Many players have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during the XDefiant end-match achievements. It’s an unusual twist for the achievement, but they’ve made many players (myself included) feel either a genuine sense of pride or outright embarrassment.
I know it sounds ironic for achievements to be demeaning, but it has to do with how XDefiant handles end-match achievements. Generally, shooter games showcase player stats at the end of the match to show who did the best in-game. However, rather than sticking to the standard shooter achievements like “Most Kills” or “Best K/D Ratio,” XDefiant covers much more than that.
You’ll see plenty of other accomplishments, from the most “Damage Blocked” to the top scorer as an Echelon Faction member. These rewarding bits bring out the “satisfying” part of the game, where no player can be deemed a loser.
I’ve particularly enjoyed this when I haven’t been killing too many enemies, focusing solely on a support role as a Libertad. Even when my eliminations have been sub-par, the achievements will at least comfort me with a most “Damage Healed” title. It’s even better when the other players give a thumbs-up to these trophy cards, acting as a victorious virtual high five.
But XDefiant trophies will also make you want to run away in embarrassment after those matches where you just can’t get it right and question if you’re a true FPS player. I’ve experienced this after one of the worst matches of my life. My kills were terrible, I barely healed anyone, and I almost died every other minute. The end-game achievement of “Helped” feels like a participation trophy.
What I actually “Helped” with remains a mystery to me. Yet, I couldn’t help but laugh at my not-so-great achievement. I’ve also gotten one for the most LMG kills, which may sound impressive, except I only got six kills that match. The other players that round had more than 24 eliminations, so six kills sounds like child’s play at that point.
Fortunately, I’m not the only one getting these hysterical trophies. Reddit user Vince_- experienced this when they were rewarded with a “Ran Around” accomplishment.
Although it sounds pointless, it’s better than getting a “Hey, you suck” title. There are a few funny achievements, too; some of my personal favorites are “Moral Support” and “Tried.” I’ve always liked the saying “A for effort,” which definitely translates well in the world of XDefiant.
Other players on Reddit have found the reward system exceptionally comical. One player mentioned how their entire group laughed when someone on the team got a “Showed Up” title after joining the round late. I like to see this type of camaraderie as it strays away from the relatively toxic side of shooters. I’ve run into that during some bad matches, and let me tell you, it can be brutal. Fortunately, XDefiant seems much more inviting, especially with its more player-friendly SBMM mechanics.
XDefiant’s match conclusions are a mixed bag of emotions but in a good way. Sometimes, you’ll be on top of the world in a specific category, while other times, you may feel like a chump who only got a trophy for being there.
It’s a rollercoaster, but I’m enjoying the ride. It’s exciting to see things done this way instead of feeling like I’ll never reach the scope of the pros. It also adds humor to the game, an element that can often be left out in shooter games.
For the first time ever, I want to perform poorly in matches just to see what other humiliating achievements I can earn. It’s different, sure, but I’m glad that Ubisoft has the sense of humor to make the game much more entertaining.
Unique content like this may have contributed to its popularity surge. XDefiant has even reportedly become one of Ubisoft’s fastest-growing titles yet. Hopefully, more games will learn from XDdefiant‘s tongue-in-cheek achievements as a way to make a match feel more fun by having a surprise waiting for players at the end.
