Ubisoft’s XDefiant is an online shooter that mimics the likes of Call of Duty isn’t going unnoticed by gamers across different platforms. The game’s easy-to-learn yet hard-to-master aspects are taking traditional shooter mechanics for a spin, but there’s a lot more to come.
A big improvement would be the addition of UAVs, which have been central to Call of Duty games, especially since the arrival of Modern Warfare in 2007. While XDefiant doesn’t need to borrow the entire mechanic, it can draw inspiration in the right ways.
UAV Killstreaks Are Essential to the Call of Duty Experience
Known as the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Recon, modern-day Call of Duty treats this mechanic as a killstreak in multiplayer modes. It is given to players as a reward upon successfully eliminating a number of enemies and reveals the location of players around.
It’s a nifty tool that lets players not only feel adequate about their gameplay experience but also have a tactical advantage over opponents. The UAV mechanic only lasts for a few seconds, but players who are smart about it can use it as a massive gameplay tool.
Unfortunately, this is missing from Ubisoft’s title at the moment. But, considering how the team is willing to bring new modes (similar to Call of Duty) to the game, there’s a chance we’ll likely see this in the game as a usable mechanic.
How Will XDefiant Even Implement UAVs?
Considering how the game is largely a character-driven first-person shooter, it’s likely that UAVs will become a part of the character toolkit. Think of this as a usable ability in the game, regardless of which mode it is. Instead of working as a killstreak reward, this will be yet another usable ability.
Given how the the Echelon faction in the game has some of the coolest abilities like Sonar Goggles, we can perhaps see UAVs as part of its toolkit at some point. Or rather, the Deadsec can hack into enemy locations and give players a sneaky advantage when enemies least expect it.
The game can also let players earn UAVs as a reward by playing certain modes. A kind of universal gadget for all players to use in the battle. This can work like an item/weapon players pick up or drop based on gameplay, adding a unique flair to the overall gameplay loop.
What do you think about UAVs coming to the game? Do you think these will be useful and make sense to the game’s themes? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
