The introduction of classes, along with the reworking of the skill and weapon systems makes the game accessible to players of other modern shooters, but the lack of new content and the decision to not port over existing characters gives veterans little incentive to leave their old world behind.

Yes, there is a definite cash-grab feeling in Defiance 2050, but there is also plenty of game to explore, and it won’t require the player to drop hundreds just to get there. The large open world, vast number of quests, and skill trees with a decent set of options gives players plenty to do. The co-operative nature of Defiance 2050 encourages teamwork, and while some parts feel repetitive in terms of quest content, overall it makes a pretty good entry as a free-to-play title.

Trion Worlds’ reimagined Defiance does little to fix the crippled MMO and instead, uses the opportunity to try and capture a new audience with the same bland experience of yesteryear. Defiance 2050 has nothing to leverage but its free-to-play status, nothing to separate itself from the competition, and nothing of quality for new players to latch onto.

Five years after original launch the developers publish the same game, adding new microtransactions and cutting content. Defiance 2050 is an example of business practices that should be firmly defied. [13/2018, p.87]