Defect Is a Stylish FPS With Serious Cyberpunk Vibes

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The term “cyberpunk” means different things to different people. For many today, it might conjure up images from the video game Cyberpunk 2077 or the anime series Edgerunners – stories of friendships, ambition, and survival in the gritty, dangerous city of Night City. But the genre as a whole presents a range of bleak, corporate-dominated futures, where towering buildings loom over poverty and artificial intelligence is commonplace – a dark yet captivating world, like the one in Neuromancer or the Mega-City One depicted in 2000 AD.

Even if the bleak setting – cramped living spaces, decaying buildings, and high crime – feels uncomfortably familiar, it still manages to spark imagination, much like in the game DEFECT by emptyvessel. It’s a world that mirrors our own in many ways.

Okay, so I’m really hyped for this upcoming PC game! From what I’ve seen, there are three main groups you can get involved with. There’s the Rogue Police, basically rebels fighting the power, then you’ve got the gangs, and finally the official law enforcement. But the real power here is ‘THE SYSTEM’ – this super controlling AI that runs everything. It’s not exactly a subtle name, but it gets the point across: this AI is a total hardass, and it’s in charge of everything. Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long to play it!

As part of THE SYSTEM, you’re deployed to the most chaotic districts of the last city. You and your team are quickly transported to the area, monitored by heartbeat sensors, and given a choice of missions. These ‘Retrieve, Extract and Profit’ operations – or R.E.P.O. – could involve arresting a dangerous person or shutting down a runaway AI. You’ll need to bring specific gear, and while you have a variety of weapons to choose from – shotguns, assault rifles, SMGs, grenades, and even a deployable Cobra turret – consider carefully which one suits your style.

The city’s inhabitants seem lost in their own worlds, barely noticing you. They might ignore you completely, occasionally ask for a favor, or even lash out with insults. But things change quickly when Nordrog, the leader of a local gang, announces your arrival over the building’s intercom, calling this place “the grinder.” Suddenly, handheld scanners reveal enemies – probably the group Nordrog sent to intercept you – heading your way.

Your team fights through a decaying building covered in anti-police graffiti and enters an apartment. Inside, you eliminate a multi-armed enemy called an Orchestrator and discover an AI seemingly relaxing in a bathtub, connected to a mysterious host. After collecting vital Datacubes and surviving a surprise attack, you reach the system’s mainframe. There, you battle gang members amidst flashing lights, gunfire, and collapsing structures. The fight ends with you being stabbed, and a chilling revelation: the gangs are the law.

You are the enforcer, and when a safety measure transfers your mind into a powerful new body – an Orchestrator – it seems like the mission goes on. The AI’s claim that everyone is connected begins to feel true. It’s possible the people here are just minds controlled by a larger entity, THE SYSTEM, used for its own purposes. True freedom doesn’t exist, and a terrible fate awaits anyone you imprison.

Surprisingly, this gameplay shows off the 4v4v4v4 mode in DEFECT. Players are divided into teams representing different factions, each with a main mission to complete – and more objectives unlock as you play. One team might be trying to steal Datacubes and hack the mainframe, while the others try to stop them – and maybe cause some trouble of their own. It’s unclear when the Rogue Police will get involved, but they’re fair game for everyone, according to the game’s rules.

Putting aside my personal desire to play something like the action movies The Raid or Dredd, DEFECT’s gameplay is really interesting. People have compared it to Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, and one person said it felt like the Maelstrom area from Cyberpunk 2077 was turned into its own game. It also has a unique tactical style, similar to SWAT – a game that actually inspired it. You can destroy parts of the environment with weapons, creating new paths for your team, but also potentially opening up flanking routes for enemies.

The game doesn’t automatically restore your health, so you’ll have to use limited-charge terminals to heal after tough fights. A unique feature is the ability to take over the body of an enemy you’ve subdued. If a teammate falls, they can essentially be reborn by transferring their consciousness into a captured gang member, acting as a replacement. The simple interface encourages you to pay close attention to your surroundings – carefully checking corners is just as crucial as using the Scanner to identify threats, and using the Scanner requires both hands, forcing you to choose between fighting and scanning.

The game’s visuals are striking, with impressive effects and a moody atmosphere, but they also serve a practical purpose during combat. Bright red lighting and blinding dust can make fights chaotic, and even though the world looks gritty, its detailed design is captivating. In these intense situations, using tools like grenades and the stealth wall becomes crucial, as does taking advantage of everything around you to survive.

You might be wondering if this game is all about player-versus-player combat, especially after getting so close to something great. But here’s the good news: DEFECT also includes a full single-player experience, completely separate and playable even without an internet connection. You can also team up with friends in co-op mode and fight AI enemies together. Success depends entirely on your gear – whether you earn it through the game’s progression system or find it hidden in the world. Don’t hesitate to use anything you can find for cover – even flipping over a table – because health is limited, so staying alive is key.

Whether the game can replicate the unpredictable energy of its player-versus-player modes in single-player or co-op remains to be seen, and players should temper their expectations considering the graphics. However, the idea of four teams infiltrating a building with unique goals, inevitably clashing and creating chaos, is incredibly appealing. It’s also refreshing that this isn’t a battle royale or an extraction shooter. Remember, in this world, the gangs and even the corrupt police don’t enforce the rules – you do.

I’m already imagining all the exciting things DEFECT could bring. Maybe higher, more challenging levels? Or a mission to rescue someone important who’s being hunted by another team? Perhaps powerful weapons that let you destroy everything around you, even if it means a quick defeat? If using the environment is key, why not throw enemies off buildings? The possibility of being kidnapped, or your teammates being taken, also seems likely. And what if you could even save the bodies of fallen enemies to use in future missions?

No matter how you approach it, this project is truly one of a kind. It’s a labor of love that evokes classic cyberpunk themes – a world where hope is lost and every choice leads to consequences.

Just so you know, the opinions in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2026-01-05 17:45