Bright colours, flashy moves, vague lore, and a surprisingly solid roster of characters. These were the ingredients chosen to create DNF Duel. An extremely fun and moreish fighter from Arc System Works.

Newcomers Welcome

The first thing about this title that really struck me was how simple the command list was; especially when compared to mainstream games of the genre like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and most of all Tekken. In DNF Duel you only have a handful of inputs you need to know, that when combined allows for more diverse and lengthy combos.

Firstly you have standard attacks. These are simple jabs, kicks, and leg sweeps that are most effective when used to start a combo chain. Then you have a set of skills and MP skills. Skills are special moves that can inflict solid damage, and reliably keep combos going. Some maintain a target’s position in mid-air, while others launch them. Certain skills can do damage from above continuing a barrage on downed enemies, or trigger AOE attacks.

MP skills then take this one step further and use mana points to pull off even more powerful moves. All it takes to pull them off is a directional input and a press of B for normal skills and A for MP skills (Provided you’re using a controller).  Some skills don’t even need directional inputs. Just an B or A input and voilà. This is the same across the board for everyone. However, the outcome is the main difference. 

A couple of examples of this are: Ghostblade’s [←+A] MP Skill, which sends forth his ghost to deal damage and put pressure on an opponent while he closes the distance and/or sets up his own attacks. Or Berserker’s [←+A], which grabs your opponent, and recovers some HP, while inflicting damage. Every character might have a different move suited to their archetype, but the input required to execute these skills can be as easy as hitting a button or two. 

This made DNF Duel one of the most beginner-friendly fighting games I’ve seen in a long time. The ease of inputs makes it so that even the most green of fighters can do some flashy, albeit simple combos from the get-go, and gain some confidence. It’s a really easy game to pick up, which newcomers will surely appreciate. However, it takes a bit more to master this fighter. 

Deeper Than It Looks

Mastery of DNF Duel, much like any good fighter is highly dependent on good spacing, and utilising your skills in order to extend combos and keep the pressure on your opponent. Knowing which skills to use and when can reap some serious rewards. And luckily the entire cast of this title is a viable choice, partly due to its simplified controls. But mostly due to a varied moveset across its roster.

The Ranger whose ranged capabilities, make him an obvious choice for experts at zoning. Or the Crusader, who is a master of locking an enemy in a combo with his ability to form a wall behind them. I could not for the life of me find a overtly weak link among the playable characters. There are definitely standouts though, like the aforementioned Crusader, the Berserker, Swift Master and Troubleshooter. However, after some practice, and learning a few tasty combo strings; any and everyone is a threat.

This title also adds a couple of extra layers of depth to the combat. Resource management is important in this title. Especially when playing online or against more difficult AI. Your guard is finite. You can only block for so long before your guard is broken, and you’re completely vulnerable to a thrashing. Similarly, your MP skills use up mana, and once all points are depleted your character becomes exhausted making them unable to use any MP skills until it recharges. There were a couple of moments when I first started playing where I was exhausted without even realising it. I hit [→+A], and just watched my fighter stand there like a dunce before catching some hands. It was then I realised keeping an eye on that gauge could be the difference between victory and shameful defeat. 

Taking and inflicting damage also has a little bit of extra depth. Regular damage results in a section of your HP bar turning white. This white damage can be recovered over time. But take enough damage and some becomes red, which is permanent. Your MP skills though, will always inflict red damage. Furthermore, they will eat up any latent white damage. Making a combo of regular moves/skills and finishing things off with MP skills, a lethal combination. This incentivises aggression and making good use of your abilities.

However, when you’re the one with white damage and an unrelenting enemy after you, there is another option. Converting the white into red in exchange for some extra MP. This conversion mechanic also cancels most attacks. This can help turn the tables after you’ve whiffed an MP skill, became exhausted, and are at risk of falling victim to a combo. Or it can simply be used to extend a combo. It’s an advanced risk/reward mechanic that adds an interesting element for more experienced players.

Give Us an Edge

Speaking of turning tables, another important element of combat is Awakening. When your HP drops to a certain point you can access an all-powerful and spectacular attack that can do some serious damage, either putting yourself and your opponent on more equal footing or outright winning a seemingly lost fight. It’s a mechanic that’s become a standard in the genre and provides some drama and theatrics to a fight. 

Combat in DNF Duel is enjoyable, easy to grasp, and beautifully animated to boot. However, there is one aspect that I felt was a bit lacking. Defence. Aside from spacing, blocking and dashing you’ve not got many defensive options. Especially when an enemy has you locked into a combo. The guard gauge is quite generous, so good timing can save your skin. However, I’d appreciate at least one additional way of getting out of a combo. At the very least a delayed wake-up to throw an opponent’s timing off, and allow for some punishment.

Narratively Bankrupt, Rich in Gameplay

The story mode in this game is paper-thin. About an hour long for each character if you don’t zoom through the dialogue. It provides some equally minimal and vague lore about the world and then you fight someone. Every main fighter has inside them “Will” which gives them access to “Wonder” which are portals to other lands where they’ll find another fighter with some will they can absorb. Simply put, Will is an excuse for them to fight. Eventually, they use the accumulated will of everyone they’ve fought in order to awaken an ancient warrior. I’ll let you guess what happens next.

The general plot remains the same for everyone. The only differences are who fights who and where they do so. Although to be fair, most people don’t decide to play fighting games for their campaigns. There are a good amount of options outside of story mode. You can train, with a nice variety of settings. In arcade mode you fight an 8-leg tournament. A survival mode in which you use points accumulated in the fight to give you an edge in the next battle. Including an increase to your attack/defence or replenishing lost HP. 

All of these offline options are great and all, but they also make for good preparation. A chance to find your character, practice combos, timing, as well as learning the strengths and weakness of other fighters. This is all vital when it comes to the real challenge. Online play. Which is also great. Finding a match in lobbies was quick and easy, things run smoothly, and I met some really skilled, and friendly players too, which is always a treat when you’re getting your ass handed to you. Things only got a little slow when it came to ranked matchmaking, sometimes finding a match took a while. Thankfully, you can play any of the offline modes while you wait so you can get some last-minute practice in.

It’s… Beautiful

DNF Duel is an absolutely beautiful 2.5D fighter on top of it all. The animations are exceptional. Your moves and abilities have so much spectacle stuffed into them, from the beams of cosmic energy to fiery explosions. I was really impressed by the quality of visuals, the use of colour and dynamic camera work. This combined with the simple control scheme makes it so that enjoying some flashy combos is a constant. From the most basic skills, down to your earth-shattering Awakening attacks, I cannot stress how good this game looks. And how truly and wonderfully absurd some of these people’s skills are.

DNF Duel is fun, it’s a spectacle, it’s easy to learn, and a bit trickier to master. Its deceptive simplicity may not be for everybody, and its story may as well not have been there. But overall, it’s a good time.