DEFECT Interview – Inspirations, Objective Shooter Mechanics, Setting, Development Update & More

DEFECT is a new upcoming cyberpunk-squad-based shooter set in a dystopian world. It’s here that players will be stepping into a fierce battle. With different factions and police forces scattered about, you can expect some intense firefights.

This game was just announced, so if it wasn’t on your radar, this interview just might change that. We recently had the chance to speak with Emanuel Palalic, the CEO and game director at emptyvessel, about what we could expect from this new upcoming release.

Gameranx: First off, let’s start by telling us a little about emptyvessel.

Emanuel Palalic: Sure thing, we announced ourselves in April as a new independent studio made up of ex-devs from id Software, Naughty Dog and Treyarch, building a studio that believes in respecting creative independence in developers. We believe working in smaller teams affords us more creative freedoms and flexibility, and we are ambitious and hope to build something similar to A24 but for games.

Gameranx: Is DEFECT your debut title under the studio? Also, how would you personally describe the game?

Emanuel Palalic: Yes, DEFECT is our first title, and we’re really excited about how it’s been received so far! It’s a gritty immersive cyberpunk shooter that draws inspiration from different forms of entertainment, ie. movies, television, music and games. We wanted to create an immersive shooter that would resonate with gamers looking for something new.

Gameranx: Where were some of the inspirations behind DEFECT?

Emanuel Palalic: We have been inspired by a lot of things! Judge Dredd, The Nikopol Trilogy,  Robocop, anything Verhoeven honestly, The Raid, Wong Kar-wai films, SWAT, Rainbow Six, DOOM, Gears of War, Stalker, Kingpin Life of Crime, Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay and more. If it’s cyberpunk/sci-fi, with chunky designs, moody atmosphere and lighting, bold visual direction or immersing you into the player fantasy of the character you are playing then it probably has inspired our direction for DEFECT in some shape or form.

Gameranx: From my understanding, players are choosing between different factions. Could you elaborate on what these factions are within the game?

Emanuel Palalic: So players can either side with chaos or control. Control is filled with teams that side with The System, the AI that runs the city. Chaos is filled with different gangs all fighting for their own personal goals and ambitions. The factions won’t affect gameplay since this isn’t an asymmetrical game. They will mainly affect how the narrative is presented to players when playing. 

Gameranx: This game is described as an Objective Shooter. What are some of the objectives players will take on?

Emanuel Palalic: Arresting other players or NPCs in the world, assassinating enemies, smuggling drugs, destroying drug dens, harvesting or poisoning data, collecting bodies for the AI to convert to police units etc. Objectives in DEFECT will be presented in different narrative ways for each faction. 

Gameranx: Are there classes in the game? If so, are certain weapons or tech restricted to specific classes?

Emanuel Palalic: DEFECT will not have any classes. Any player can use any tool or weapon available to them. DEFECT is a game where you think on your feet and work with the resources you have and find throughout the world. Players will either spawn in their hover car or gang hideout and equip weapons and tools there and continue to refine their arsenal when in the game world. 

Gameranx: Can you tell us a little more about the game’s setting? Is it based on different maps, or are we getting one large city? 

Emanuel Palalic: We’re planning to have a few maps in different areas in the world. An underground prison on the outskirts of the city, or a flying mega ship operated by System control flying over the city are some areas you can expect to see in DEFECT. 

Gameranx: Where are you currently in the development process?

Emanuel Palalic: We’re in early development, and using Unreal Engine 5 which has been great to work with. However, it can be a relative perception since a lot of what we’ve been working on has been to build a solid foundation and pipelines to explore, develop and playtest ideas, and continue to build upon those ideas. We’ve got a clear vision for what we want DEFECT to be, so our development process is more about keeping a clear path from ideation to iteration with as few barriers in the creative process as possible. 

Gameranx: When can players expect to get another glimpse of DEFECT?

Emanuel Palalic: That’s a great question! We’re obviously eager to share more about DEFECT when we can, so that’s about all I can say at the moment. 

Gameranx: What platforms are planned for the release?

Emanuel Palalic: For our initial game reveal, we’ve announced DEFECT for PC via Steam as we’ve opened our Wishlisting so we appreciate your readers signing up. Beyond that, no official information on additional platforms is being disclosed for the time being.