Defect sees four squads clash in a gritty cyberpunk FPS, and it just blasted its way onto my wishlist

As a fan of co-op and PvP shooters, I'm drowning in good news at the moment. Space Marine 2 is getting another year of content. Battlefield 6 returns the series to its former glory. Arc Raiders and Black Ops 7 are just around the corner. My wishlist is already packed with games like Hell Let Loose Vietnam and '83, and another incredible-looking FPS game has just joined them. With a gritty, cyberpunk aesthetic and a face-scrunching score from Doom's Mick Gordon, the new gameplay trailer for Defect just put it firmly on my radar.

On vibes alone, Defect already looked like it had the right ingredients for a great shooter. Its reveal trailer set the tone last year, teasing just a few precious seconds of its meaty gunfights. But I always try and reserve my excitement until I get a more substantial look at gameplay. Well, thanks to its appearance in the Galaxies Showcase, I think I'm now safe to board the hype train.

Defect is a squad-based shooter with a 4v4v4v4 game mode at its core. Set in a bleak cyberpunk city controlled by a sinister AI, it's meant to be mankind's last safe haven, but 'safe' isn't a word I'd use to describe it. You and your teammates play as one of the warring factions, aiming to complete objectives and eliminate the other squads - judging by a moment in today's new gameplay trailer, the goal may also be to extract the consciousnesses of other players, but that might be a faction-specific finisher move or objective.

From a level design perspective, tight interior spaces seem to be prevalent in Defect - there's a lot of close-quarters action. While not at Battlefield levels, you can also spot moments of environmental destruction to create new sight lines. Factions are armed with some chunky, heavy-hitting weaponry and gadgets like a scanner can also be used to get an advantage over your enemies. While I'd love to get a more extended look at the gameplay loop and how a match plays out, Defect's action already looks like something I can get on board with.

The only disappointment is that there's no update on a release date or window for Defect, but I can live with that for now - as I mentioned at the top, I've got plenty to be occupied with in the coming weeks. However, if you so desire, you can join me in adding Defect to your Steam wishlist right here.

Also be sure to check out our lists of the best multiplayer games and best co-op games, which include some truly excellent shooters.

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