DNF Duel

« DNF Duel is incredible. Arc System Works has struck the perfect balance: the game is accessible for newcomers, yet includes enough complexity for veterans. On the battlefield, the game offers new ideas that will make you strategize and continually plan ahead. While there is a lot of single-player content, it treads familiar ground and is a little underwhelming. However, with its solid netcode, stunning aesthetic and deceptively deep mechanics, DNF Duel hits the sweet spot. »

« DNF Duel on PS5 delivered in almost every way. I was hoping to have another fighting game that satiated my Granblue Fantasy Versus itch, and this is exactly that. The online has held up brilliantly over the last week on both PS5 and Steam Deck, and the game looks gorgeous. I hope the mobility can improve in a future update, but in its current state, I'm having a ton of fun playing DNF Duel both online and offline, and look forward to playing it regularly. »

« While DNF Duel isn't quite able to unseat Guilty Gear Strive, what Nexon and Arc System Works have conjured here is nonetheless deeply worthy of commendation. A welcoming, two-dimensional fighter boasting a honeyed aesthetic that caresses both the ocular and aural senses, DNF Duel makes a great representation as a fantastic entry point for genre newcomers, as well as being a reliable source of instant gratification for brawling stalwarts. »

« DNF Duel’s approachable take on the genre might hold it back for some, but will likely hit the sweet spot for many newcomers and mid-level players. »

« DNF Duel has so much to offer fighting game fans. The stylish rooster of characters pairs well with the exciting and accessible combat system. There isn’t much here for casual fans looking for offline content, but mastering any of the characters opens the door for competitive online play. Like most fighting games, this is a title that will live and die by its community, and luckily it’s one hell of a fun game. »

« In an industry slowly and often clumsily stomping towards some nebulous washed out esports future where it feels as though all games must be perfectly balanced with big bucks competitive gaming in mind, I’m happy that some developers like Eighting and Arc System Works remain willing to make games that are still a little jank, still a little busted. DNF Duel is unapologetic - and a lot of fun. For Dungeon Fighter fans this is obviously a great purchase, for fans of the genre the same thing goes. »

« DNF Duel successfully brings the world of Dungeon Fighter Online to a fighting game arena with all the ingredients that made previous Arc System Works games great. The Story Mode provides interesting background about each character’s reason for fighting while the smooth mechanics give reason for having them continue to fight. The animation quality and art direction make this one of those games that is almost as entertaining to watch as it is to play. All the design elements of gameplay, graphics and music come together in a way that proves that while most current games embrace 3D, there’s still relevance in 2D tournament fighters. »

« It’s safe to say that we’ve been taken by surprise by DNF Duel. We were drawn in by its trailer showcasing its eye-catching visuals, but have been very happy to find that it has real substance. Its combat is exhilarating and easy to get to grips with, yet has enough depth to keep you going back for more. And with its many characters – ahem, classes – as well as a pleasing selection of modes, there’s plenty to go at. Whether you’re new to the fighting game malarkey, or a seasoned pro, this definitely deserves your attention. »

« DNF Duel seems like a decent fighter to me, but kinda suffers from some weird decisions. Characters don't have names, they are defined by their class. I don't know about you, but I don't want to fight as "Kunoichi", I want to fight as Ibuki, I don't want to fight as "Grappler", I want to fight as Potemkin. I enjoy getting to know the characters I play, I enjoy reading about their backgrounds, I enjoy seeing them evolve from game to game, I enjoy seeing the personalities clash. How much personality can these characters have if they don't even have a name you ask? THEY AIN'T GOT NONE. There's a character that is a "Dragon Knight", and fights with a pet dragon named Astra. THE FREAKIN DRAGON HAS A NAME. Like, wow guys, I mean, come one, dudes, how? It's also worth mentioning that the game doesn't support my fight stick (Toodles Cthulhu PCB), it doesn't recognize half the buttons, which wouldn't be a problem if I had this on Steam, but I got this for free from Epic. Adding the game to Steam doesn't work all that well, because the Epic has an overlay that doesn't jive with Steam, and I can't get the game to boot that way. This is on Linux, Windows users probably don't have this problem. But, BUT, if you use an arcade stick without LS or RS buttons, it is possible to soft lock in the trials or tutorial section. Nice. And that's too bad, because it seems to plays pretty well. It has some interesting mechanics. It's snappy, it looks good (even if the designs are - to me, at least - a bit overdone and forgettable), the balancing isn't terrible. Didn't try online, so I can't tell if there are any chances of getting into a match. Would I recommend paying for this? It's more expensive than FEXL, it's not as snappy as KoF, it doesn't have the player base of SF, it just feels like a gaccha version of GG but it's not that much cheaper. Probably pass this one. »

« Very bad game, the story mode is filler in the game, it's boring and it's the same for all the characters, multiplayer is more of the same, less than 100 players online at a time around the world so you can see "Game of Thrones" complete and still not find a game, not to mention the latency with more than 200 ms in each game. The worst of the worst. »

« Graphics can only take you so far in games. And this is a perfect example. Yes, it looks fantastic and is super smooth, but if the gameplay falls flat, it becomes a waste of eye candy. And that is what DNF Duel is. A waste. It could have been good, but there were some just stupid decisions made. Like the one button specials, meaning you're limited to 4 special moves. One of them being a one button invincible DP. On top of that, the game is so set on these one button specials that even using the command input sit provides (Where the only benefit is waiting less for meter to recharge) can only be done via the special button, so you don't even get special move strengths! AND ON TOP OF THAT, despite them being normal ass special moves, they still require meter. I would understand if they were EX moves, but they're not. That makes no sense, why should I be locked out of playing the game for playing the game? Not that you could do much with them because the hitstun decay is so strict that you need full setups just to do basic BnBs, trying to do combos normally has a 90% chance of it prematurely ending. On top of that, the balance is piss poor. Why do characters have moves that basically cover the entire screen? Why is it that there is a character with a move that keeps you in block for 5 seconds and beats guard cancel? Why was there not a single nerf done in the patch?! Some of this would be excused if the combat engine at least gave you options to combat this, but besides a dodge roll, you get nothing. Not even an air dash, which would have been really useful against those long moves. The game doesn't even give you the benefit of air blocking, in a game where moves are as tall as the screen. And if you're out of meter, you can't do a guard cancel, which means you will get hit with a guard break because even though this was developed by a team who has made multiple games with a pushblock, this game doesn't have pushblocking. Nothing about this game is fun in any way, it's an exercise in frustration that gets overhyped because of how people view graphics in games as the be all end all. About the only good thing I can say about this game is that it has rollback netcode, but there are so many better rollback games you can play. Hell, I would rather play a delay based netcode game than this trash! Recap: Over simplified engine and missing mechanics lead to a frustrating game that shows the developers did not care in anyway, and how exploitable the FGC can be »

« Good- Outstanding graphics and audio across the board. Fun and diverse roster of characters. The survival mode is incredibly addictive. Bad- Almost no customization hurts the experience. Not as deep or complex as many hardcore 2D fighting fans would like. Thoughts- With remarkably digestible combat for the genre and more unrestricted approach to where and when you can land your attacks than most of its contemporaries, DNF Duel could prove to be somewhat divisive, especially down the road once all of its nooks and crannies have been thoroughly explored by the masses. But as with any fighting game, it really comes down to the variety, personality, and execution of its ideas – old hat or not. DNF Duel walks that dangerous tightrope between accessibility and longevity extremely well, and while that might not be a balancing act some fighting fans are even interested in, it certainly is a space worth exploring, especially if it’s going to be done this well. »