Defiance (April 2, 2013 – April 29, 2021)
Genre: MMO-Shooter | Developer: Trion Worlds | Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game was it? Defiance was a buy-to-play MMO shooter that was released in 2013 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 and launched alongside a TV series.
The game emphasized role-playing and exploring an open world, which was unusual for shooters at the time.
There were countless quests, dynamic events, instanced missions, and PvP matches, as one would typically expect from MMORPGs. Defiance did not utilize classes but allowed gameplay to be determined by weapons and selected skills.
What led to its failure? Despite having done many things right, Defiance couldn’t compete with the competition from Destiny. Defiance had too many technical issues, cumbersome menus, and often very boring AI.
Additionally, the shooter completely missed the new console generation. It wasn’t until July 2018 that Defiance 2050 was released for PS4 and Xbox One. That was well after the release of Destiny 2 and therefore far too late.
What are the best memories? Defiance is considered one of the first MMO shooters, bringing fresh wind to the entire gaming industry. Games like Destiny or The Division followed in its footsteps.
However, the rather silly AI probably remains the most memorable thing. That was one of the biggest criticisms from TotalBiscuit back in 2013. That video made me aware of Defiance.
Are there alternatives or successors? Yes, some of them, such as Destiny 2 or The Division 2, have already been presented in the article.
