Critical review

[hydraham]

You're entitled to your opinion and i completely respect it.

Personally i love the game. Can it be improved? Yes, does it have some problems in terms of gameplay and mechanics? Sure, what game doesn't? And yes i am a bit disappointed in how "dead" the world feels and how small/short the game is, i expected a bigger game but it isn't stopping me from fully enjoying it. As someone who has been on a MMO binge since i returned to PC gaming after 6 year hiatus this is the only one to hold my interest for more then a day (aside from SWTOR)

[Livewire]

THE BAD

• To exit the game go either into SETTINGS or CHARACTER menu, then bring up the radial menu by KEEPING space pressed and select exit game. That's four clicks. Almost all other PC games work like this: ESC->QUIT.
• Instant crash when trying to go into SETTINGS menu when using a 120hz monitor, even when its set to 60hz. To change my settings I have to attach ANOTHER monitor with the SAME RESOLUTION. Because otherwise I can't change the resolution back, once my gaming monitor is attached again.
• Key mapping is not being saved properly, no matter how I exit the game afterwards. Binding POWERS to Q, weapons to 1 and 2 and ROLL to thumb mouse button works, but its not being saved on exiting the game. It even uses keys for two actions (weapon 1 and POWERS on pressing 1) when I log back in. Each time you start it up, you have to rebind the keys.
• Mouse cursor slows down extremely when aiming with the right mouse button. It's really hard to hit stuff when suddenly you have to slide around like crazy on the mousepad, each time you're looking down the sights/scope. This is the ABSOLUTELY WORST issue for me.
• Several items seem to be bugged and unremovable from the inventory. They can't be salvaged, sold or simply deleted and end up clogging up the inventory, forever.
• When entering the Dodge car from the right side, it cannot be driven. You've entered the passenger seat and its impossible to slide over to the other seat. You have to exit and enter from the driver side to actually drive. Nothing indicates that it wouldn't work that way. It just doesn't start and seems broken.
• Some quests seem to be randomly bugged and don't progress; ie. unable to talk to an NPC/use a computer. They have to be abandoned and restarted, hoping it works this time (so far it did the second time). Other quests like Reservoir Chickens, give you the weapons back after you've used up the bullets of the given weapon (and achieved silver) and then prompt a FAILED message when you leave the mission area: they don't end properly. You can still continue to shoot chickens with your own weapons, FOREVER.
• The game world seems to be pretty small. It's gotta be the smallest MMO I've ever played, even smaller than TSW. If you've seen everything after a week or even less, there's not much incentive to continue playing, other than waiting for DLC and hoping they are actually each as big as the whole game, which I'm sure they won't.
• From some menues the ESC key brings you back one step, from others it quits right back to the character in game. For instance in the salvage matrix, depending on wether you're in the selection of weapons or have one already selected, pressing ESC will bring you back one step, or simply close the window and throw you back to the world, when you're not done.
• The Arkfalls I find extremely boring. It's basically the same concept from RIFT: hit on a mob for 30 minutes until it dies. In between he disappears and two smaller arrive, which you have to shoot "only" for 5 minutes each. It's just not fun. And then when you're finally done, you don't even get a weapon or mod as reward. Boring boring to shoot mobs over such a long period and watch their HUGE healthbars decrease in slow motion. That was my first and last Arkfall.
• Very few types of enemies so far. The Hellbugs, the Mutants and the Raiders. Most look alike, even if there's a few different types in each faction. But I suppose not many more enemy factions can be expected in such a small world.
• The mission NPCs in the world seem to be all voiced, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that their mouths don't move when they talk.
• Extremely short line of sight. Players and other stuff pops in basically under your nose. I'm sure this has been done so that consoles can handle it. Of course there's no need to change it for PC players who can handle much farther lines of sight. We all love the pop-ins, they contribute so much to the atmosphere and real-world-feel.

The whole game is optimized for consoles. Mousespeed changes, clunky menues, low resolution (yes it actually COULD be worse like in ME3, but still), straight crashes when using a 120hz monitor and the wonderful pop-ins.
PC players are second class customers for many companies today which often only get the bare minimum of optimisation (if any), and I'm increasingly annoyed by this. If I knew this was a console port where PC players take the backrow, I wouldn't have bought it. But now I can add another developer to my list to be extremely cautious about buying games from. Trion Worlds, I am disappointed. I used to respect your RIFT release and see it as good example amongst the MMO world. Defiance has opened my eyes now.

THE GOOD

So, what's positive about this game? I suppose the setting is ok and the whole "massive" co-op gameplay is also a welcome change to the pure PvP shooters. There's plenty of weapons to chose from and specialize, and the whole EGO thing seems to be ok, not being extremely progression based. I like level playing fields. The vehicles are also a fun idea for transportation, even if they drive extremely arcady. And I suppose this is already it.

THE SCORE:

As it stands now this game is worth a 60/100 at best. And that's being generous with some of the issues. Blatant disregard for PC players' standards and a seemingly rushed release pull the score really down.

As someone who has completed the main story already and seen most of the content I will answer your questions/comments/negatives as best as I can in order.

1.It was made for consoles first, so the menu is funky yes, on a console u would probably just hold the XBOX key or whatever so this was clearly an after thought and may be patched in the future.

2.Things like that happen on random PC's you can't test a game for everything.

3.My key mapping works fine, don't know why you have issues again could be client side, locked files?

4.Most games with scopes move slower during the scope but again I have had no issues with this, I think what you are seeing is IN SCOPE u have no "auto aim" out of scope you do, maybe you feel like its slower cause you are doing all the aiming in the scope.

5.Someone already fixed this for you, but yea its silly that it says it nowhere but I figured it out in 5 mins.

6.It's a car...if you get in a real car its pretty hard to just switch to the driver side...have you ever tried? theres a gear box, handbrake, sterringwheel, console in the way...its faster to get out in the real world.

7.It is a new release, ofc things are bugged, I had a few issues but nothing I couldnt get around, including resetting a boss fight in a dungeon cause he bugged.

8.Yes it is kind of small, the section at the very bottom opens it up a lot more once you unlock it following the main story, but then they have already started work on DLC, they were forced by the TV show schedule to release this mmo in "episodes" so that it would match seasons of the show, hence why the goals list says "season one" on it.

9.Yes in the salvage menu that is annoying I must admit.

10.The arkfalls are more about the fun of playing with lots of people, my first one I went to was around 150 people all rushing around with unique weapons and looks, ressing people, throwing nades and having a blast, alright the boss wasn't that unique but you have to really throw urself into your character and the story, I personally love the arkfalls cause it reminds me of the first starship troopers film splatting all those bugs

11.You do meet a lot more kinds, and a lot more unique ones when you progress further into the story, dark matter troops for instance and scrappers.

12. Most of the cutscenes are "live" so it would be harder to animate them, also it was built for consoles so you cant expect top notch animation with budgets and schedules across 3 platforms timed with a tv show.

13.I have had this happen about 3 times in my whole play time and it was rocks that appeared when I was going extremely fast during time trial races, that was all, again i feel this might be a client side PC issue.

[Dude]

I've played over 15 MMORPGs total, and TSW is just the one that strikes me as having the smallest game world/shortest experience.

You're right I'm not satisfied with many MMOs, but this seems to be the shortest experience by far. If I could fly a straight line through the game world, like in DCUO, I doubt it would be any faster than ONE of the cities there. I'll just compare it to an MMO I really liked, which is GW2. That one actually has ALOT to offer, and does so many things right where others failed. Also if you do everything there it takes much, much longer to reach the "end".

RIFT had a great start. Defiance did also manage the server potential well. No huge queues and all. Doesn't change the fact that it's a rushed release, optimized for controllers/consoles where PC players take the backseat.

[Philote]

As it stands now this game is worth a 60/100 at best. And that's being generous with some of the issues. Blatant disregard for PC players' standards and a seemingly rushed release pull the score really down.

Good because 60/100 is exactly what I paid.

[Zyndia]

To fix the mouse issue. just remove Aim Assist. after i removed it i can pretty much move my mouse around while taking aim like any other shooter.

And gameworld seems small because of our fast vehicles. Try and run around on foot. and you will realize that the world is bigger than other mmo shooters.

[Dude]

1. So its ok for you if the game controls are optimized for controllers, on a PC, and "maybe" patched later to accustomize kb+m? This is what most devs seem to think and I think its NOT OK.

2. Well nobody with a 120hz monitor that doesn't have this problem. But obviously tv screens for consoles usually don't have 120hz, so why bother as dev.

3. I wish I knew.

4. You're wrong there. I would have noticed, and I play shooters regularly. Crysis 3, Borderlands 2, Tomb Raider, Warframe being the latest ones. I don't remember ANY game where I have to slide like crazy around the mousepad once I take aim (right MB). It causes me to take alot more time to line up shots on close targets (example "reservoir chickens" with the pistol, real pain in the ***).

6. Don't make this about realism, its laziness/lack of time. Just look at the chat, people think the cars are bugged and ask why they don't move regularly. They don't even know there's a thing as a passenger seat, because its indicated nowhere. You enter the car and either it drives or not. This can't be good design.

7. You're right there. Still its something negative to be mentioned.

11. I'll take you by the word. I haven't finished the game, so there's still room for improvement.

12. The cut scenes are fine as far as I know. What I meant is when you walk up to a quest NPC, interact with it and she speaks without her lips moving. They don't even have to be synced, but its just wrong that the mouths are closed. This is a minor issue however.


I don't claim to be right with all my observations, I mean who is right all the time? I'll take stuff back if I'm wrong (like diversity), but it still doesn't change all the other issues I have with the game. First and foremost the mouse aim speed changes and the 120hz monitor incompatability. I mean its 2013, people SHOULD expect a decent amount of PC players to use 120hz monitors.

[Healthcare]

It is beginning to look like Defiance is a game that is plagued with problems. I have yet to play it, even after installing, activating an account, and downloading two update patches and three failed attempts at PLAY with Customer Build windows that stay empty and then disappear after a few seconds! And there is no game manual, what good it would do me now.

Granted, it is only day 2 after launch, but I was not expecting this much aggravation. Shame shame Trion Worlds!

You haven't played it and you are simply agreeing with every negative post and assuming that is the clear consensus of the masses? Most of the people are heavily enjoying the game. Also I am pretty sure every single one of them hates the user interface. Other than that the game is amazing. To follow the circle jerk and shake your finger at Trion and you haven't even taken the time to play.

Just shush. Go play. Waddle through the horrible UI but then enjoy the very fun shooter. They need to work on the UI but other than than good job Trion.

[Dude]

removing aim assist is one of the first things i did. the problem is not that i can't change the aim speed (my mouse goes up to 11400 DPI, 1k polling rate). its that the speed changes wether or not i aim with the right mousebutton, making approaching targets hard to hit because it suddenly moves so slow.

[Livewire]

1. Yes it is, I knew going into this game it was made for controllers and consoles first, I was aware there would be UI issues upon release.

2. I have a 120hz monitor, no issues here. Infact I have 2 works on both :/

4. Still have no issues with this I really think its client side, like there must be a reason its effecting you and maybe a few others, I am sure it will be patched or hotfixed.

6. They could of indicated that there is a passenger seat, but as its a coop game you realise you can take passengers pretty quick, infact it was on of the first things I did with my friend was ride around in 1 car.

12. Ah yes actually now u mention it, I remember one mission start where you talk to Cass and shes leaning on a car talking to you, but she doesnt move her face. HOWEVER, they do put up that little "metal gear solid" style voice comms image in the bottom right, when most npcs talk to you which is fully animated? Make up for it ? maybe not, but hey nobody is perfect.