If there's one thing DayZ taught us it's that just because a game is in the state of being a buggy mess during alpha, it can still be loads of fun. The problem with a lot of other bigger budget titles is that they try to use a lot of tried and tired concepts to sell a game with little to no innovation, and that's sort of how Defiance looks in the latest video.
The footage is off-screen gameplay from PAX Prime courtesy of Gametrailers. They do a fair job of asking about the game while the gameplay is on display but I couldn't help but feel less and less interested in what I was watching compared to what they were trying to sell. The idea that the TV show tie-in on Syfy influencing the game and the game influencing the show sounds rather promising, but then looking at the actual gameplay seems to tell a different story...a rather standard-fare deathmatch story. Check it out below.
It's hard for me to get excited for yet another deathmatch shooter. In an age where consequence and choice are now starting to play a role in the MMO experience, it seems like Trion would have taken cues from the recent emerging “realism/survival” factor being instilled into the design atmosphere. Otherwise it's just another MMO imitating Tribes: Ascend or Firefall.
Defiance could prove to be a good game with a stamp of innovation all its own, but right now the only thing that separates it from Planetside 2, Dust 514 and Firefall is the TV show tie-in element. I don't know if that's going to be enough to keep gamers entertained especially with other open world games on the horizon looking to really push the envelop such as the standalone release of DayZ, The War Z or Microsoft's own State of Decay.
Whatever the case, if Trion Worlds impressed you with Rift and you actually enjoy some of the programming on Syfy (ahaha, I'll need a minute to stop laughing at the thought of this) then you just might enjoy Defiance. The game also sports vehicles and an atmosphere similar to 2Dawn Games' Ravaged, so at least gameplay wise it may be all right.
You can learn more by paying a visit to the Official Defiance Website. As mentioned in the video, the game is set for release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in early April, 2013.
