Quick Facts
| Developer: | Hangzhou Hoothanes Technology Co., Ltd. (Hoothanes) |
| Publisher: | 4Divinity / GCL Global |
| Genre: | Tactical Narrative First-Person Shooter (FPS) |
| Platforms: | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Release Date: | Targeting 2027 |
| Featured Event: | Gamescom ’26 (First Western Hands-On) |
While traditional World War II games have retold the Allied invasion of Europe dozens of times over, The Defiant shifts its lens entirely to the Asian theater of the conflict. Developed using Unreal Engine 5, the game plunges players into the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), focusing on the heroic, gritty, and desperate Chinese resistance against the invading forces. You play as ordinary soldiers behind enemy lines, fighting across snow-capped forests, highly guarded supply corridors, and occupied villages.
What immediately stood out to us during our hands-on preview was the undeniable atmosphere. Visually and structurally, The Defiant captures the nostalgic magic of old-school cinematic military shooters like Call of Duty 2 and 3. There are no futuristic HUDs, superhero abilities, or high-tech drones. Instead, you get a raw, grounded, and emotional war story featuring a chapter-based campaign and a companion mechanic that lends serious dramatic weight to your squad’s struggle for survival.
Hands-On: High-Lethality Combat and Historically Modeled Weapons
Our 15-minute World Premiere demo at Gamescom ’26 took us straight into a tense, chaotic bunker escape scenario. Right off the bat, the gunplay feels incredibly solid, weighty, and punchy. Performance was buttery smooth, showcasing excellent particle effects and sound design that make every gunshot ring out with deafening impact. Unlike typical modern run-and-gun arcade shooters, The Defiant leans heavily into tactical lethality; the enemy’s damage model is unforgiving, and stepping out of cover without a clear plan of action results in a swift trip back to the checkpoint.
Adding to this immersion is the game’s focus on semi-authentic, historically modeled weaponry. You will wield classic firearms utilized during the Eastern front conflict, including the famous Chinese-manufactured Hanyang Type 88 Rifle (a domestic copy of the German Gewehr 88), the iconic Mauser C96 Military Pistol, and the rapid-firing MP18 Submachine Gun. Every reloading animation, recoil pattern, and metallic click has been crafted with painstaking historical accuracy, turning these weapons into the true, echoing proof of the era.
Beyond Button Mashing: Deep QTEs and AI Under Construction
One of the most pleasant mechanical surprises in the demo was the game’s handling of Quick Time Events (QTEs). While many modern action games treat QTEs as simple, repetitive button-smashing moments, The Defiant elevates them into something much more tactical. During melee struggles or high-intensity script sequences, the inputs are dynamic and context-dependent, requiring spatial awareness, precise timing, and multi-button coordination. This design adds genuine cinematic tension to physical struggles without making them feel like cheap, mindless interruptions.
However, being a work-in-progress build, the demo also highlighted areas that still need some polishing—most notably the enemy artificial intelligence (AI). In our playthrough, the AI proved to be a real mixed bag. At times, enemies behaved brilliantly, flanking our position, using searchlights to pin us down, and taking smart cover. At other times, however, they went completely brain-dead, standing completely still in the middle of open corridors like ducks in a shooting gallery (or a classic *Schießbude*). If developer Hoothanes can smooth out these behavioral bugs before launch, the tactical stealth-infiltration missions will shine brightly.
The Verdict: An Important Story Told with Passion
Despite a few rough edges in the current AI department, The Defiant is a deeply promising first-person shooter. It brings a forgotten, crucial chapter of global history to life with stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals and weighty, tactical gameplay. For co-op and single-player fans looking for a classic, narrative-driven campaign with the authenticity of a museum piece, this is absolutely one to keep on your radar. We can’t wait to see how the team refines this ambitious shooter as it flies towards its 2027 release window!
Witness the stealth infiltration, historical weaponry, and cinematic battles of the Second Sino-Japanese War in the official gameplay reveal trailer below:
