Defect is a very loud cyberpunk "immersive shooter" from ex-Call Of Duty, Doom and Naughty Dog devs
With Mick Gordon doing the soundtrack
If you relished the splashier gunfights of Cyberpunk 2077, like the sound of Doom meets Blade Runner, or wish you could jam your nose right into the neon trenches of Ruiner, you will likely enjoy the announcement trailer for Defect. It's a new "cyberpunk, squad-based, Immersive Objective Shooter" from emptyvessel, a team of erstwhile id Software, Call Of Duty and Naughty Dog folks.
"They called the city man's last resort," growls a trailer narrator who sounds like he's just downed a mug of diodes, "because everything on the outside would kill us like crabs in a barrel". Hands up if you've ever killed some crabs in a barrel. Did you do it using a gun with pop-out antennae and a holographic barrier? Well, the crab content of Defect remains to be seen, but there is definitely a gun with pop-out antennae and a holographic barrier. Here's that trailer.
The city mentioned in the video is ruled by some kind of dystopian AI, straightforwardly known as THE SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM operates a police force of jack-booted thugs (is there any other kind of police force, har har), this being one of Defect's factions. They're opposed by assorted criminal gangs who want to conquer the city from below and, I don't know, free all the crabs from their barrels, unleashing an epidemic of pinched ankles. Everybody on either side looks like they're auditioning simultaneously for roles in Judge Dredd and Mortal Kombat. You really don't need all those face augmentations, Akiko Laserteeth. They just make you look silly.
The trailer doesn't reveal much about what you do in the game beyond shooting people very hard, but the announcement blurb suggests it's a balance of co-op against bots and PvP, with up to four teams of four per round (no singleplayer functionality, alas). You will "compete to achieve objectives like smuggling guns, assassinating targets, or arresting suspects". Between missions, you will "PREPARE FOR ANARCHY" by gearing up in your squad car or gang hangout. Did you know that "anarchy" is not in fact synonymous with violence? It's broadly defined as opposition to the concept of rulers. A lot of anarchists are quite laidback! I've got friends who are anarchists! They barely ever murder any crabs at all!
There's no release date yet. Notwithstanding my desire to knock on emptyvessel's window and tell them to stop bellowing about CHAOS, I do somewhat fancy the gunplay and locations in the trailer. Never say no to a handcannon with an LED on it, is my motto, especially if there's a megacity involved. They've got Mick Gordon doing the music, and he's certainly lent his name to some fine old blast 'em ups.
I'm also curious as to whether the "immersive shooter" branding means this accommodates a wider variety of approaches and ability/terrain combinations than you'd find in most competitors, though I would not be shocked if this were just positioning. Anyway, you can PREPARE FOR ANARCHY by wishlisting it on Steam.