As someone who's spent countless hours exploring the gaming landscape, I've always been fascinated by how different developers approach the free-to-play market. When I first heard about Jili Games' expanding portfolio, I knew I had to dive deep into their current offerings. Let me tell you, what I discovered was both surprising and impressive in equal measure. Having played through their entire available catalog over the past month, I've developed some strong opinions about which titles deserve your attention and which might need more development time.
Starting with their flagship shooter XDefiant, I have to say I'm genuinely impressed with the core mechanics. The shooting feels tight and responsive - probably among the top three free-to-play shooters I've played this year in terms of pure gunplay. During my 47 hours with the game, I found myself consistently returning to the Arena mode specifically because the movement and aiming mechanics just feel right. However, I can't ignore the identity crisis this game seems to be having. The class-based system feels tacked on rather than integrated, and I often found myself forgetting about character abilities entirely during heated firefights. The sniper rifles do feel overpowered - in my last session, I witnessed a player rack up 38 kills using nothing but the SR-25, which seems excessive compared to other weapon types. Still, there's something fundamentally enjoyable here that keeps me coming back, especially when playing with friends.
Now let's talk about RKGK, which completely took me by surprise. As someone who typically prefers realistic shooters over platformers, I didn't expect to fall in love with this vibrant world. Playing as Valah feels incredibly liberating - the movement system is fluid, the graffiti mechanics are innovative, and the story actually made me care about saving this fictional city from Mr. Buff's corporate tyranny. I've completed approximately 78% of the game according to my save file, and I'm still discovering new routes and hidden collectibles. The level design deserves special praise - each environment feels like a playground begging to be explored and painted with Valah's colorful arsenal. My only complaint is that some of the robot enemy patterns become repetitive after the first few hours, but the constantly introducing new platforming challenges keeps the experience fresh.
What strikes me most about Jili Games' current lineup is the sheer diversity they've managed to achieve with just two major titles. They're covering both the competitive shooter market and the creative platformer space simultaneously, which is quite ambitious for a studio of their size. From what I've gathered through industry contacts, they have about 143 developers split between these projects, which explains the polish in certain areas despite some balancing issues. I particularly appreciate that both games avoid predatory monetization - the battle passes are reasonably priced at $9.99 each, and I haven't felt pressured to spend money to remain competitive.
Having played both titles extensively, I find myself gravitating toward RKGK for my solo sessions while keeping XDefiant installed for when my gaming group comes online. There's something special about Valah's journey that resonates with me personally - perhaps it's the creative expression through graffiti or the satisfying flow of movement through each level. Meanwhile, XDefiant serves that competitive itch that occasionally needs scratching, though I do hope they address the sniper balancing in the upcoming Season 3 patch that's rumored to drop next month.
The future looks bright for Jili Games if they can maintain this level of quality while addressing the community's concerns. I've heard whispers about three new projects in development, though my sources couldn't confirm specific details. If they can apply the lessons learned from these initial releases - particularly regarding game identity and balance - I genuinely believe they could become major players in the free-to-play space. For now, I'd recommend both games to different audiences: XDefiant for competitive shooter fans who can overlook some identity issues, and RKGK for players seeking a fresh, creative experience that doesn't overstay its welcome. Personally, I'll be keeping both installed and checking in regularly to see how they evolve through future updates.
