DNF Duel review – Fighter of the Year

DNF Duel may seem doomed from the start, but the fact that it was co-developed by Arc System Works is all that genre fans need to pique their interest, as this is the same team behind acclaimed fighters like Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, and Dragon Ball Fighter Z. Indeed, the unfeasibly appealing visuals are very similar to Guilty Gear -Strive- and the characters are equally outrageous.

We’ll admit we’re not really sure who designed them, as this is technically a spin-off of the free-to-play action role-playing game Dungeon Fighter Online, which despite being one of the most successful video games of all time, is somewhat Western gamers have probably never heard of it. However, in its home country of South Korea, it is known as Dungeon & Fighter, which is usually abbreviated to DNF – hence the name of this game.

Obscure or not, the origin of the game is not important, as DNF Duel can be enjoyed purely on the face of it, as a very straight forward and accessible one-on-one fighter. More so than any of the aforementioned Arc System Works games, DNF Duel is designed so that non-fans can understand the controls almost immediately and compete at least on some level.

That’s something few other fighting games can boast of and while it’s clear that Dungeon Fighter Online is such a favorite with casual gamers, the end result is beneficial for everyone.

The only downside to the Dungeon Fighter Online connection is that none of the fighters have a name, as they are all named after the classes from the original game (which has many elements of a scrolling beat ’em-up). Playing as people just called Striker, Launcher, and Ranger is a little unsettling, but presumably the idea is that you’re imagining them as your own in-game character instead.

Despite this unusual setup, there’s a good story mode, and a significantly better one than most fighting games. Each of the fighters has their own unique story and while we didn’t understand much of what they were talking about, clearly a lot of effort went into it.

The basics of combat will be familiar to anyone who has played a round of Street Fighter 2 or its offspring, with DNF Duel placing great emphasis on being able to pull off complex combos with a minimum of effort. While you can use more complex Street Fighter styles for a small benefit, each move has a simpler alternative that involves nothing more difficult than pointing in a direction and pressing a single button.

As you would expect from Arc System Works, there are deeper systems just below the surface. There are all the expected special moves, which are unique to each fighter, as well as some systems inspired by Dungeon Fighter Online. Damage taken comes in two flavors: white and red. The first returns slowly when your block is up, but most special attacks deal red damage, which cannot be repaired.

Another consideration is that you have an MP bar, as well as health, which allows for its own special moves and also recovers slowly. However, you can choose to trade some health for more MP, which is an obvious risk, but works in conjunction with the Awakening mechanic, which allows you to perform a unique special when your health drops below 30%.

This is a particularly clever example of risk versus reward, because while the primary intent is to give losing fighters a chance, there’s always a temptation to take a small hit, or slide some health into MP, if you’re but are at half health to win. gain access to the Awakening movement – a tactic that could easily end in disaster.

When you explain fighting game systems, the games always sound more confusing than they are, so we have to emphasize again that this is one of the best options for genre novices and you definitely don’t have to worry about Awakenings and MP conversions until you’re done. to sit back and take the game seriously.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll find that the game has a robust set of online options, with Rollback netcode appearing to work very well even at launch. The other single player options are pretty basic, essentially just an Arcade and Survival mode, but it’s no more or less than most other more established fighters.

The central appeal of DNF Duel, even more than its accessibility, is its graphics. We seem to say this every time Arc System Works releases a new game, but this is the closest we’ve come to an interactive anime and looks absolutely incredible no matter what it does. The wonderfully over-the-top character designs (and equally unsubtle soundtrack) help a lot, but the animation and detail of the 3D models are stunning.

We can only assume that in places where Dungeon Fighter Online is popular, DNF Duel has a good chance of becoming a big hit, but it shouldn’t be ignored by those who have never heard of the original game or have nothing to do with it. to care. † While it may not be saying much, given the death of new releases lately, this is one of the best games of the year so far and the most exciting new fighter in a long time.

Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), PlayStation 4 and PC
Price: £44.99
Publisher: Nexon
Developer: Arc System Works, Eighting and Neople
Release date: June 28, 2022
Age Rating: 12