Graphics and Audio

Being an MMO title with an intended release on home consoles as well as PC, I went into Defiance with a certain expectation that the graphics would not be bleeding edge. That being said, that game does look great. Using HAVOK Physics and Animation engines, Trion has used every bit of expertise to deliver something I would call good looking even for a single player experience.

I personally played the game at the highest possible graphics settings but if your computer cannot handle that do not fret, lower settings look just as well with most of the extra power put into things like lighting, foliage and less blur.

It isn’t all just about the beauty though. Anyone who has sampled Trion’s other MMO Rift can tell you they surely get the fact that while beauty may pull you in, sound and score are what complete a great immersive experience. Defiance pulls this off almost flawlessly. There is rarely a moment where some ambient noise can’t be heard and when combat kicks off the music enhances the suspense and action and the rolling thunder and cracks of lightning that announce an ArkFall are unmistakable.