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]

Only time will tell if the game linked to a TV series shtick will pan out, but for the time being, I am glad Trion is taking the risk.

Launching MMOs is always difficult, doing it on PC and consoles (and TV!) at the same time is almost impossible. But in the end Defiance defies early critics and lands some good punches: the smooth surfacing PvE and PvP FPS mechanics are intriguing enough to turn a blind eye on not-so-cutting-edge A.I. and visuals. Just give Trion a chance.

Even with its blemishes, there's a lot of enjoyment to be had in the creaking world of Defiance 1.0. Its creators have banked on the "fun shall overcome" school of game design which, with exceptions, Defiance achieves. I only wish it didn't have to overcome quite so much.

Defiance fails in the difficult task of merging a TV series and a video game in a convincing and engaging way.

Defiance is an interesting mix between an MMO and a FPS, fun to play and with many things to do. Too bad for the poor AI and a certain lack of variety.

Defiance is mostly lacking meaningful connective tissue. It fails at the fundamental task of feeling like a thoughtfully designed and polished game. It fails at feeling like a world. It fails at giving you much to look forward to once you’ve realized you’ve seen most of what it’s ever going to do. You can only get so far with “it’s fun to shoot stuff”. About Defiance far.