DNF Duel - Two Minute Review!

Free from Epic games Aug 8th to Aug 15th 2024 (Second time free from Epic)
Title: DNF Duel: Who's Next
Summary: Action fighting to the extreme. Enter the new beat ’em up world of Arad as your favorite character from the esteemed Dungeon and Fighter franchise. One of the most popular and widely played RPGs in the world, Dungeon and Fighter is now back as a 2.5D action fighting game. Choose from 10 charming characters, each with their own distinct skills and personalities. Outsmart, outplay, or downright beat up your opponents and become the master of the Ultimate Will
Rated T for Teen
Developer: Eighting
Publisher: Nexon
Release DAte: June 28th, 2022
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, Switch
Genres: 2D Fighting
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DNF Duel is a 2D fighting game based on characters from the popular Dungeon and Fighter RPG series. The base game has a roster of 16 stylish characters, each boasting unique combos and moves that feel powerful and satisfying. The overall feel of the game is best described as fast-paced, flashy, and fun.
Duel boasts modern, user-friendly controls for an accessible fighting experience for casuals, while retaining plenty of depth for experienced players. There are two damage types, with landing specials required to prevent health regeneration. There are gauges for blocking and the MP needed for specials. Players can convert health to MP, also allowing for cancelling attacks to chain larger combos. Additionally, there are also last-ditch specials and selectable modifiers that kick in at low health. All these points combine to create a highly skill-driven and rewarding experience.
The net-code for online play is top tier, but unfortunately the developers were slow to address early balance issues, add new content, and engage with the community, and now the game is all but abandoned by the fighting game community. This has been exacerbated by the total lack of cross platform. The low player count has knock-on effects with matchmaking, and new-comers are unlikely to have a good experience online. The game still has local play with tournament, endurance and story modes, providing a couple of hours of decent entertainment, but it's not how this game was intended to be enjoyed.
In summary, despite being a beautiful game with a great implementation, it's hard to see a future for DNF Duel right now, as in a competitive fighter you really need others to play against. With better support and promotion, this title might have been a well-deserved success, but right now, there are plenty more compelling investments of your time with active communities and more promising outlooks.
It's still possible to have fun with it, just don't get too invested

[@James-cf2mr]

Thanks for the review! Despite the poor situation with online play, I am looking forward to this next week! I play fighters offline, so I hope I can get into it once I give it the time. Keep up the good work on the channel, I think your consistency and concise reviews are a valuable contribution to the video game review space on TH-cam. While documentaries on games are great, short reviews sharing the gist of a game are also important. Thanks again!