There’s another WWII game in development, but this time, it’s offering a unique look at the war from China’s perspective, as developer Hoothanes and publisher 4Divinity have announced The Defiant, a story-driven single-player FPS set during China’s War of Resistance against Japan.
The Defiant is created by “a veteran team of filmmakers and game developers”, which explains the trailer’s more cinematic approach compared to the WWII shooter affair most gamers are used to, with the title also being built on Unreal Engine 5. Additionally, the game is looking to combine multiple elements of modern shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield, as “missions shift fluidly between stealth infiltration, close-quarters firefights, sniping, urban espionage, code-breaking operations, vehicular combat, and sudden large-scale assaults.”
From the trailer, it’s clear that The Defiant has taken some inspiration from its aforementioned shooter peers, with its graphics and gunplay reminiscent of more recent Call of Duty titles set around the same era, like 2012’s Call of Duty: Vanguard. The biggest draw here, then, is undoubtedly its setting, as the game will tell the events of WWII from the perspective of China, something rarely seen in the video game world, which often focuses on the European front. This change of scenery could very well alleviate the fatigue gamers feel towards WWII shooters and offer a fresh take.
To this end, The Defiant’s developers have also noted that the title will have a strong respect for history, stating that the “weapons in The Defiant are treated as historical artefacts, not just tools”, with players able to wield a variety of firearms rooted in China’s modern wartime history such as the Hanyang Rifle, Mauser Military Pistol, and the MP18 submachine gun.
Additionally, the game’s campaign “aims to reframe how the FPS genre approaches history, offering a perspective rarely seen in interactive entertainment,” and is set “across occupied villages, frozen forests, fortified supply routes, and enemy-controlled urban zones, where every environment is shaped by the realities of guerrilla warfare and survival behind enemy lines.”
No release window has been announced yet for The Defiant, but the game is set to launch for PC and consoles.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Jake Su
