of Wars 2 and 3 weapons with even more accurate hitboxes when you're landing hits. Basically, skill does matter in Defiance and you're simply not required to press 1, 2, 3, E, A or whatever to get your combos off since you're not restricted by the cooldowns of the skills you place on your hotbar. It's a very solid experience all in all and I'm very happy that the game, at the very least, is functional in the MMO department.

    2. RPG-elements: a question that still remains on everyone's lip is "does this game have the typical depth expected of a good/great MMORPG?" Surprinsingly enough, it *seems* like it. Now, I want to emphasize on the "seem" a bit: I played the game for about 12 hours now and I've only maxed out three "skills" (one which increases your critical damage when you're crouched, another which increases the damage you do against monsters who are rushing towards you, and another that increases drops when I perform critical kills) which you then assign into "perks" slots. Take the perks that you'd find in your typical over-the-shoulder third-person shooter, sprinkle a bit of RPG-flavored stats on them, and voila, you've created enough depth to give me at least a solid month of playtime. And when I say solid month, I'm expecting to be playing this game 4-6 hours on a daily basis and even longer on weekends. Before you start the game, you're given the choice of 4 powers that will be assigned to your 1 key: Cloak (makes you invisible); decoy; run faster and deal more melee damage; and, last but not least, an ability that increases your shooting damage by 10%+ for a few seconds.

    You will be inquired to pick a power during the tutorial but the "EGO" perks are designed in such a way that you should be able to unlock all skills (although you can only use one at a time) after a few months of playtime. In terms of gearing up, you'll have access to a primary and secondary weapon slot as well as the possibility to spawn a vehicle wherever you want (even in some indoor areas surprisingly), put on armor, and a grenade. You can add mods to your weapons such as recoil reduction, increased crit dmg, and the standard stuff. Ultimately, the possibility for in-depth gearing up is there and the weapon selection so far is enormous.

    3. Longevity: I mentioned the game's longevity during the RPG-elements section and I'm confident that this game will provide me a solid month's of game time at the minimum. For a casual player, a "solid month" would provide easily minimum 2 months of gameplay. There's a lot to go through and explore. And if you live in the Bay Area like I do, it's very refreshing to "explore" the game world which is closely integral to real-word Bay Area.

    Conclusion: last night was the first time in an MMO that I was able to cover my friend in "real-time." We weren't "in combat;" monsters were popping left and right like a shooter; my friend had to dash across a parking lot to turn off an alarm and from a windowsill, I was providing sniper fire which allowed him to make it through the parking lot and complete the quest. This was the FIRST TIME I experience a "real-time" quest with dynamic monsters that created a refreshing experience.

    Defiance borrows heavily from GoW, Borderlands, Rift, and traditional MMO elements. TRION successfully fused all these elements together and have provided a very, very solid game in return.

    If you're still on the fence after reading my review, answer the following questions with a 'yes' or 'no;' if you answered 'yes' to more than two questions, honestly, just do yourself a favor and go buy the game (also no monthly subscription is required which is a huge plus): do you like Borderlands 1 or 2? Do you like Gears of War 1/2/3? Do you like Rift/WoW/The Secret World/Guild Wars 2? Do you like crisp/accurate shooters with hitboxes that register correctly?    … Expand
  13. scipion41
    Apr 2, 2013
    8
    Très bon jeu. Rien de très innovateur, la l'exception de l'univers dans lequel on nous plonge qui est, tout même très intéressant. Cependant, le gameplay est solide et les cartes du monde sont immenses. Bref, jusqu'à maintenant, j'aime beaucoup
    J'ai très hâte de voir le "show" qui y est attaché.
  14. The_Ommadawn
    Apr 3, 2013
    4
    I pre-ordered after watching some videos online. I wondered why there were no reviews beforehand and now I know why. It's total poo and offers nothing new. I LOVED Rift and had confidence in the Dev, but this is a mess of a game. The AI is a joke, the landscapes are boring (little variety), the gear and looting is confusing, entering/exiting vehicles is hit and miss, the controls (PC)I pre-ordered after watching some videos online. I wondered why there were no reviews beforehand and now I know why. It's total poo and offers nothing new. I LOVED Rift and had confidence in the Dev, but this is a mess of a game. The AI is a joke, the landscapes are boring (little variety), the gear and looting is confusing, entering/exiting vehicles is hit and miss, the controls (PC) are awful, the avatars all look identical, etc. I'm not drawn towards this game at all. I played for a few hours and became bored quickly. The RPG element is clearly not there. It's a generic MMO shooter with little else on offer. I wish I could roll back my life a day and buy Bioshock Infinite instead. Shame on you Trion.… Expand
  15. Lighterfluid
    Apr 2, 2013
    3
    This game may look like a MMO Borderlands, but do not be fooled. Defiance offers very little when it comes to the MMO spectrum. I had so many issues with this game i dont even know where to begin.

    From the start you are treated with some terrible visuals and pretty lame voice acting. Then comes the quests, which are run here do that. The game wasnt engaging or gripping in the least.    This game may look like a MMO Borderlands, but do not be fooled. Defiance offers very little when it comes to the MMO spectrum. I had so many issues with this game i dont even know where to begin.

    From the start you are treated with some terrible visuals and pretty lame voice acting. Then comes the quests, which are run here do that. The game wasnt engaging or gripping in the least.

    If you are looking for a story, then maybe just maybe you might find enjoyment in this game. If your looking for good game play features on the other hand i wouldn't even give this a second look. Truelly a let down.

    Over all just another MMO to brush under the table    … Expand
  16. Woopya
    Apr 5, 2013
    1
    I dare say all the extremely positive reviews are people who reviewed the game within hours of seeing it. I say this because the game starts off with at least something of a fresh feeling, it appears to be different and people got excited. But, since release the ratings have been spiraling downward for a reason. This game gets very old, very fast. It is extremely linear and simplistic.I dare say all the extremely positive reviews are people who reviewed the game within hours of seeing it. I say this because the game starts off with at least something of a fresh feeling, it appears to be different and people got excited. But, since release the ratings have been spiraling downward for a reason. This game gets very old, very fast. It is extremely linear and simplistic. The lack of tab targeting is refreshing, because it at least makes you feel as tho your doing more yourself than most linear MMOs. But this game was clearly made as an aside to the TV show. On it's own, without the TV show to accompany it, this game would be free to play or failed in a month or 2.… Expand
  17. Ethasa
    Apr 3, 2013
    2
    While a few new concepts have been added to the gaming world, this game is not much to look at if one looks past the few shallow reviews left here by passersby. Let's start from the beginning, as i played rift before this game, and thoroughly enjoyed it's concepts and content, i expected something above average for this game, but that is not what i received upon being invited to the Alpha.While a few new concepts have been added to the gaming world, this game is not much to look at if one looks past the few shallow reviews left here by passersby. Let's start from the beginning, as i played rift before this game, and thoroughly enjoyed it's concepts and content, i expected something above average for this game, but that is not what i received upon being invited to the Alpha. Yet, then i went one to try to help with solving bugs and giving suggestions content wise, and that all went unanswered due to lack of fixes or simple neglect of the Alpha community, which made apparent that the dev has really given up or simply put down the project, and for this reason, i believe the game has no real value in terms of maturing over time, as the crew seems to have a different agenda then that of rift. It also seemed to be a rushed product, due to it's lack graphic wise and content wise, as the voice acting seemed so rushed and placed that it literally sounds if they almost didn't even do it in studio, and that's not even the worst audio, as the charger was changed multiple times due to the quality of recordings they received from dodge, which also shows how much they were willing to give up to their preteen associated sponsors such as axe and etc.
    All this and i haven't even touched on the combat yet. As i said before, the game seemed rushed, and content wise shows so. The end game is non-existent, along with a viable progression system. Oh yes, i just remembered that, the progression system is linear, so no matter what level your weapon is, or what rarity (e.g. a green/uncommon, will be exactly the same as an orange/legendary, except for one little bonus effect that might or might not be what you need/want) they will be almost exactly the same, this amplified by the gimmicky perk tree that was constantly debuffed due to complaints of extremely unbalanced and unviable pvp that was dominated by rocket launching bunny hoppers (is still plagued by this if you must know), and is now so shallow that you feel as if you wasted that 10 hours getting +50 ego rating from some ridiculous broken "achievement" (which they call pursuits) that gave you them because you already ran so many congruent/exactly the same arkfalls that became so tedious you just had to force yourself to do something different. Also, if you want to say the arkfalls are akin to the rift system in rift, then your completely wrong. This "exciting" and "replayable" system has so little variance that, in alpha, people just plain stopped doing them, due to both their tediousness, and their lack of a legitimate award. Also, on a side note, if your hoping for an expansive vehicle system, their are only 7 variants of vehicles aside from colors, of which none are customizable at the least.
    Oh, and to further make this mess worse, the reason they don't give legitimate rewards to you is so that they can make you pay for that weapon you desperately want. For example, to even be able to get a legendary/orange weapon (extremely low chance that makes me want to cry due to their linear progression) you need to get a t4 lockbox that will cost 64 arkfall keys, and you will most likely only make 4 from a major, that will likely take anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on how many people know what they are doing. This results in you needing to grind these arkfalls for around 8 hours to even get one, they will probably not even have what you want. So by using this 8 hour grind time obstacle, they made it possible to simply by them with your real hard earned money. Oh, and if you want one of the actually good looking outfits, you probably going to have to pay 10 dollars for that too, because you can't even earn them in game.
    And to top all this off, they have had months to fix that unintuitive UI they try to push on their PC gamers that resulted when they were too damn lazy to change it from the console counterparts of this game. In fact, the entire alpha gave up on the topic due to their lack of communication regarding the issue. Such issues were brought up several times, but always ignored, like most of the bugs.
    So all in all, i just wanted to save you from this worthless game that has reduced my respect for Trion Worlds 10 fold by telling how this rushed mess is lacking in every aspect, and that you should look farther than that fluff those positive reviews give you and see the cold hard truth about this game before you waste that coveted 60 dollars of yours.    … Expand
  18. XenoCypher
    Apr 2, 2013
    10
    Defiance is everything that The Secret World SHOULD have been, with more. It has a compelling story with characters that evolve through-out the missions, giving them the feeling that you "know" them to some degree. The ability to drive around in cars, trucks, and quads gives the game an added fun factor with all of the cool things you can do with them (like crazy jumps and 360's).

    The    Defiance is everything that The Secret World SHOULD have been, with more. It has a compelling story with characters that evolve through-out the missions, giving them the feeling that you "know" them to some degree. The ability to drive around in cars, trucks, and quads gives the game an added fun factor with all of the cool things you can do with them (like crazy jumps and 360's).

    The Arkfall system is very akin to Rift's in RIFT and award every player doing the missions there, without the need to be in a group. Even the main missions (quests), do not require you to be grouped to get credit, which is pretty awesome.

    There is so much to love about this game, that it is hard to list it all. It is worth trying for yourself.    … Expand
  19. RosaV
    Apr 2, 2013
    10
    Everything Tabula Rasa should have been. An immersive MMO with tight shooting mechanics and compelling missions. There is a lot of game here, and it's a blast!
  20. Joshy
    Apr 2, 2013
    10
    Most innovative MMO in a LONG time, not just another stupid WoW clone. And the fact that it's tied in with the show and your character could end up being IN the show.....that's just neat as hell. Awesome weapons and vehicles also. Smooth gameplay and good graphics also.
  21. JoseTadeuChagas
    Apr 9, 2013
    10
    This game promisses but not deliver, a crappy pc port, trion do not respond tickets when they respond they say the problem is resolved when it is not. If you intend to buy pass this one out.
  22. Cytheria
    Apr 18, 2013
    6
    It's a reasonable enough shooter, with a fantastic new IP to work with, and what promises to be a fun tie in with a fresh new tv show to boot.
    It has a certain allure that will draw you back to it again and again to play, but you won't know why.
    I wish I could score the game higher at the moment, as I've really fallen for it, but I'm trying to be as unbiased as possible. In it's    It's a reasonable enough shooter, with a fantastic new IP to work with, and what promises to be a fun tie in with a fresh new tv show to boot.
    It has a certain allure that will draw you back to it again and again to play, but you won't know why.

    I wish I could score the game higher at the moment, as I've really fallen for it, but I'm trying to be as unbiased as possible.

    In it's current state, the game is unfinished. The story is short and the play area is deceptive in its scale it is pretty big, but you'll feel like its only a small region or level from a different game.

    In game communications, regardless of their form, are bugged or inoperable. Users report items going missing all the time, whilst others are swapped out entirely when patches are applied. The in game AI is pretty poor, and its spawn size, rather than actual "skill" or "intelligence" that is used to confer a sense of difficulty.

    A few features players expected never happened, most notably in game weather effects. The in game UI experience is pretty poor and doesn't always make sense (to log out you need to access the settings menu, which in itself is buried inside your main loadout/inventory screen)

    There is an issue with gated content, where some, real time limited, events are only accessible after completing a certain proportion of the PvE campaign.

    There is currently no clear sense of character progression, as in attempting to balance new players against old, Trion have opted for a system which see's players farming for "ego" perk points to upgrade abilities by a couple of percent, and very samey items which rely on mods to help players tweak them to perform in a way that appeals to their play style. What this basically means for the average casual player is that your character will always feel pretty much the same, and whilst they might change outfits once in a while, one user is pretty much interchangable with another. With items playing such a large role in your character development, it's also worth noting that with the lack of an auction house or storage, its very hard for individual players to actually collect together the mods and equipment needed to build their own "perfect" loadout, and with limited inventory space, most players end up either salvaging items they collect for parts or selling them to npc vendors rather than trying to sell them on to people because the alternative is a bit too awkward for most to want to worry about. (namely post on the forums and hope you can arrange to someone that wants the item you want, and that they are on the same server, the same platform, and in the same sort of timezone)

    Arkfalls and random in game events add a slightly chaotic mix to the equation, and something different to do. They're similar to the "Rift" events from Trion's earlier game Rift, but sadly feel like a poor reflection of the original. Similarly, the majority of the quests are pretty lackluster generally typical MMO "fed ex" and "kill 20 of these" type fare. Which is a real shame, as some of the "bigger", scripted events have some excellent narrative work, and really shine. Unfortunately, the few good quests just make you look at the bad ones that make up the majority and see how much better they could have been.

    Lack of reliable/usable comms renders the "Multiplayer" element of this mmo pretty much redundant. Unless using 3rd party tools to communicate with friends, you're going to have a hard time meeting anyone in game, and one random player with an assault rifle is interchangable for any other. Added to this problem is the fact that the main story quests dont work well with groups and generally force you to play solo, mean that what community feeling there is, is heavily forced.

    As a stand alone game, the lack of community immersion is made worse by the fact that a lot of the back story development has actually been left to a handful of in game collectible voice recordings and the TV show. The whole transmedia idea is fantastic, all most players know about the game world has come from information about the TV show, leaving it feeling like all those nasty movie tie in games we've seen over the years that do nothing to actually stand on their own two feet and instead just rely on making money from fans who already know and love an established IP.

    On top of all this are the day 1 bugs we've all come to know and love with new mmo releases, in this case already exasperated by a launch schedule that was rushed in order to tie in with the TV series. Unfortunately, so far, patches have failed to be applied at all to one platform (PS3), and on the remaining 2 (PC & XBOX) have generated an all new collection of bugs and problems for players, whilst in far too many cases, not actually correcting the bugs they were intended to fix anyway.

    I hope it gets better, but atm, its just a mediocre attempt at a TV tie in.    … Expand
  23. SimpleMethod
    Jul 13, 2013
    6
    I bought Defiance yesterday for the Steam Summer sale, and I'm happy with my purchase. That being said, I bought it for $13. I also specifically waited 3 months so they could iron out a lot of bugs, and I still had a ridiculous struggle logging in the first time. The core gameplay is pretty interesting, though. The problem is just a lack of polish. This game doesn't feel finished, whichI bought Defiance yesterday for the Steam Summer sale, and I'm happy with my purchase. That being said, I bought it for $13. I also specifically waited 3 months so they could iron out a lot of bugs, and I still had a ridiculous struggle logging in the first time. The core gameplay is pretty interesting, though. The problem is just a lack of polish. This game doesn't feel finished, which is a shame. Still, if you're looking for an MMO to play with friends for a bit, I suppose you could do worse.… Expand
  24. Baelelzebub
    Apr 22, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Defiance is one of those trend setting games. It will set a precedent as the first MMO/TV show. A great GIMMICK, I've watched the TV show, I've played through the story and then some of the game. The show is far more enjoyable.

    I have spent over 40 hours in game, customizing guns, co-oping with friends, joined in a shadow war and some regular PvP as well as lots of arkfalls and of course completed the story mission. But I open up Defiance apprehensively every single time. Sometimes I'm disconnected from PvP 2 or 3 times and give up. Sometimes my weapons vanished while zoning into a co-op. And sometimes it was just asking myself how many ark-falls am I going to do before I get bored.

    Defiance at the start is exciting, I crash into a strange new area. Then about 2 hours in you decide everything looks the same, so lets try a co-op. 3 hours in you realize they retooled solo mission dungeons as co-op dungeons(and the rewards aren't very good). So one decides to try the challenges, and then you see someone's score of over 100k and decide okay let me try, and find its far harder than it should be to even get a reward like one of those bad carnival games. So then on to racing, then you notice your hands are on a keyboard and mouse and decide to pass(even on a controller they are not too exciting....you are racing a time, like those ghost races in Mario Kart). So on to the story missions.....(you can finish them within about 7 hours)....done. Side quests and area quests are retooled story missions hooray! Go do this and collect or kill that. Now onto the bread and butter, ARKFALLS! Shoot EVERYTHING! You are presented with waves of enemies regardless if that's the objective or not and sometimes you go to several locations shooting the same stuff and then you find one big boss where you exploit weak spots and then destroy the summoned minions and then exploit weak spots...Rinse, repeat until dead. The ark falls are very interesting up until you do your fourth one (that is if you can find more than 1 or 2 in a row) when you decide well lemme do something else because i'm kinda tired of this guy whose got the grenade launcher that spawns more grenades on impact and I might have a seizure. Onto a shadow war! After an hour wait you spawn in to die by someone who has cloak and a double barrel shotty at your back. Re-spawn! Someone runs over you with a vehicle. Re-spawn! You spawn falling down with your shield gone and get sniped by someone on higher ground as you fall. Etc.

    You may be asking well what redeeming qualities does this game have. Defiance is extremely fun for the first 20 hours or so. After as such it is simply ALOT of the same content replayed and retooled. You think you can take it for longer seeing the same scenery, the same guns, the same mods for an extended period but you don't, nay can't. Let alone the lack of balance of weaponry, people say there are a lot of guns to mess with, this is true, but if the Light machine gun has a clip of 111 before you have to reload and does 416 damage per bullet give or take with a fire rate of 5-6 per second and the rocket launcher you need to reload after 2 rockets and each rocket does approximately 1200 damage per shot with a 6 second reload time, which will you choose? You say you are a sniper though and you only do sniping in shooters!? You do the same damage as a rocket launcher with 6-12 bullets in your clip. Do you see an issue?

    Now we come to the abilities. The abilities are unique and fun to use but once you maxed one out around level 350 with the perks you are set in using there is no more imagination. There is no point to go any further with the skills. You can make yourself a little more powerful with every 30 levels or so but it doesn't play a big enough part to matter. I'll dodge a firefight or a few bullets with decoy or cloak. Ill Initiate with some good damage with blur or overload. But other than that I don't see anyone going too much further with them.

    I give Defiance a 5 because it has elements of a great game, and you can start up do an ark-fall for 10 minutes and then get on with your day and still feel like you accomplished something in the game. The co-op rewards need to be improved, actually grouping with people for a reason is nice. Weapon balance will in turn balance out PvP. And as for the scenery, create some new venues Trion! Your game is great but it feels like it's extremely incomplete! ONLY the bay area while the show takes place in St. Louis? Does anyone else see a problem with this? Or how about more than 5 factions to fight because you have 7 races in the Votan collective PLUS humans. Some people might say hey what about DLC, but I remember the days when dev's would release a COMPLETED game before they would announce an expansion. Just saying. Worth 60-100 USD? NO! Worth getting into? Absolutely! But not right now.    … Expand
  25. HiddenGhul
    Apr 25, 2013
    5
    This game has some decent combat for an MMO, but sadly that also means the questing is a terrible as even the better MMOs altogether making a bland game but'll be fun with friends!
  26. AirRhino
    Sep 6, 2014
    1
    The game itself is decent. However TRION WORLDS continues to lie, and ignore its community.

    Thousands of ban reports go ignored. The hackers being reported even do so on the test realm right in front of the Dev team, and they simply ignore it.

    Beyond that there is the P2W cash shop. Once again they promised only cosmetic items, and once again they lied to us.
  27. Opetyr
    Jul 28, 2013
    1
    This game I played from the beginning and deserves a low rating. People who exploited the game we congratulated by the company for what they did. They promised things like what you do in the game will affect the show and the show will affect the game which they now say will happen later like Aliens:CM tricked people. They cannot fix issues that have plagued the game since the beginningThis game I played from the beginning and deserves a low rating. People who exploited the game we congratulated by the company for what they did. They promised things like what you do in the game will affect the show and the show will affect the game which they now say will happen later like Aliens:CM tricked people. They cannot fix issues that have plagued the game since the beginning and the DLC promised in the first month still hasn't shown up even though it is now almost 5 months later with no confirmed date of release. Hacks are many in this game since they used a 32bit security systems for systems that can use 64-bit hacks that the 32-bit could not see like gun damage. The game has been on sale so many times each month because they need to try and keep some sort of following. The game goes on sale for 20 dollars all the time. The PVP is unbalanced since a snipers line of sight is too small so people exploit it by coming into peoples range, shoot, and then run back 2 feet so they cannot be shot at themselves. Don't listen to the people that say it is great when at an extremely low level like 250 EGO since they haven't played past the starting area. I have played it through twice and the second time is quick because you can only do the main missions and all the secondary missions are not available. Not worth your time unless they do major fixes and apologize to people that were told lies.… Expand
  28. Noobverest
    Jun 6, 2014
    5
    Defiance is a game that appears to be new, innovative and interesting in the first hour. As you play on, you realize that the world of defiance is composed of one not-so-very-large map which can be easily explored in a single day.

    The game play is repetitive, for the first hundred or so EGO levels that you gain, it may seem fresh and exciting, but as you play on you realize that from    Defiance is a game that appears to be new, innovative and interesting in the first hour. As you play on, you realize that the world of defiance is composed of one not-so-very-large map which can be easily explored in a single day.

    The game play is repetitive, for the first hundred or so EGO levels that you gain, it may seem fresh and exciting, but as you play on you realize that from level one hundred to level five thousand, you will be doing the exact same thing, over and over again.    … Expand
  29. Enik
    Jul 22, 2013
    3
    You know why there's no demo of Defiance? Because if you do one quest, one arkfall and attach one mod to a gun, you've done EVERYTHING there is to do. Seriously. There's virtually no meaningful character progression, no real crafting, no real social component. It's a pseudo MMO for the Call of Duty dolts. I was bored after an hour.

    I gave it a 3 because the guns are kind of fun and the    You know why there's no demo of Defiance? Because if you do one quest, one arkfall and attach one mod to a gun, you've done EVERYTHING there is to do. Seriously. There's virtually no meaningful character progression, no real crafting, no real social component. It's a pseudo MMO for the Call of Duty dolts. I was bored after an hour.

    I gave it a 3 because the guns are kind of fun and the shooting mechanics are solid. But really, it's not an MMO.    … Expand
  30. AidanM
    Jun 12, 2013
    6
    Let me just say this: its fun. The competitive and Co-op mix of Multiplayer is very welcome to me. While many MMOs have fairly fun PvP, the PvP in this game is actually fun stand alone, kind of like the kind you would get in some kind of high-quality deathmatch. Otherwise, it has a good weapons system, some (though not enough) fun bosses and a solid and entertaining Co-op. However, its 60Let me just say this: its fun. The competitive and Co-op mix of Multiplayer is very welcome to me. While many MMOs have fairly fun PvP, the PvP in this game is actually fun stand alone, kind of like the kind you would get in some kind of high-quality deathmatch. Otherwise, it has a good weapons system, some (though not enough) fun bosses and a solid and entertaining Co-op. However, its 60 dollars. That's a pretty big deal breaker because the game doesn't have the story or production value to be a Bioshock Infinite or any spectacular game that really blows your mind. That being said, I do just keep coming back, as much as i tell myself the game is ripping me off.… Expand
  31. TGAMCallahan
    Aug 4, 2013
    4
    However interesting the cameos and tie-ins from the TV series might be, there's one thing that simply cannot be denied about Defiance. It's boring. Your character is a borderline deaf-mute with no impact on the proceedings. The gameplay is 'acceptable,' but nothing else. The environments are decent, but lackluster in variety. The interactions with other characters is bland and meaningless.However interesting the cameos and tie-ins from the TV series might be, there's one thing that simply cannot be denied about Defiance. It's boring. Your character is a borderline deaf-mute with no impact on the proceedings. The gameplay is 'acceptable,' but nothing else. The environments are decent, but lackluster in variety. The interactions with other characters is bland and meaningless. The skill trees are dull, and leave much to be desired.

    I would not recommend this game to anyone, personally, but it is pretty, for what it's worth, and it does have a story to tell. It's just not really a story worth sitting through hours of boring quests, and brutal grinding to hear told in a stilted, off-the-cuff manner.

    4.1/10, overall negative. Better off watching the syfy/space series.    … Expand
  32. uforoboso
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Defiance is how Grand Theft Auto Online should be. Everything is smooth, people cooperate in the free roaming world instead of griefing and killing you, while PvP is possible in the PvP events, as it should be! The world is nice, the graphics are good, shooting, driving physics are good. A lot of content makes you want to roam the world more and more. I don't like sci-fi at all, butDefiance is how Grand Theft Auto Online should be. Everything is smooth, people cooperate in the free roaming world instead of griefing and killing you, while PvP is possible in the PvP events, as it should be! The world is nice, the graphics are good, shooting, driving physics are good. A lot of content makes you want to roam the world more and more. I don't like sci-fi at all, but Defiance is the exception I like to make.… Expand
  33. Aredyl101
    Apr 17, 2013
    6
    This game has quite a bit going for it: a unique world, large assortment of weapons, quite a few modifications for those weapons, and large variety of random encounters.

    Sadly, quite a few bugs mar this game, from patching to almost every aspect of playing. Errors during downloads of patches, random moments of getting disconnected, unable to enter instances properly (either not    This game has quite a bit going for it: a unique world, large assortment of weapons, quite a few modifications for those weapons, and large variety of random encounters.

    Sadly, quite a few bugs mar this game, from patching to almost every aspect of playing. Errors during downloads of patches, random moments of getting disconnected, unable to enter instances properly (either not entering them or getting tossed into an instance with a full group), overpowered weapon/perk combos (shotgun stealth in PvP is still very common, even resulting in 1 shots after a nerf), nerfs to gains in currency, constant weapon reloading bugs, etc.

    Shooter fans can find quite a bit of gameplay that will outweigh the numerous bugs, but the average MMO or Sci-Fi fan may be turned off by the large issues. Until the dust settles, I can't give this game anything above a 6.    … Expand
  34. RexOrmunde
    May 3, 2013
    6
    This is a fun third-person shooter game. It almost feels like someone redesigned All Points Bulletin, or Borderlands, into a post-apocalyptic MMO. The highlights are the randomized world events, using vehicles to run over your enemies, and being able to switch 'classes' by unlocking all the available abilities and picking your own combination of them. The problems however are, the lack ofThis is a fun third-person shooter game. It almost feels like someone redesigned All Points Bulletin, or Borderlands, into a post-apocalyptic MMO. The highlights are the randomized world events, using vehicles to run over your enemies, and being able to switch 'classes' by unlocking all the available abilities and picking your own combination of them. The problems however are, the lack of content, the removal of 'old' episode content, a confusing sense of progression, and bugs such as the group, clan, and/or friend system spontaneously not working. The game has a great concept and is fun to play, but the game needs a lot more polish.… Expand
  35. Vorch
    Apr 17, 2013
    5
    If you want to buy it, you can find it for less than 40 bucks online.

    The show looks good...the game is pretty "meh" at the moment. * Combat is good, but it's standard TPS. * Quests get repetitive REALLY quick (run to point, kill spawns, hold E, repeat) * Menus need some work * Mods give weapons a custom feel. * Game has nearly NOTHING to do with the show (so far) I bought the    If you want to buy it, you can find it for less than 40 bucks online.

    The show looks good...the game is pretty "meh" at the moment.

    * Combat is good, but it's standard TPS.
    * Quests get repetitive REALLY quick (run to point, kill spawns, hold E, repeat)
    * Menus need some work
    * Mods give weapons a custom feel.
    * Game has nearly NOTHING to do with the show (so far)

    I bought the game because I trust Trion. I'd wait 3-6 months to see where this one goes.    … Expand
  36. Traciatim
    May 28, 2013
    3
    Defiance is generic throw away console trash. Everything about it's design from the terrible control schemes, to lack of graphics customization, right down to the bite sized questing and ADD style action random action points scream console port. If you are looking for a PC shooter MMO, look elsewhere. Save this one for the $9.99 bargain bin.
  37. MuffAlorJr
    Apr 17, 2013
    5
    Story was ok, wasn't too engaging, the world was pretty cool, i liked the third person and it was pretty fun to play with friends, now this is just for me i hope, but there was a crap ton of lag and errors. And by errors i mean ones that caused me to wait 14 hours for it to download that sten stop and start over again, it made me really made, but that was just for the beta, so i was fineStory was ok, wasn't too engaging, the world was pretty cool, i liked the third person and it was pretty fun to play with friends, now this is just for me i hope, but there was a crap ton of lag and errors. And by errors i mean ones that caused me to wait 14 hours for it to download that sten stop and start over again, it made me really made, but that was just for the beta, so i was fine with that, i mean i am sure alot of people were playing it, so i waited for the release, and i stood in line for 3 hours to get the game, and when i buy it.... SAME ERROR, and i was mad, but i gave it yet another chance and said "alright maybe alot of people are playing it" so i waited about a week, same thing but it finally worked a couple days later, and took 14 hours to download, and stayed there for 28 because it had to restart again, gameplay was stiff and not worth 60 bucks, it's terrible, but i guess if you want you can wathc the show that they have on scifi that i thought was cool.… Expand
  38. brokenhalo
    Apr 18, 2013
    2
    This mediocre FPS MMO is littered with glaring flaws and distractions from really integrating the social aspect of the game. The gear/looting and menus options just feel dated and clunky. Top that off with dull environments and super predictable AI and you have a game worth half it's current retail price at best. IMO wait for the price cut or steam deal before you blow money on this...
  39. dcade
    May 8, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. complete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crapcomplete crap… Expand
  40. Drewger
    May 23, 2013
    3
    Right now I don't recommend this game. Sure there is a lot of things to do, but good luck getting things done. There are so many bugs in the game that when you try and complete something, there is a good chance the game won't recognize it or an update will erase what you have accomplished. My level/ego rating has been pushed back several times because the 'fixes' have not fixed anything orRight now I don't recommend this game. Sure there is a lot of things to do, but good luck getting things done. There are so many bugs in the game that when you try and complete something, there is a good chance the game won't recognize it or an update will erase what you have accomplished. My level/ego rating has been pushed back several times because the 'fixes' have not fixed anything or has made Trion roll back the character's progression to before the fix. I am really getting tired of this. The game has great concepts, but horrible follow-thru. Weapons need multiple reloads before firing half of the time. One out of about seven times I get stuck in an instance. Certain weapon kills don't add up properly. Some achievements are not attainable because they game isn't finished. I did have fun playing the game, but now I feel like I am a tortoise with a carrot strapped to a stick on its shell. I feel like I am getting nowhere. I just hope this next month is better.… Expand
  41. cedekane
    Apr 25, 2013
    2
    The game is unpolished, buggy, gameplay is fun at times, but unimaginative. None of this kills the game. That is done by the repetition and a system that doesn't keep you wanting to flesh our your character. After 20 hours, you will have done anything there is to do in this world multiple times. That is pretty normal for an MMO, where defiance differs is its Loot/leveling system, whichThe game is unpolished, buggy, gameplay is fun at times, but unimaginative. None of this kills the game. That is done by the repetition and a system that doesn't keep you wanting to flesh our your character. After 20 hours, you will have done anything there is to do in this world multiple times. That is pretty normal for an MMO, where defiance differs is its Loot/leveling system, which is veryshallow and I'm hesitant to say it even has one. You can easily get to the end of the game with the same guns you had at the beginning, this is because the stats on a higher level weapon is exactly the same as that of a lower level weapon. In the end, you may be tempted like I was. I bought this game and wanted to love it. I have 20 hours logged(for many gamers 20 hours for a game like this is a laughable amount), before I saw this game for what it is, a rushed, shoddily put together money grab exploiting the first game of its kind. Save your money for now and wait it out, by the time the price goes down, maybe it will be a game of comparable quality to some other games out right now. As is, even if it were free, you could do better. To Trion and Syfy, you could of had a contender, instead its just a bum, which is what it is...… Expand
  42. Captiosus
    Jul 14, 2013
    4
    During development, Trion Worlds displayed gameplay trailers that showed a graphically rich and dynamic world with all kinds of alien flora, dynamic weather, and great cooperative gameplay. I was quite happy to be chosen to play in beta but what I found was disconcerting. The game was littered with bugs, contained a very sparse UI that was clearly designed for the console rather than PC,During development, Trion Worlds displayed gameplay trailers that showed a graphically rich and dynamic world with all kinds of alien flora, dynamic weather, and great cooperative gameplay. I was quite happy to be chosen to play in beta but what I found was disconcerting. The game was littered with bugs, contained a very sparse UI that was clearly designed for the console rather than PC, offered bare bones graphics, and a dearth of content. When the game went to retail, there was no way I could justify buying it even though Trion Worlds kept assuring us that everything was coming "soon".

    Fast forward to 11 July 2013 when Steam launched their Summer Sale and initially put Defiance on sale for 66% off. I purchased the game figuring Trion had three months of time under their belt with the game so, hopefully, they had addressed some of the issues. Unfortunately that is not the case.

    First, the bugs. Most of the bugs still exist. Most of the bugs you will encounter will be mild annoyance bugs, such as your vehicle randomly disappearing while you're still on it, or your character getting stuck in an animation. But there are also the game breaking bugs which prevent you from being able to finish quests (e.g. NPC or item not spawning, textures with necessary interactive items disappearing) and bugs that will prevent you from doing challenges (e.g. 'invincible' mobs who don't die during a timed "Rampage" mission that requires all mobs to be killed). Bugs still occur FREQUENTLY.

    Second, the UI and controls. Clearly ported to PC as an afterthought, the UI and control scheme still hasn't changed since beta. Vehicles control is some of the worst I've ever experienced when using keyboard/mouse, and on foot controls feel clunky and counterintuitive. Plug in a game controller, however, and it plays like a completely different game. I found some statements by Trion Worlds claiming they were "working on" the UI but so far they've done nothing. And since the UI is responsible for driving social interactions, the piss poor chat and social UI structures continue to make this a largely solo game where the only time you interact with other people is during Arkfall (world coop) events.

    Third, graphics. Forget the old trailers. I can play this game on ultra with the only FPS hiccups occurring during major Arkfall events which tend to pull in two dozen (or more) players in one limited space, yet the graphics look as though they are from circa 2007 Xbox 360 games. Poor textures, medium polygon counts, static lighting and shadows, terrible draw distance, and BARE MINIMUM graphics options available to the user. The world itself is typical post-apocalyptic fare, brown and gray, bland and uninspired.

    Finally, the lack of content. Let's get this out of the way right now: Quests fall into one of three categories; Fetch, Click, or Rescue/Protect. Every quest you do from the beginning to the end will be one of those three or a combination thereof. There aren't even any "kill X number of people" quests, which is probably for the best since enemies in the game can ALSO be broken down into exactly two types: Humanoids and Hellbugs. Although they've added episode based quests (the TV show tie-ins), after about 10 hours, you'll realize that you're doing the exact same thing and that the only thing you have to look forward to is doing the exact same thing.

    "But Cap," you'll say, "ALL MMOs have repetition." To which I will respond that you are absolutely correct. However, unlike most MMOs, Defiance really offers you little challenge and little hook to break the monotony. For example, in classic MMOs where you earn X amount of XP and learn new skill "Y", getting a new skill offsets the monotony of doing the same thing you've already done by giving you something new to add. In other words, if you play a mage and you get a blizzard spell, you don't care that you're marching off to kill another 50 humanoids because now you get to use this awesome new blizzard. You don't get that break from monotony in Defiance because what you do in your first hour and what you do in your 200th hour is the same: point and shoot. There's no need for strategy or theorycrafting and your EGO AI companion holds your hand from start to finish. Loot and passive skills can only carry a game so far.

    Anyone who tells you the story carries the game is lying because after the first cutscene you're left to fend for yourself. You're sent off to the shooting gallery with very little info and the most story you get is from hidden audio logs. Even if you watch the show, often times what you do in game makes little sense. PvP is, by Trion's admission, full of hacks/cheats that they have yet to address. So what COULD HAVE been fun is marred by poor design leading to rampant cheating.

    In sum, I do not recommend this game, even at a super sale price. Frankly, I can't see Trion keeping the servers up for another year at the game's current rate.    … Expand
  43. gtox11
    Apr 22, 2013
    2
    If you enjoy Borderlands 2 Co-op, and think that you might also enjoy a less polished, buggy version of the same, then you "might" enjoy Defiance.

    If you enjoy traditional MMOs, in any capacity, then quickly hide your wallet before Trion smells your money. What I like about the game: The shooting. Surprisingly the combat is actually pretty good. There is a decent variety of    If you enjoy Borderlands 2 Co-op, and think that you might also enjoy a less polished, buggy version of the same, then you "might" enjoy Defiance.

    If you enjoy traditional MMOs, in any capacity, then quickly hide your wallet before Trion smells your money.

    What I like about the game:
    The shooting. Surprisingly the combat is actually pretty good. There is a decent variety of weapons, and I haven't noticed any bugs involving poor bullet pathing or anything like that.
    Rocket-boosting your vehicle over hills and watching yourself fly knowing there will be no damage or penalty in any way.
    Missile Launchers. I felt this one needed it's own good point; not sure why.
    Everyone gets their own loot and xp is given to anyone who participates in killing an NPC.

    The things I disliked/hated (get comfortable because this list is quite daunting):
    This is not an MMO. This is a Co-op that is awkwardly placed into a persistent world. In fact, I would say that the only aspect of this game that is utilized by an open-world environment is the driving, and even that doesn't NEED the persistent world and might even have benefited from an instanced, scripted event.
    The driving uses the god-aweful controls of A and D to turn instead of the mouse, and there is no way to change it. Needless to say, this is completely archaic and no one enjoys driving with keystrokes. To be clear, Borderlands driving Good. Defiance driving Clunky and unrealistic.
    The game is marketed by offering players the chance to get their hands on alien technology! Exciting! But wait.. you get that technology almost immediately in the game, and it is WORSE than the standard realism weaponry that you get in any other shooter. One weapon simply fills the gap of the fantasy "healing gun", while the other is decent in itself, but fails on the basis of being of limited use. Short answer, you will find yourself using standard Earth technology unless you insist on gimping yourself with their alien technology (this of course does not include the "alien" elemental versions of standard weapons).
    There are no "dungeons" or really any reason to ever invite someone to a group.
    The massive events that pop up are a faceroll. It is all very, very easy.
    The perk system gives off the impression of "uber customization" but in actuality there is very little true options. By selecting one core ability, it cuts off around half of the perks as viable options for your build (since they directly affect another core ability). Looking at the perks, it is very easy to see several possible "builds" in which you venture toward, but a lot of these builds are not actually viable in-game.. Most notably the Melee Build, in which you do very low damage and get eaten alive by pretty much every NPC you encounter, and the Medic Build in which you almost never find someone to revive because the game's difficulty is a joke.
    Lastly, I want to mention the game's use of character speech. Quite a lot of characters talk to you during the game, whether it be during a cut scene or yelling at you as you are doing a nearby mission.. but the one glaring problem is that your character NEVER.. EVER.. SPEAKS.. EVER! He (or she) just stands there like a mute idiot while other people have engaging conversations AT him (or her). (s)He doesn't even change facial expressions or anything. It is as though your character is completely unaware that other people are in the room, let alone talking directly to him.

    TL;DR If you want to spend $60 on something that truthfully should be F2P, then you are in the right place. For everyone else, keep waiting.    … Expand
  44. meru
    Aug 14, 2013
    3
    TLDR: Play FireFall instead, the game is not going to get better, as many of the developers were let go after the game was published.

    What a great concept behind Defiance: A Science Fiction game and a TV show which evolve together and influence each other. But what a horrible, horrible implementation. It was fun to play at times, and if the game gets ever finished, I am sure it will be    TLDR: Play FireFall instead, the game is not going to get better, as many of the developers were let go after the game was published.

    What a great concept behind Defiance: A Science Fiction game and a TV show which evolve together and influence each other. But what a horrible, horrible implementation. It was fun to play at times, and if the game gets ever finished, I am sure it will be fun to play.

    Four months after release, it plays like an early beta. In the first minutes, you cannot follow the instructions, as your tutorial actions are constantly interrupted by NPCs. Already the first few missions are bugged, so that you may have to quit and restart in order to do them. Chat is bugged (in the sense of not being able to communicate at all) for the PC version, so that you cannot even ask other players for advice about the bugs; I found the advice to relog finally on the forums. The game has open world missions, but gets confused when two players work on the same mission, so that you cannot finish them.

    The good points: You can try the game for free for three days, but within this time frame you need to download the client, and the downloader has major problems. The price for the game was lowered to 10 bucks in some places, and no subscription is required, so it might be worth buying, if you believe that the developers will ever finish the game. Which is unlikely, as a lot of the developers were let go in May 2013.

    By coincidence I discovered a second Science Fiction MMO shooter called FireFall at the same time, which is in open beta starting August 2013. FireFall plays almost the same as Defiance, with the difference being that it is actually fun, and mostly a finished product.    … Expand
  45. urieaal
    Jun 27, 2013
    1
    I've been playing this game on and off for a week as of this post. Frankly it started out kinda nice with the intro, but theres not really very much choice in weapons... even with the modding option its really bs... theres no real customization imo with weapons.

    The general game play is kinda glitchy So many of the dungeons/instances/ co-op missions have really bad boss encounters i    I've been playing this game on and off for a week as of this post. Frankly it started out kinda nice with the intro, but theres not really very much choice in weapons... even with the modding option its really bs... theres no real customization imo with weapons.

    The general game play is kinda glitchy So many of the dungeons/instances/ co-op missions have really bad boss encounters i cant count how many times i've been blown back into a wall and unable to do anything.

    The Story has very little to do with the actual TV show, you only see nolan and his daughter once or twice and thats it... then you get to do some missions for that one irathian girl nolan lut go in like episode 3?

    you only get to choose human or irathian you cant be a votan or indogen or w/e the monkey people are.
    none of the story really ties together, eventually ending in a very anti climactic boss fight. that one fight is very buggy. You have to repeat it 3 separate times before the pointless ending...

    Whats more you never get to go to defiance at least at the time of this writing. PvP seems very one sided in that infectors, shotguns and cloaking run the show. Im sure some people do better but this is what you can look forward to the most.

    The game map while a sandbox, gives no reason to explore other then the occasional small amount of experience for finding something, theres no easter eggs to look for. going out of your way more often then not will get you sent back to the last town you got bound to in at. which you dont get to choose its just what ever one you run thru.

    The map it self is incredibly small for an mmo game. theres no open world chat that i noticed either no one talks at all. its really boring. theres a northern and southern continent. both of which can be traversed in a few minutes.

    The arkfalls.... i can only really compare to Rifts from rift.. or events from GW2, BUT there so tedious and boring and repetitive and dont really give you any good rewards, you simply do them get some "marks" 64 total and 3000 scrip will get you a tier 3 lock box. theres tier 1 and 2 boxs as well but white and green items are not really worth having around. there just garbage or breakdowns for mats for more marks.

    Theres little even like side quests scattered all over the place but theres no point in doing them imo. some of them give you gear some of them give you mods, all are competition against other players so eventually no ones going to be able to get up to number 1, unless they reset every time the server gos down for maintenance... no idea like i said theres no point imo to do them....

    I have yet in my week or so of playing to get a purple in a co-op or as a drop out of an arkfall, of which theres major and minor arkfalls, major arkfalls are huge and require you to do multiple minor ones to finally get to a boss fight.

    once you get to the southern continent theres a couple variations on the major arkfalls.. but frankly this games boring after a week, never had that happen before, theres just not much of anything to do, no real point in pvp other then more ego points and once you've done the main story theres no end game raiding type of things to do, your armors purely fluff aka for looks it doesn't do anything..

    i guess the control's themselves aren't bad, but how the hell do you screw up a shooters control's, although theres so many bugs with shooting npcs/mobs unless they get an ego and ability's too.

    give it a year, then try it maybe they'll get there crap together. although from this crap fest they started with i doubt it.    … Expand
  46. level5dwarf
    Jun 29, 2013
    2
    Garbage, wish i had my money and time back. I can't help but question if all the positive user reviews that came out immediately at release, which were notably done by mostly people with no other reviews, were paid for by Trion.
  47. Chaostheory1980
    Apr 12, 2013
    7
    The game is itself quite fun but the lack of a noticeable improvement overtime is a little disconcerting (regarding the leveling process as it is more rep than levels). As long as you don't use the rocket launcher (as it seems to not be very good unless u want to destroy a group of basic hellbugs) the weapons are fun but don't seem to have a huge visual or audio impact but the streams ofThe game is itself quite fun but the lack of a noticeable improvement overtime is a little disconcerting (regarding the leveling process as it is more rep than levels). As long as you don't use the rocket launcher (as it seems to not be very good unless u want to destroy a group of basic hellbugs) the weapons are fun but don't seem to have a huge visual or audio impact but the streams of hot lead you pound into the enemy trying to hit the weak areas will hold your attention. The cars I find quite fun especially jumping them and plowing though enemy ranks. A few things that other games would have done for realism have not been done here and it makes thing convenient and fun. (Can spawn car at a whim and takes no falling damage). For an open environment game I have no qualm with the graphics the serve the style and setting well. The games lack of direction is also a good point I believe meaning you do what you want when you want and even do things on the way to those things. Things do get a little repetitive but that is a norm for modern games to some degrees not that it is an excuse. The AI can be a little dumb but will still kill you if you let your guard down. Controls. K&M is best for the headshot precision junkie the controller is best for the cars and using the roll feature. I use both myself. I would say the game is a solid 7 and I am hoping that when the tv series airs a lot more stuff will become available that is currently missing so as not to spoil the tv series too much before it starts. I personally have skipped any show related scenes just in case on my first character but we will see. I think a 7 is a good score from my 30 hours of play. 0 is ridiculous but so is a 10.… Expand
  48. mg83
    Apr 21, 2013
    3
    I expected so much more from Trion, but this game is flat out terrible. Bland environments, clunky user interface, laughable AI, boring quests and a completely unimaginative EGO "skill tree." It's sad too because I paid $100 for the special edition, figuring it COULDN'T be that bad. Well it is. There are more bugs with the game, then there are "bugs" in the game. Maybe they'll turn thingsI expected so much more from Trion, but this game is flat out terrible. Bland environments, clunky user interface, laughable AI, boring quests and a completely unimaginative EGO "skill tree." It's sad too because I paid $100 for the special edition, figuring it COULDN'T be that bad. Well it is. There are more bugs with the game, then there are "bugs" in the game. Maybe they'll turn things around? Right now this game wreaks of some F2P crap.

    Weapons and gear disappear or play hide and seek between logins, load outs get screwed up, EGO gets reset, quests are bugged. Poor explanation of gear stats. I wanted this game to be good, I really did. Maybe it gets better in the future. As of right now, don't waste your time until some SERIOUS changes are made. This needs a lot more than "Tuesday downtime" type patches. I'll check the progress periodically so my $100 wasn't in vain.    … Expand
  49. GodEmperor47
    Apr 28, 2013
    2
    The story is poorly written, voice acting is average, and most importantly (because I can forgive the first two things) the gameplay just sucks. If Planetside 2 was really bad and had PvE, it'd be this game. Unless you just hate PvP, don't play this game, go pick up Planetside 2 for free and jump into some great shooting. I suppose the PvE isn't horribly implemented, it's just soThe story is poorly written, voice acting is average, and most importantly (because I can forgive the first two things) the gameplay just sucks. If Planetside 2 was really bad and had PvE, it'd be this game. Unless you just hate PvP, don't play this game, go pick up Planetside 2 for free and jump into some great shooting. I suppose the PvE isn't horribly implemented, it's just so repetitive that I couldn't play it for more than six hours total over three days. Haven't logged in since. If you're like me and think you might give this game a shot, bear in mind that you can't get a refund on Steam and there are better online shooter experiences out there.… Expand
  50. game_over
    Aug 23, 2014
    6
    **AVOID**

    Horrid network issues with very poor support and rude(snarky) responses from Trion make this a game to avoid. Trion developers are evidently Armchair Wannabe developers. Trion is not staffed to support multiple games, I would avoid all of them. It is only a matter of time until a game you bought and paid money and time for will go belly up and become unplayable.    **AVOID**

    Horrid network issues with very poor support and rude(snarky) responses from Trion make this a game to avoid.

    Trion developers are evidently Armchair Wannabe developers.

    Trion is not staffed to support multiple games, I would avoid all of them. It is only a matter of time until a game you bought and paid money and time for will go belly up and become unplayable.

    ***Here were my original thoughts before recent intermittent network issues became widespread and long term:

    This is a solid mmofps with good shooting mechanics that is generally fun to play. You get a vehicle right out of the gate that allows you to move around in the large open world. The game allows you to easily play with friends regardless of level (hello auto scaling and port to player), which I wish more mmo games allowed. There is a huge variety of weapons and many options for customization of weapons and skills. Think of this as a borderlands mmofps, without the humor. The crafting and inventory interface could definitely be improved.    … Expand
  51. Rigermortis
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    Defiance is okay as an FPS, and okay as an MMO and certainly not worth the $60 box price premium for a game in either category. It is however better than okay as a PC game on the whole as it is a first time effort at packaging the two genres together in a premium marketed package. It’s probably even better on a console.

    With this in mind the price point is fair and it is definitely    Defiance is okay as an FPS, and okay as an MMO and certainly not worth the $60 box price premium for a game in either category. It is however better than okay as a PC game on the whole as it is a first time effort at packaging the two genres together in a premium marketed package. It’s probably even better on a console.

    With this in mind the price point is fair and it is definitely worth a go for any fan of each respective genre looking to mix things up a bit.

    I’ll start with the bits that need work:

    1. All components of the game individually feel generic which is surprising for a game based on such an original concept. It is fun to play because it combines so many elements like a playground with lots of different rides that you’ve ridden all of before. You can play on one “ride” for a little then when bored of it go to another “ride”. There is plenty to do though none of it is really compelling for long stints.

    2. For a game that ties into a TV series it surprisingly has a very generic and simplistic story line with a lack of interesting character development. All story characters are very predictable and 2 dimensional. The story plotlines are linear.

    3. It is not as buggy as a typical FPS on release, about as buggy as a typical Box priced MMO on release, and much more buggy compared to other Trion titles on release i.e. Rift.

    4. Bugs include character movement and turning lockups, Leaderboards not scrolling, screen flicker, and various mission bugs.

    5. It has a UI that makes Windows 8 look intuitive on Desktops! I couldn’t work out how to change hair colour in character creation, or how to log out while in game. There aren’t a lot of UI customization options either.

    6. Character customization is more varied than I originally thought however every combination looks downright ugly in my opinion. Everyone has a massive jaw and an under bite, and noses look mashed onto characters faces. Animations are off putting as well. Characters look ugly and move ugly.

    7. It’s very difficult to socialize; general chat doesn’t work, you can only find players in your area.

    8. Combat lacks features like using cover etc. what little combat features the game has a very good and fun to use but it needs more. It doesn’t have the many keybinds and button mash options MMO’s have and doesn’t have the multiple “twitch” actions available to most modern FPS games.

    9. You can’t change view distance or angle.

    Things that keep me playing for now:

    1. I like the EGO system (similar to talent builds in other games) it’s very customizable compare to both MMO’s and FPS’.

    2. I really like the vehicle aspect, driving is a blast, and you can use vehicles to run over enemies. There are also driving time trials which have a small leaderboard associated (I spent hours on this).

    3. The Arkfalls are good fun and if expanded upon (like in Rift) can be excellent.

    4. The potential exists for this game to outgrow its faults and become very fun and engaging for the long haul. It needs the above mentioned addressed but what it has in terms of gameplay is very fun.

    5. It’s great to be able to switch between MMO tasks and FPS tasks, and then chill out playing “Daytona” style timed runs all within the one game.

    6. Weapons behave as they should with good detail. The same weapon type will have a different look and feel i.e. the “scope view” looks different depending on the weapon used even if it is the same type but a different “make”

    7. I like the buy box DLC model, and the fact that you can purchase all items with “virtual currency” earned in-game as well as cash shop so it’s not technically “Buying to win”.    … Expand
  52. Swampy
    Apr 7, 2013
    7
    This game does have bags of potential; whether it lives upto that potential in the longer term is an entirely different story however.

    On the face of it, it is a 'not too deep' entertaining and casual third person shooter set in a persistant world.. and it makes a pretty decent job of filling this niche. The problem is it's a bit of a one trick pony, and there's very little else to    This game does have bags of potential; whether it lives upto that potential in the longer term is an entirely different story however.

    On the face of it, it is a 'not too deep' entertaining and casual third person shooter set in a persistant world.. and it makes a pretty decent job of filling this niche. The problem is it's a bit of a one trick pony, and there's very little else to occupy your time other than running around an 'killing 10 mutants'.

    The game world is very small, and even the most casual of MMO players will probably rattle through all the current content within a few days, so this game is going to live or die by the amount of DLC that becomes available and the quality of the associated TV series.

    Graphically, it's not bad, but it's not great either.. and the world in which we are meant to play is pretty uninspiring, usually shrouded in a grey haze! There are scant in ame options for graphical optimisation on PC either!

    The social aspects of the game are next to none-existant, in fact I'd go so far to say the way this game/UI is designed makes it pretty antisocial. Which brings me onto the UI.. it is a poor console port that is tedious to navigate on the PC.

    Additionally there are (at the time of writing) still many bugs within the game, some of which are verging on game breaking.. again the speed and quality of fixes is going to go a long way to determine this game's long term future; and Trion has show that it can be pretty agile when it comes to fixing up things.. but I'm not sure if the millstone of console versions is going to affect their ability to respond quickly.

    Despite all the negatives however, as I said right at the top the gameplay itself can be pretty entertaining so long as you're in the market for a bit of lightweight escapism and not Battlefield 4 realism...

    On a final not I have to say the physical Ultimate Edition for PC is amazing to behold, if Trion had executed the actual game as well as this edition they'd be onto a sure fire winner!    … Expand
  53. jimbofletcher12
    Apr 10, 2013
    8
    This is one of the best mmos out at the moment i know that's not saying much but its fun got good shooting and just all round a good fun game i wish there was customization at the start like hair Armour color etc but i think its a great game
  54. MikeJezZ
    May 27, 2013
    2
    A friend of mine hyped the game alot for me, so I decided to buy the game (which I did, at launch).

    First, the patcher is horrible. You have to download 15 GB straight. If you close the patcher and opens it again, you have to redownload the whole game again and it does not delete what you already downloaded. Second, theres no real progression in the game. It is a online shooter, and    A friend of mine hyped the game alot for me, so I decided to buy the game (which I did, at launch).

    First, the patcher is horrible. You have to download 15 GB straight. If you close the patcher and opens it again, you have to redownload the whole game again and it does not delete what you already downloaded.

    Second, theres no real progression in the game. It is a online shooter, and the RPG elements are limited to allmost none.

    It would probably have received a better score if they have called it a MMOTPS instead of a MMORPG.    … Expand
  55. Pakchoi118
    Apr 10, 2013
    8
    I really enjoyed the openness of this game, jumping from one quest to another while other people helping me take on some grotesque alien boss! It may take a little while to actually get into, but once you get in the action it becomes a great deal of fun. The only reason i was slightly dissapointed with the game was due to the awful patcher which reduced my download speed far beyond of it'sI really enjoyed the openness of this game, jumping from one quest to another while other people helping me take on some grotesque alien boss! It may take a little while to actually get into, but once you get in the action it becomes a great deal of fun. The only reason i was slightly dissapointed with the game was due to the awful patcher which reduced my download speed far beyond of it's usual rate. I think overall it took me 12 hours to download after 3 failed attempts.… Expand
  56. BearSharkWeek
    May 5, 2013
    4
    When I first played this game in beta I thought it was pretty fun. I also expected that there would be more content released with the full version. I was wrong. This game is lacking. There are essentially only 3 enemies to fight. The environment is pretty but gets boring very quickly. Questing is very tedious and redundant. There is no world immersion. It feels like a watered down co-opWhen I first played this game in beta I thought it was pretty fun. I also expected that there would be more content released with the full version. I was wrong. This game is lacking. There are essentially only 3 enemies to fight. The environment is pretty but gets boring very quickly. Questing is very tedious and redundant. There is no world immersion. It feels like a watered down co-op version of borderlands. I am really disappointed in Trion for releasing this mess. It's extremely linear and way too simple. There are only a few co-op maps to play as well. Honestly it feels like the game is missing 3/4 of content. If Trion thinks they can release a ton more content in DLCs and have me pay for it they must be insane.… Expand
  57. MrRelyt
    May 13, 2013
    3
    Defiance is an absolutely abysmal game. Sub-average graphics, repetitive game-play and a boring story line is underwhelming. I had high hopes for this game, and to be honest I really wanted to like it. But unfortunately I couldn't. Also, the game preforms like a piece of especially when you are in an area filled with other players. Overall Defiance is a terrible game. Recommendation: DO NOT BUY.
  58. Livnthedream
    Apr 5, 2013
    5
    The entire game boils down to mediocre at best, which makes it really not worth the price in my book. The ui is atrocious. It is super wonky and just feels bad on a mouse and keyboard and has no ability to customize. Weapon balance is all over the place, and with how drops work how powerful you are is based more on luck than skill. Graphics are a mixed bag, some effects are cool, but theThe entire game boils down to mediocre at best, which makes it really not worth the price in my book. The ui is atrocious. It is super wonky and just feels bad on a mouse and keyboard and has no ability to customize. Weapon balance is all over the place, and with how drops work how powerful you are is based more on luck than skill. Graphics are a mixed bag, some effects are cool, but the texture quality is really poor and some decent AA would have gone a really long way. The "storyline" missions do not make any sense. You get to meet the main characters from the show in the opening cut scene, then as you run into them half the time they act like they just met you, not to mention it sets it up pretty early that even though you are some random guy off the street and they just plugged a computer in your head and still have not been trained how to use it you just happen to be worth squads of well trained marines. The game is fun, but very much not worth full price, especially when they are selling the advantages they are in the cash shop.… Expand
  59. Pureray
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    This game I find to hardly be worth 60$ since it plays like global agenda and/or firefall which are free. The show I intend to see how the game will effect the show or is the media just saying that to make the game seem more interesting to be playing.
  60. GottFaust
    Apr 3, 2013
    8
    Lets get the cons out of the way: Limited graphical customization, dated and poorly implemented graphical tech (lacks most modern features), low resolution textures, clunky movement, terrible animations, amazingly bad UI (to log out you have to press escape, hold space, select an option from a radial menu, select an option from a menu bar, and then you can actually click the log outLets get the cons out of the way: Limited graphical customization, dated and poorly implemented graphical tech (lacks most modern features), low resolution textures, clunky movement, terrible animations, amazingly bad UI (to log out you have to press escape, hold space, select an option from a radial menu, select an option from a menu bar, and then you can actually click the log out button.), and bad voice acting. Now, after that what could possibly be good about the game? The answer is: everything else, most importantly the game play. The game is a very fun experience. Think borderlands on a massive scale. Loot drops are prevalent, instanced to each player (which is a good thing as it stops loot rushing), and interesting. Enemies are varied and interesting. The weapons are fun and flashy (outside of your standard shotgun/pistol/rifle guns). The powers are useful and unique. The weapon customization is in-depth, but not obfuscated. The story is interesting (bad voice acting and animations aside). The art itself is amazing (even if the technology that renders it isn't). The back-story and lore to the world is creative and very detailed. I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. Will you like this game if you value graphics and presentation above all else? No. Will you like this game if you enjoy solid gameplay, a good story, and a world with detailed lore to back it? Yes. Overall: Gameplay 10/10, Story 8/10, Graphics 6/10, Animations 3/10, Sound 6/10, Voice Acting 5/10, UI 4/10, Weighted Total (gameplay out-weighs most everything else) 8/10.… Expand
  61. Sargonnas
    Apr 5, 2013
    8
    I'm content with Defiance so far and as a long time Rift player it is obvious Trion cares and wants to make great games even if there are a few hiccups along the way. It will be interesting to see how the tv show and game work around each other, and I think my only question, that's too soon to answer at this point, is whether this game will hold peoples long term interest. The PC releaseI'm content with Defiance so far and as a long time Rift player it is obvious Trion cares and wants to make great games even if there are a few hiccups along the way. It will be interesting to see how the tv show and game work around each other, and I think my only question, that's too soon to answer at this point, is whether this game will hold peoples long term interest. The PC release has been pretty smooth overall and I have not run into any major issues so far.… Expand
  62. NachtkindFX
    Apr 4, 2013
    8
    Defiance is fast and fun. But it is not like a Borderlands MMO, Guild Wars 2 styled, it's something in between. This game is average... not meat not fish, but fun. It needs more deeps Items and details (world).
  63. cyrigal
    Apr 4, 2013
    8
    Defiance is an MMO that is based on the t.v show also named Defiance. In the game, you play as an ark hunter who's role is to salvage arkteck from arkfalls. Arkfalls are random events that happen across the map, very similar to the rifts in the game rift. Defiance also features a campaign with voice acting (hit and miss) and cut scenes.

    Graphics- Compared to other mmos defiance isn't    Defiance is an MMO that is based on the t.v show also named Defiance. In the game, you play as an ark hunter who's role is to salvage arkteck from arkfalls. Arkfalls are random events that happen across the map, very similar to the rifts in the game rift. Defiance also features a campaign with voice acting (hit and miss) and cut scenes.

    Graphics- Compared to other mmos defiance isn't making any leaps in graphical fidelity. However, it runs well maxed out a radeon hd 6770 1gb. from my 15+ hours of game play I noticed very very few graphical errors. Overall, I think they could have pushed the details of the pc version a little further, but its not a big concern.

    Sound- Some gun sounds sound a little pop gun-ish. Also there have been a couple sound errors where it would keep playing the fight music long after Ive finished fighting.

    Bugs- So far in my 15 hours of playing the only bug Ive encountered was getting stuck twice. There is no unstuck command but logout/login fixes it. Other than that Ive only noticed a few animation hitches.

    Support- Don't worry that because its multiplatform it'll only get 3 patches a year. So far, there have been 3 patches since Tuesday to fix up a few bugs.

    Microtransactions- Yep, the normal deal, lockboxes(which are really easy to get with in-game currency), xp-boosts, cosmetics, vehicles, inventory slots.

    Subscription- nope, 1 time purchase. Buy and play like guild wars.

    interface and controls- Well, this game has an great map features including waypoints that highlight the shortest route. the rest of the interface is very easy to get a grasp on. Another thing to comment on is the native controller support, Its a big deal to some.

    Gunplay- Defiance does not share the same combat mechanics of a traditional mmo( tab to lock on, press 2,3,5, and 2 again, enemy dead yay) instead, Defiance shares many similarities to third person shooters. you shoot people or mutants in the head for criticals, and hellbugs have a variety of weakspots to exploit.

    Gun Progression-Guns in defiance are very cool, and there are 1000's. The more you use a type of weapon (ie shotgun or pistol) the better your character is with that weapon type. ranking up a weapon type gives you flat bonuses to crit damage, recoil reduction, etc. Also, there is a synergy bar for each individual gun that gives you additional bonuses to that weapon. Another feature in defiance is the ability to mod your gun with attachments. the different attachments are stock, magazine, barrel, and scope. Keep in mind some weapons can only have the stock and barrel modded, while some might only let the magazine get modded.

    Character progression. Your EGO or Environmental guardian online alters your DNA to make you fight better. Basically you kill things=xp, missions =xp and so on. you get ego points from xp and this are used to either enhance your active ability (overcharge, blur, cloak, or decoy) or to invest some points in a heaping load of passive sub skills. you can only have a certain amount of passive skills equipped at a time, kind of like the secret world but not really.

    Arkfall events, Holy cow- Random events happen in defiance called arkfalls. this is when ark teck falls from the sky from all the space debris in orbit or something. Anyway its not instanced and anyone can jump in and help at any time. which is insane. its not uncommon to see 60-70 people at one arkfall boss.

    Shadow war- Epic scale (64v64) pvp. only tried it once and it seemed to be a 20 v 20 unbalanced capture the point mode. it was alright.

    Missions- sadly, This is where Defiance is lacking. the missions even though voiced can feel repetitive, especially the side missions.

    Im running out of space so I have to skip a bunch.

    All in all, I would recommend this game to loot junkies, mmo players, and team players. If you're looking for a great single player experience go play the witcher series (If you haven't you should be beaten)

    8/10 for bringing a straight up shooter to the mmo genre. It has potential.    … Expand
  64. Synol
    Apr 14, 2013
    1
    I gave this game a 1 out of 10. Only because I managed to make it all the way through the buggy main storyline (10 hours worth of gameplay at a stretch).
    Side quests are also bugged.
    Progress for the daily and weekly quests keeps resetting so unless you do an entire weekly quest in 1 sitting its impossible to finish. Combat is the same all through the game. Equipment is the same at    I gave this game a 1 out of 10. Only because I managed to make it all the way through the buggy main storyline (10 hours worth of gameplay at a stretch).
    Side quests are also bugged.
    Progress for the daily and weekly quests keeps resetting so unless you do an entire weekly quest in 1 sitting its impossible to finish.
    Combat is the same all through the game.
    Equipment is the same at level 1 and level 4000.
    Everyone gets every skill regardless of which Race and Class you choose at the start of the game.

    The main draw of the game is the link to the show but the Episode quests (only 4 of them) took about 10 minutes to complete. All round this is a completely terrible game, if you are thinking about buying it just wait 3 months and it will be free to play. Free is exactly the right price for this garbage game.    … Expand
  65. Hadrijan
    Apr 6, 2013
    5
    Overall the game is mediocre at best, not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but not very good either.
    The thing that probably bothers me the most as a PC player is the absolutely terrible user interface.
  66. boydimages
    Apr 12, 2013
    4
    I was impressed with the tie in with the series, and I had fun playing, for about an hour or two. My girlfriend played as well. First off, this game is in no way worth 60 bucks, whatsoever! I played on a console, and considered getting it for my PC. With so many superior F2P games out there, my current favorite is Planetside2. There are no EPIC battles, and no real sense of scale. ItI was impressed with the tie in with the series, and I had fun playing, for about an hour or two. My girlfriend played as well. First off, this game is in no way worth 60 bucks, whatsoever! I played on a console, and considered getting it for my PC. With so many superior F2P games out there, my current favorite is Planetside2. There are no EPIC battles, and no real sense of scale. It absolutely doesn't have that "WOW" factor.… Expand
  67. Shadex
    Apr 6, 2013
    5
    Pro's: Attractive world design, interesting story, good voice work, television show link
    Con's: Minimal repetitive content, badly designed social/chat system, heavily tilted toward very expensive cash shop purchases especially for a PvP game.
    A very rocky start marred by a stealth launch and a seemingly endless stream of issues, even for an MMO. Very expensive initial out of pocket as    Pro's: Attractive world design, interesting story, good voice work, television show link
    Con's: Minimal repetitive content, badly designed social/chat system, heavily tilted toward very expensive cash shop purchases especially for a PvP game.

    A very rocky start marred by a stealth launch and a seemingly endless stream of issues, even for an MMO. Very expensive initial out of pocket as well for a title that will be routinely charging for episodic material. Suggest monitoring for a while to see if title stabilizes and if either it or the TV series survives.    … Expand
  68. Zezzix
    Apr 4, 2013
    8
    Defiance is for the shooter/adventure crowd, and its just so happens its a MMO as well. If this game was without the depth of an MMO it would be a 5/10. No crafting system but that's cool, since all I want to do is kill mobs and get loot. The atmosphere reminds me of Age of Conan not as good but close, the game play is very close to Gears of War but watered down to give you a more MMODefiance is for the shooter/adventure crowd, and its just so happens its a MMO as well. If this game was without the depth of an MMO it would be a 5/10. No crafting system but that's cool, since all I want to do is kill mobs and get loot. The atmosphere reminds me of Age of Conan not as good but close, the game play is very close to Gears of War but watered down to give you a more MMO experience but very addictive. The story is of a RPG caliber, engrossing and fresh.

    The character customization leaves much to be desired. Voice acting needs work, graphics and sound needs polish, with all its cons Defiance will be sorted with nurture patches and I am glad I've bought and now playing this marvel of a game.

    I became so tired of the standard MMORPGs currently available, Defiance is a most welcome change, now just to try and have my friends join in on the action.

    Most importantly its fun and addictive.    … Expand
  69. Wilcar
    Apr 6, 2013
    5
    I have been playing for a couple of days now and i have seemed to have finished the main story (which was fun i rate that a 8/10) BUT all that is left is repeatable quests and shadow wars (team pvp) to level to 5000 ego?! the game starts out pretty fun but QUICKLY becomes boring you basically do the same type of quests over and over and over.. hostage rescue..clear out enemies.. collectI have been playing for a couple of days now and i have seemed to have finished the main story (which was fun i rate that a 8/10) BUT all that is left is repeatable quests and shadow wars (team pvp) to level to 5000 ego?! the game starts out pretty fun but QUICKLY becomes boring you basically do the same type of quests over and over and over.. hostage rescue..clear out enemies.. collect pieces of stuff etc etc.. and the icing on the cake is enemy A.I is really bad.. i feel really let down because it looked so good in previews that i even pre-ordered it… Expand
  70. Syn_again
    Apr 9, 2013
    4
    Defiance feels rushed in a sense that the content is just not there yet. The Game design is shallow with a very weak story. For these kinds of games you need a compelling story to carry you through the adventure and keep you invested. The world of Defiance is barely explained or interesting to the player. Maybe the show will help with this but based on episode 1 it does not seem to be tooDefiance feels rushed in a sense that the content is just not there yet. The Game design is shallow with a very weak story. For these kinds of games you need a compelling story to carry you through the adventure and keep you invested. The world of Defiance is barely explained or interesting to the player. Maybe the show will help with this but based on episode 1 it does not seem to be too likely. the game and show are going to run separate courses with minimal tie in. That does not sound good for an MMO already weak in a background.

    The world is big. Lots of room to roam and play. There are event areas for Arkfalls (alien invasions) or simple shoot and defend side missions. It is a bit funny to see 25 enemies come out of one small truck but oh well. There is little the actual terrain offers you other than providing the opportunity to just run around.

    Vehicles are nice and fun. Having Guild races and running enemies over was fun and funny.

    The game mechanics are good. As a shooter the game is fun and there is a wide range of weapons to have fun with. Unfortunately the enemy (and ally) AI is horrible. They only do just a couple of things and then become predictable throughout the game. Mutants, Aliens, Humans all do the same thing (with different attack variations). This becomes quite boring after awhile. Some of the missions help try to hide these flaws but your attention can get inadvertently pulled back to them when you listen to the voice acting or force yourself to try and get back into the theme of the story.

    Technically the game is sound. A good engine running on a solid network that provides the same structure for RIFT. There are no problems with account management or logging in etc.

    It was clearly hard for Trion to understand what to give players for an non-Fantasy MMO. This game is really just a standard mediocre FPS game that you can opt to play with others. The MMO component to this is just not there. If/when Trion gets around to adding the functionality to make the game and game world better, this might be worth revisiting in the future but not for $60.

    There is going to have to be a hefty bit of rework for this game to stay around and the show will not carry it since it will have its own problems. The bigger issue here is Trion is limited on what they can do because this game stretches to consoles. Having what is needed on PC to make a strong game will not work for console so it may all depend on how many units will be sold for each to see how Trion will try and save this product.    … Expand
  71. ColdKill3r
    Apr 2, 2013
    6
    The game is not the best game out there. But you can have lots of fun with it. I really like how you can play with many other people at once, but I haven't yet found anyone with some spare time to talk. I do hope we can create parties, which I am not sure whether we can or cannot.
    The game menu isn't very good, though. The information we need aren't there. The voice acting is quite bad,    The game is not the best game out there. But you can have lots of fun with it. I really like how you can play with many other people at once, but I haven't yet found anyone with some spare time to talk. I do hope we can create parties, which I am not sure whether we can or cannot.
    The game menu isn't very good, though. The information we need aren't there. The voice acting is quite bad, specially because the characters mouth barely moves while they are talking.    … Expand
  72. NastyN8
    Apr 5, 2013
    9
    For a newly released MMO, Defiance feels pretty good.

    Visuals are above average for an MMO. The landscape is beautiful in some areas and quite dull in others unfortunately. Some areas of the game just seem to be endless rolling hills. Story missions are well thought out and often very fun and interesting with cut scenes to put things in context. However, the side missions are quite    For a newly released MMO, Defiance feels pretty good.

    Visuals are above average for an MMO. The landscape is beautiful in some areas and quite dull in others unfortunately. Some areas of the game just seem to be endless rolling hills.

    Story missions are well thought out and often very fun and interesting with cut scenes to put things in context. However, the side missions are quite the opposite. Side missions mostly consist of "go here and click on this" and seem to exist for the sole purpose of putting you into a firefight.

    The combat is WAY more involved than most MMOs and actually requires some skill with aiming and good decision making. I was pleasantly surprised with how different encounters can feel from one to the next, even though you may be fighting the same type of enemy. The Co-op mission, I find, are the funnest type of combat.

    Progression seems slower than most MMOS but this is because defiance does not have a traditional leveling system. You can add perks to your character through the EGO system, but most of the meaningful upgrades you will find are new weapons and some of them (such as BMGs, detonators, and injectors) are quite interesting.

    There are a few bugs and some polishing that needs to be done. Although in many ways Defiance does feel like a completed game, I still think it was rushed out a bit to release before the TV show did. I feel confident that future patches will resolve some of the minor bugs soon because Trion has always been a very hard working developer.    … Expand
  73. evilthief
    Apr 4, 2013
    9
    Great game, can't wait for the show. Launch has been solid thus far, have had no issues with connecting. Looks nice, feels nice, and can only get better with time. I hope Trion really holds on to this one and stays with it, it's not perfect.... but it still has so much potential. I knew my life wouldn't be complete unless I bought this.
  74. st_sgibbs
    Apr 4, 2013
    9
    This game is fun! I can't wait to see how it unfolds as the show starts and how it's claimed to be a transmedia experience. It's worth the money, I'm addicted to it and no way is it feeling like you are reaching a cap fast. I can understand the concern of repetitive side missions even using same dialog, but its just like ME3 and fun to break away from episode or main missions. TheThis game is fun! I can't wait to see how it unfolds as the show starts and how it's claimed to be a transmedia experience. It's worth the money, I'm addicted to it and no way is it feeling like you are reaching a cap fast. I can understand the concern of repetitive side missions even using same dialog, but its just like ME3 and fun to break away from episode or main missions. The graphics is great though character models are a little rough in the face. I have complete faith the developer will continue to enhance it. they have shown a lot of care with continuous patches and upgrades already. It has the content, it just depends on if you choose to seek it out.… Expand
  75. RecoveryRx
    Apr 11, 2013
    3
    The game is fairly fun in gameplay, but it sure lacks in content. The world map is small, the weapon upgrades feel pointless as all weapons have basically the same stats minus maybe a few miniscule bonuses here and there, and you'll be fighting the same boring monsters over and over. Arkfalls are more boring versions of rifts and there is very little variety of these. UI is god awfulThe game is fairly fun in gameplay, but it sure lacks in content. The world map is small, the weapon upgrades feel pointless as all weapons have basically the same stats minus maybe a few miniscule bonuses here and there, and you'll be fighting the same boring monsters over and over. Arkfalls are more boring versions of rifts and there is very little variety of these. UI is god awful as is chat it feels like a single player game. Overall it's a pretty big disappointment for me, but taken at small doses it can be fun. Plus it's a one time purchase so that's good.… Expand
  76. Gannon
    Apr 4, 2013
    6
    I'm not going to waste a lot of my time explaining how mediocre this game is but the user score needed to drop drastically. I don't know what game these other folks are playing but the defiance i am playing is currently a 7 at best. It has A lot of potential but everything seems so rushed. The graphics are a slight step up from ps2 quality, even turned all the way up on PC. The drawI'm not going to waste a lot of my time explaining how mediocre this game is but the user score needed to drop drastically. I don't know what game these other folks are playing but the defiance i am playing is currently a 7 at best. It has A lot of potential but everything seems so rushed. The graphics are a slight step up from ps2 quality, even turned all the way up on PC. The draw distance is so low that you will occasionally drive into random objects while in a vehicle. Character customization is lacking, and for some reason there are only two playable races, which is clearly an indication that this game was rushed to be out before the show for maximum sales, as the Castithan race, which is incredibly similar in features to Humans, albeit albino looking, are not a selectable race. Story wise that may make sense as the Castithans that are part of the Votan are only made up of their higher caste. The story seems to be written decently enough, it's just hard to be interested in it because of the shoddy graphics. So far the game is nothing like Borderlands. Sure the game has a ton of guns, a huge world to explore, but the combat still needs some fine tuning. Hit boxes are pretty solid but on occasion I've missed a shot or two that should have been guaranteed head shots from a stationary target only about 15m away, while sniping. All the guns you can get have the potential to be modded, which adds a little mor depth to the loot. Driving is fair with most vehicles except for the special dodge challenger. If you have received one of the Dodge challengers in game, just avoid using it. For some reason that car doesn't really drive; It does its own thing and glides. In-game chat is terrible at the moment but it is currently being fixed. The game is worth a try, but definitely not at full price in its current form. That may change as certain tweaks are added to the game.… Expand
  77. Justing
    Apr 4, 2013
    10
    innovative MMO in a LONG time, not just another stupid WoW clone. And the fact that it's tied in with the show and your character could end up being IN the show.....that's just neat as hell. Awesome weapons and vehicles also. Smooth gameplay and good graphics also.
  78. drwebs
    Apr 12, 2013
    0
    The game seems hurried and very repetitive. You go from fetching one item to turning on a panel, over and over and over. You hope into a mount only to drive to an area to kill one guy and fetch a thing or turn on a panel. This is about 40 hours of gameplay. The main quests are boring and I guess tie into a boring show. Overall I would wait a few years before spending 59.99 on this boring game.
  79. Kracket
    Apr 16, 2013
    9
    Interesting world, addicting combat, horrendous UI, lackluster questing. This game is Borderlands mixed with GTA mixed with Rift. Once the UI and bugs are fixed, this game will be pretty fantastic. Even with it's flat characters, console-created menus and a few unexpected problems, I am having an exciting time in the world of Defiance. I bought it for 42 bucks from greenmangaming and IInteresting world, addicting combat, horrendous UI, lackluster questing. This game is Borderlands mixed with GTA mixed with Rift. Once the UI and bugs are fixed, this game will be pretty fantastic. Even with it's flat characters, console-created menus and a few unexpected problems, I am having an exciting time in the world of Defiance. I bought it for 42 bucks from greenmangaming and I have already gotten my money's worth. Consider checking it out.… Expand
  80. ShadowDDD
    Apr 11, 2013
    4
    I bought three copies of this game for my friend, brother, and I and we were disappointed.

    First problem is getting this game to install on your pc. It will start downloading then it will stop with several "error" message causing you to re-download it over and over. Once you have final download it then the patch wouldn't start up. Second, this game has a lot of bugs. You'll lost weapons    I bought three copies of this game for my friend, brother, and I and we were disappointed.

    First problem is getting this game to install on your pc. It will start downloading then it will stop with several "error" message causing you to re-download it over and over. Once you have final download it then the patch wouldn't start up. Second, this game has a lot of bugs. You'll lost weapons when you are trying to modding it, you might get the items you have buy with your game currency, some mission wouldn't start up causing you start and abort it to get it to work, and sometime I have to redo a mission because it didn't record my completion Third, it hard to chat with other players in this game. The chat window is on another window. If you open up your chat screen it will block your screen. Fourth, there several missions that you have play it solo. Fifth, every time you start a mission or travel away from your group members you will have to change "phase", which cause other group member to change phase as well. Six, the enemies AI is joke. You can simply walk behind them and shot them. Seventh, the missions are boring. Protect this area, kill this guy, run to point B... same old thing. Lastly, there's the lack of personalization. Everyone look the same. Same outfits and weapons.

    Do I think this game is bad? No, I think this game just need a lot of work. The story is OK for a typical sci-fi game. Hope the TV show is more enjoyable than this game.    … Expand
  81. Xerrospk
    Apr 12, 2013
    4
    Its a fun game but filled with weird bugs and a terrible launcher that just spoils the atmosphere of this game It has an engaging storyline but the launcher is just a mess downloading to at least 90% at some points before a dreaded ''X'' appears and it says launcher error .This has been occurring to all my friends too .Angry Joe ,the famous kickass reviewer has the same problem as IIts a fun game but filled with weird bugs and a terrible launcher that just spoils the atmosphere of this game It has an engaging storyline but the launcher is just a mess downloading to at least 90% at some points before a dreaded ''X'' appears and it says launcher error .This has been occurring to all my friends too .Angry Joe ,the famous kickass reviewer has the same problem as I do Please fix the launcher… Expand
  82. Kinyajuu
    Apr 11, 2013
    9
    Engaging story, if you don't skip through it all like I know some do. Quests are go here, defend this, grab this, etc. typical MMO style missions. Still very very fun. If you like third person shooters this is certainly worth a try. Very fun, blew by 8 hours without even noticing. Some of the action kills you find yourself doing gives you a feeling of being very badass. All in all, TrionEngaging story, if you don't skip through it all like I know some do. Quests are go here, defend this, grab this, etc. typical MMO style missions. Still very very fun. If you like third person shooters this is certainly worth a try. Very fun, blew by 8 hours without even noticing. Some of the action kills you find yourself doing gives you a feeling of being very badass. All in all, Trion does a great job of balancing shooter with MMO.… Expand
  83. Cik
    Apr 20, 2013
    1
    My thoughts follow this pre-review and then review:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-iKMWrwl74&list=UUsgv2QHkT2ljEixyulzOnUQ&index=4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZz_KKGpgfk&list=UUsgv2QHkT2ljEixyulzOnUQ&index=3
  84. karmasleeper
    Apr 14, 2013
    7
    First the good. Shooting is fun, controls are responsive, I have not encountered any lag spikes that make the game unplayable or unresponsive both during solo and group PvE and during massive co-op events with hundreds of people on screen. Quest variety is standard MMO fare but this is really to be expected. Tons of weapons variety which is great, but the weapons are not veryFirst the good. Shooting is fun, controls are responsive, I have not encountered any lag spikes that make the game unplayable or unresponsive both during solo and group PvE and during massive co-op events with hundreds of people on screen. Quest variety is standard MMO fare but this is really to be expected. Tons of weapons variety which is great, but the weapons are not very customizable. Weapons have upgrade slots and things like stocks and barrels improve certain qualities of your gun. The problem is, unless you have a super rare weapon mod, the improvement is inconsequential and has no tangible effect. If you encounter players doing the same quest as you, they won't interfere with your progress. Instead, you can enter the quest midstream so to speak and help other players finish, or other players can stumble along and lend you a hand if they choose. This makes grouping seamless and a lot of fun. Random events are dotted all over the landscape and those are often fun to complete. Fun arcade like or time attack challenges with leaderboards are also a nice diversion. Co-op missions are few but well constructed and fun to play. Now for the bad. The arkfall events, where hundreds of players, in the open game world a la Rift, work together to complete big challenges or bring down tons of enemies, are fun and yield good experience and loot, EXCEPT the mechanics behind completing them really suck. The more people there are, and yes, there will be tons of people heading toward these events, the harder the enemies are to kill. So your dude with his +5 shotgun of kickass that normally takes a couple blasts to down guys will now take dozens if not hundreds of rounds to down that same low level enemy. Instead of scaling the number of enemies for large scale encounters, the game simply rockets the HP of enemies to absurd heights. PvP is also a mixed bag. On paper, it sounds nice TDM and Battlefield style domination game modes, but it's super unbalanced because everyone is entering combat with their +3 assault rifle and spray n' pray. There are only 4 active skills, one of which you choose at the start of the game. This becomes your bread and butter similar to how each character in Borderlands had one active skill. You have a lot of freedom in how to craft your character, but characters fail to feel distinct as many of the passive bonuses you invest in are either useless or too context sensitive to be useful. Sometimes, the passive bonuses simply clash with the best, least frustrating ways to play, encouraging play styles that seem counter productive. Truthfully, I'm a bit disappointed having purchased this at launch for full price. Wait for a drop and or more content.… Expand
  85. Mavor
    Apr 12, 2013
    9
    Post apocalypse. Aliens. Modern day weaponry to super high tech alien weaponry. Weapon modification (statwise and visually). Awesome 'Mad Max' style chunky vehicles. Large selection of cosmetic outfits to earn. Fun storyline. Excellent atmosphere. Sandboxy world. Super hella fun gunfights! So much room to grow!

    Horizontal character progression ie: no grinding out levels to use that new    Post apocalypse. Aliens. Modern day weaponry to super high tech alien weaponry. Weapon modification (statwise and visually). Awesome 'Mad Max' style chunky vehicles. Large selection of cosmetic outfits to earn. Fun storyline. Excellent atmosphere. Sandboxy world. Super hella fun gunfights! So much room to grow!

    Horizontal character progression ie: no grinding out levels to use that new awesome weapon you found, its already your level when you find it. Loot in the game is similiar to games like the Stalker series where a given weapon type doesnt do more damage as you level up instead it gets better as you mod it and earn character perks to further increase your combat efficiency not by doing more base damage, but by getting more rounds on target and into those critical hit spots! Finding the same named rifle at high level that you did at low level will not increase its base stats instead it has a higher chance to come with more or all mod slots unlocked already and is more likely to come with multiple built in bonuses and Synergies.

    Defiance takes some skill to play its not a 'select target, begin hotkey rotation' game. Its a reflex based thrid person shooter that is just plain old fun to play and the fact that you can play it with the rest of the world just makes it even cooler.

    Like just about any MMO game these days its got its share of bugs. Many are avoidable others can hit you without warning. Trion has a massive patch coming first of the week that addresses nearly all of these and more.

    My main character is nearly 1500 EGO level and I must say I cannot wait to see whats in store for this game down the road. I know some have found issue with the game from what I see its mainly that the game isnt what those folks expected it to be, which is disappointing Im sure, but it happens. Some folks say theres not enough content right now at release the thing is, this game is a sandbox theres no direction you have to go in if you dont want to. I can spend hours roaming around the world just doing whatever and its just plain FUN!

    If an energetic third person shooter with a post apocaplyptic landscape crawling with alien weirdness and memorable characters sounds good to you dont wait, pick up a copy!    … Expand
  86. Archeus9
    May 5, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I won't lie. The show is fantastic. The game however suffers a great deal. Here are my points:

    1: Trion tried way too hard to copy their "rifts" from their other title for the "arkfalls" in this game. To the point that arkfalls in the game don't even follow the arkfalls of the show. (asteroids that you shoot at instead of falling ship parts). That's the first thing that set me off... not even following its own lore.

    2. the amount of bugs (as of now three weeks in) this game has. There are many "quests" (pursuits) that cant be finished in the game due to being taken out to be fixed. There are some weapons which cause your weapon damage at the end of an arkfalls scoreboard to be 0.

    3. The what i like to call "slot machine" loot system. You basically get keys (either by rewards from arkfalls or converting a metric ton of salvage) that allow you to unlock chests which give you a chance to get better gear. After reading a post one night i decided to spend all my stockpiled salvage (since the beginning of the game) on keys to see if i even got a legendary. I got only one.. and it wasn't even a weapon i liked to use. 333 major arkfalls worth of salvage.. (yes i did the math).

    4. The outfits. Again with the lore.. most of the suits either sold on their shop or given to you as a reward didnt even look like stuff you would see on the show... power suits? really?! Last time i checked they were survivors wearing what they could. I wont even get into the rehashing of the same skins with a different coat of paint.

    5. Them being more worried to advertise for dodge by letting you race one of its cars. So you can get a new coat of paint for your dodge car. Never mind the fact that that coat of paint can actually be found if you get lucky at a vendor randomly... so it really isnt rare at all.

    6. The non existent co-op. Really.. there wasn't even a reason to team up with people other than having them able to rez you. In fact it just makes it harder on you to have more people around because it just makes the mobs bullet spunges.

    7. Probably the biggest one for me was the lack of a "tie in" or impact on the show. Yes thats right... for all intents and purposes.. there is nothing in the game that impacts the show or vice versa (as of now). Word has it they are even finished filming season 1. Which begs the question.. how are we supposed to impact the show again?

    I could go on but ill stop there. The only good thing i saw in this game was that it was a shooter/mmo. And as much as i could say that was cool. In all reality they could have done much better.    … Expand
  87. Fros7bite
    Apr 13, 2013
    10
    If you like Guild wars 2's pay model, Plantside 2's giant map, Borderlands gun play style, then you will love this game to no end. There is plenty of progression with fixes and updates everyday. With the addition of the show and a major content patch in the first week of release, I can only see a bright future.
  88. toaddy07
    Jul 15, 2013
    10
    best game i ever played a open world borderland expirenc with over 100 players if you ahve played border alnds you must play defianc if youre a fan of the TV series this is a most get
  89. Voxvalve
    Aug 20, 2013
    5
    So far for me it's a great game. the story and gameplay has certainly captured me and i love the way you automatically help each other on missions if you are in the mission area together.
    no more waiting for your turn to complete a mission.
    And the idea that the games story and environment will change according to what happens in the tv-series is an innovative twist that only helps to    So far for me it's a great game. the story and gameplay has certainly captured me and i love the way you automatically help each other on missions if you are in the mission area together.
    no more waiting for your turn to complete a mission.
    And the idea that the games story and environment will change according to what happens in the tv-series is an innovative twist that only helps to make the game that much more exciting.    … Expand
  90. mehhem
    Apr 22, 2013
    6
    I like Defiance. It's fun. You find lots of guns. A lot of them look the same, and seem the same, but rarity differs. The AI is easy, but some bosses with more health and harder hitting weapons are difficulty. Their AI is the exact same as the easier mobs. The driving is cool. Is it worth $60? I bought it, and I would again. The game needs some work like every other game. TheI like Defiance. It's fun. You find lots of guns. A lot of them look the same, and seem the same, but rarity differs. The AI is easy, but some bosses with more health and harder hitting weapons are difficulty. Their AI is the exact same as the easier mobs. The driving is cool. Is it worth $60? I bought it, and I would again. The game needs some work like every other game. The quests are boring. Go here, tag that, revive this guy, (all with the "E" button). I think if it had a subscription cost most people wouldn't stick around, but since it's buy once and play I think people will stick with it for longer than the initial month.… Expand
  91. Ansatsu83
    Sep 7, 2013
    4
    This game, is a sub par, third person shooter, tv spinoff. This having been said let me go into detail about why it is sub par. First of all, let me start with pve. The storyline failed to grasp me. The combat is facing multiple of the same enemies, you have the normal variant and the elite variant. Running around, mowing down, hundreds of enemies in a row is satisfying, at first, then itThis game, is a sub par, third person shooter, tv spinoff. This having been said let me go into detail about why it is sub par. First of all, let me start with pve. The storyline failed to grasp me. The combat is facing multiple of the same enemies, you have the normal variant and the elite variant. Running around, mowing down, hundreds of enemies in a row is satisfying, at first, then it loses its appeal. It took me around 4 hours to get bored of pve and try pvp... It was a mistake to try pvp, let me tell you right now, ill give an explanation in a moment. The pve is similar to hellgate london with slightly better game mechanics and a larger world not separated into separate instances. This is the best way to describe the game. it has features hellgate london could have used... It falls short on everything else...

    pvp, the combat mechanics have zero stamina for sprinting/rolling/etc. No cooldown on vehicles, no bunny hop prevention. The pvp in the game, is a complete mess. It is beyond broken, everyone uses stealth to sneak up on someone, its all about who uses stealth first, who can jump around and hit other bunny hoppers faster. Usually weapons with elemental effects are used. There is zero fairness in pvp and the mechanics are just broken for it.

    I think I would rather play hellgate london. Buy this game, only if you are curious or absolutely adore the tv series.

    Graphics 8, sound 5, music 6, controls 5... Controls gets rated down due to the lack of pvp balance and prevention of bunny hopping, rolling 800 times in a row to avoid fire, etc. There should have been stamina...

    I am going to go play hellgate london as this game makes hellgate london look absolutely brilliant. On a side note, Trion Worlds has made very sub par games for their entire existence, great concepts but the execution is just god awful. They are almost on par with the developing skills of timegate studios... in other words, they are terrible developers...    … Expand
  92. mindw0rk
    Feb 6, 2015
    9
    Fun game. It doesnt have alot of depth, gameplay is mostly focused on shooting aliens and doing simple missions. But mechanically it is well done. I like the feel of shooting, that there are tons of varied weapons. Storyline tied to TV show is also interesting feature.
    If you seeking for MMO that doesnt require being online alot, and want just to login casually to shoot stuff, Defiance is    Fun game. It doesnt have alot of depth, gameplay is mostly focused on shooting aliens and doing simple missions. But mechanically it is well done. I like the feel of shooting, that there are tons of varied weapons. Storyline tied to TV show is also interesting feature.
    If you seeking for MMO that doesnt require being online alot, and want just to login casually to shoot stuff, Defiance is great game for this.    … Expand
  93. keefbaker
    Oct 31, 2013
    7
    The experiment of game and tv show kind of works.. initially is really gripped me but through time interest has waned. However I got a large number of hours in before I got bored. Lack of a cover system given the type of game it is is a shame but Arkfalls are fantastic fun.
  94. Allions
    Aug 31, 2013
    8
    Ok let's start this review with a central statement: Defiance is not a classic MMO.
    It's more accurate to define it as an Online Action TPS. The MMO component is present but you should not buy it thinking it as a classic MMO. There are no classes, gear is limited to weapons, shield, grandes, outfits and headgear is only for costumizing the character. The game is quite fun in solo, and    Ok let's start this review with a central statement: Defiance is not a classic MMO.
    It's more accurate to define it as an Online Action TPS. The MMO component is present but you should not buy it thinking it as a classic MMO. There are no classes, gear is limited to weapons, shield, grandes, outfits and headgear is only for costumizing the character. The game is quite fun in solo, and very funny with friends. There are big boss battles with many other players (hundreds), there are vehicles and a lot to explore. the story is OK, not great and a bit repetitive, but it's ok. I always wanted a game like this after Tabula Rasa closed, and this is quite a lot better of TR.
    I payed the game 10 euros, and it's well worth them. I reccomend to buy it at this price is and absolutley great game.    … Expand
  95. Spacecraft
    Apr 12, 2013
    9
    The story line is engaging, the gameplay is fun, and the locations look nice. People keep in mind that the show hasn't started yet and that is the main source of our story content in-game. If you've finished the content available right now, you'll have more every single week. What Trion NEEDS to fix is the UI, chat system, and clan system. They must add more clan focused content, like realThe story line is engaging, the gameplay is fun, and the locations look nice. People keep in mind that the show hasn't started yet and that is the main source of our story content in-game. If you've finished the content available right now, you'll have more every single week. What Trion NEEDS to fix is the UI, chat system, and clan system. They must add more clan focused content, like real PVE progression and clan battles. They have said they'll add these things, but we don't know when. Give this game a chance, because it's good now and it will only get better from here on.… Expand
  96. TomWolf
    Apr 1, 2015
    6
    "I am giving Defiance a 10 only to counteract the negative reviews that have been posted here, it should be about an 8."

    Well, I'm giving Defiance a 6 to counter your vote down to the 8 you are supposed to give it! You are not supposed to counter other peoples votes, you are supposed to give your own opinion and let that work together with every one elses.
  97. Kaylee
    Jul 14, 2013
    7
    I am a huge fan of Firefly from way back, and so am excited about the Defiance TV program. I was also very excited to learn about the Defiance MMO game. While I am not a regular player of MMOs, I have had a long presence as an educator (I teach Chinese language and culture at a major Australian university) and social user in Second Life (I accept any flaming that occurs at this point asI am a huge fan of Firefly from way back, and so am excited about the Defiance TV program. I was also very excited to learn about the Defiance MMO game. While I am not a regular player of MMOs, I have had a long presence as an educator (I teach Chinese language and culture at a major Australian university) and social user in Second Life (I accept any flaming that occurs at this point as inevitable). I have also created a Chinese language task-based learning environment in SL complete with NPCs that can interact in Chinese character text chat, so while I can't make much expert comment on Defiance as an MMO user, I thought I could contribute a couple of initial observations of the virtual world as I have experienced it so far.

    The environment world (landscape) from my perspective is very realistic and fantastically detailed. I love that aspect. It is also big and open, and apart from very steep inclines that the physics won't let you go up, you can go just about anywhere. This is a big plus for me as I hate being constrained by game-pathways which prevent you from exploring the environment. The the player avatars and the various different kinds of NPCs are also very high fidelity and movements, albeit it rather limited, are very fluid and realistic. Having a degree of customizability is also a plus, and for me increased customizability would be a huge bonus in the future if it happens. I have only driven one vehicle (the basic quad bike) but it is fun and for a novice like me quite easy to control. Having first person view while on/in a vehicle would be great and make driving feel even more realistic (maybe I have missed this option?).

    I initially enjoyed some of the quests challenges, and while I am normally not into shooter type games, I did enjoy picking off the bad guys from a distance and mixing it with the hell bugs close range (not the really big ones though not skillful enough to defeat one on my own). I can see huge potential in this virtual world MMO, but some things are still missing for me. I mostly felt very alone in this post-apocalyptic world. Sometimes it frightened me (especially with the infected zombie crowd) and I wished I had someone covering my back. I really felt/feel the lack of social interaction in the environment. I did try a couple of times to talk to some other players but never got a response. Maybe this is the nature of these kinds of MMOs, which I am not knocking. Its just that coming from SL where activities can be very social it felt extra isolating for me in Defiance. When I first went into SL the thing that struck me was the number of people ready to mentor me on anything I didn't understand. I know I can read the forums on Defiance (I do for extra hints), but I miss that human to human (or Irathient to Irathient) interaction. For me this is the big attraction of the TV program the interaction between the characters in Defiance, and as such was a big disappointment. As a language educator I naively thought I might even be able to learn practice a little of the Irathient language while in the virtual world environment, which I know is not everyone's cup of tea, but for me it would have been fun and much more immersive.

    I also miss having a safe location (the city of Defiance for example) where I can take some time off from the constant tension of fighting out in the badlands and simply wander around shops and buy trinkets for my character or items that would be useful for the game, or simply interact with or watch other players interacting with each other, or catch up with online friends. I would also like to be able to interact with artefacts in the environment even more, even something simple like being able to put my gun down and sit on a chair in a bar or on a porch would be fantastic. I guess my view of things is too coloured by my time in SL, although I have heard other MMOs/virtual worlds (like WoW) do have this element.

    I guess also as a non-regular MMO player I am expecting too much or expecting things that are different from what other MMO players want. However, I think the combination of great battles combat quests challenges with free-style non-combat exploration and social interaction in safe zones where maybe there is a bit of an economy would be real winner in some circles. A player sandbox for creating things (whether it be weapons or clothing or other items) would also be fantastic, would help support an economy and would take some of the burden off the creators of Defiance in terms of creating new content.

    Linden Labs have had a fairly rock road developing SL over the years, but they have stuck to their guns and it is getting better over time (for those of us that enjoy using it). Hopefully Trion will stick with the development of Defiance and we can look forward to even bigger and better things in the future.    … Expand
  98. Whitehorsetm
    Oct 19, 2014
    0
    This game sucks the big one, can't get anywhere by using the keyboard. Need to make it so you can use a game pad. Would be a great game for PC if you made it less frustrating to play or you trying to get people to buy the CD?
  99. Dejan
    Dec 2, 2014
    0
    I strongly recommend staying away from this piece of crap, bugged content everywhere. Spent almost 2 hours trying to complete one mission until i got fed up and removed the game.
  100. Nezek
    Apr 3, 2013
    9
    A pretty fun Third-person shooter with fun element, the ark fall event in the game break the standard questing. Graphics could have been better but when an ark fall happen with 100 players at the same time it pretty clear that the reason why the graphic are not top notch is because most computer would not handle it. The gun customization is fun and the game doesn't seems like a rush to maxA pretty fun Third-person shooter with fun element, the ark fall event in the game break the standard questing. Graphics could have been better but when an ark fall happen with 100 players at the same time it pretty clear that the reason why the graphic are not top notch is because most computer would not handle it. The gun customization is fun and the game doesn't seems like a rush to max lvl like most online.

    The racing event with vehicle are pretty fun and break the shooting with a different gameplay the challenge with a specific gun with ammo are fun.

    I can't wait to see what will happen every week with the show.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
91
#91 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 40
  3. Negative: 2 out of 40
  1. Level7.nu
    Sep 10, 2013
    50
    Defiance may be an ambitious project. Linking an online action game with a TV-series is a smart idea but one that here mostly comes of as a mere gimmick. The story is unengaging and the action mediocre and monotonous. Not to say anything about the myriad of bugs that utterly destroys the experience.
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  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    89
    It’s an addictive game that seems to become even better as you play. If it keeps getting the right support and if the tie-in with the TV series proves successful, we might have a game that will keep us occupied for a lengthy amount of time. [May 2013]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 4, 2013
    60
    If Trion can introduce better quest design, this will be a winner. [June 2013, p.88]
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